USA Souvenir 1989 — Page 8
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi The Founder of The Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam Hazrat Mina GhulamAhmad(1835-1908), born in an ob scure and small village in India championed the cause of Islam at a time when Islam was under severe attacks by other faiths and the Muslims all over the world were subjugated, weak and defenseless. Their will to defend Islam had crumbled under the missionary onslaught of Christianity and the sharp criticism of westernized intellectuals. Ha1ratAhmad under Divineoommand, roclaimed to be the Promised Reformer of the Latter Days whose advent had been predicted in the sacred scriptures and traditions of the world religions, and he claimed to be the champion of God in the mantle of different prophets. He proclaimed that the religion chosen by Almighty God for the universal and final manifestation of His unity was Islam and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the last Law-bearing Prophet. He claimed to be in complete subordination of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blesfilngs of Allah be upon him). 8 Hazrat Mirza GhulamAhrnad resolved to set forth the truth of Islam in its pristine purity. From about 1872 he began to emerge as the reputable scholar and eloquent speaker of Islam. He wrote more than 80 books expounding the beauties oflslam. In 1889 he founded the Ahmadiyya Muslim O>mmunity to establish the True Islam in action. He successfully revived the faith in One God - Allah, and in the prophethood of Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Despite bitter oposition and at times violent persecution the AhmadiyyaMuslim O>mmunity became the most dynamic religious force within Islam with a clear mission to take the message oflslam to the corners of the earth. At~ttheAhrnadiyyaMuslim O>mmunity has ten million adherents in 120 countries bonded in universal love and brotherhood. No barrier of discrimination is permitted to stand in the way of self - less devotion to promote the unification of mankind through Islam.