Mirza Masroor Ahmad

Who Is Mirza Masroor Ahmad?

Mirza Masroor Ahmad is a gentle and kind spiritual guide. He is also known as Mirza Ahmad. He leads a worldwide community that follows the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith. People look to him for calm advice and hopeful words. His voice is calm and his smile is warm. He spends his days sharing messages of peace and love. He cares deeply for the well being of each follower. He hopes to bring harmony to all peoples.

His role is very special within the community. He is called the Fifth Caliph of the Messiah. This title shows the deep trust his followers have in him. He works hard to keep the teachings clear and alive. He travels far to meet people and listen to their hopes. He writes letters that many read with comfort. He tries to make the world a kinder place with simple deeds.

Early Life and Background

He was born on September 15 1950.

Career and Claim to Fame

His official website can be found at en.wikipedia.org wiki MirzaMasroorAhmad.

Birthday, Age and Zodiac

Mirza Masroor Ahmad celebrates his birthday on September 15 each year. He is currently seventy six years old. His zodiac sign is Virgo. People born under Virgo are known for being practical and careful. They like to pay attention to small details. They often help others in a quiet and steady way. They prefer order and like to plan things ahead. This calm and steady nature fits well with his role as a spiritual leader.

Virgo friends are also seen as modest and kind. They often work hard without asking for applause. They enjoy helping without needing the spotlight. They love to make sure everything is tidy and fair. This gentle and reliable spirit matches the way Mirza Masroor Ahmad leads his community with calm patience.

Fun Facts and Legacy

Mirza Masroor Ahmad is the spiritual leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was born on September 15 1950 and is now seventy six years old. His zodiac sign is Virgo and he shows the practical and caring traits of that sign. He is also known as Mirza Ahmad. His official website address is en.wikipedia.org wiki MirzaMasroorAhmad. His life is marked by calm service and a warm smile.

Mirza Masroor Ahmad - Quick Facts

Profile Overview of Mirza Masroor Ahmad

Mirza Masroor Ahmad (مرزا مسرور احمد; born 15 September 1950) is the current and fifth leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. His official title within the movement is Fifth Caliph of the Messiah (Arabic: خليفة المسيح الخامس, khalīfatul masīh al-khāmis). He was elected on 22 April 2003, three days after the death of his predecessor Mirza Tahir Ahmad.

This profile of Mirza Masroor Ahmad covers Early Life and Family Background, Ghana, Imprisonment, Caliphate and Khilafat Centenary.

Following the death of the fourth caliph, the Electoral College, for the first time in the history of the community, convened outside the Indian subcontinent and in the city of London, after which Mirza Masroor Ahmad was elected as the fifth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. At the commencement of his accession, he found himself forced into exile from Pakistan in response to pressure from the Government of Pakistan. Since being elected, he has travelled extensively across the world to meet the members of the community and address their annual gatherings. In many of the countries he has visited it has been the first visit by an Ahmadiyya caliph.

Early Life and Family Background of Mirza Masroor Ahmad

Mirza Masroor Ahmad was born on 15 September 1950 in Rabwah, Pakistan, the global headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the time. He is a nephew of Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth caliph, his mother being a sister of the fourth caliph.

Ghana of Mirza Masroor Ahmad

Having served the Community in various capacities, Masroor Ahmad served in Ghana for over eight years. He established the Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Salaga, a school in the northern region of Ghana, where he served as principal for two years. His success with the school in Salaga made him an obvious choice as principal of the Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Essarkyir, located in the central region of Ghana. There he served as principal for four years.

After his tenure as principal, Masroor Ahmad was appointed as the manager of the Ahmadiyya Agricultural Farm in Depali located in the northern region of Ghana where he served for two years. He successfully planted and nurtured wheat for the first time in Ghana. The experiment of planting, growing and nurturing wheat as an economic crop in Ghana was exhibited at an international trade fair and the results were submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture of Ghana.

Imprisonment

In 1999, a resolution was presented in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab which demanded that the name of Rabwah be changed because that name appeared in the Qur'an. The resolution passed without much debate and the name of Rabwah was officially changed to Chenab Nagar. Signage was placed in prominent parts of Rabwah which bore the new name. A few days later, a First Information Report (criminal complaint) was filed accusing certain members of the community of erasing a sign which bore the new name. Though the complaint didn't mention any names, a case was registered, resulting in the arrest of Masroor Ahmad and a few other senior members of the Ahmadiyya Community. They were imprisoned for 11 days without bail, but were released without charge on 10 May 1999.

Caliphate

Masroor Ahmad was elected as the fifth caliph on 22 April 2003, a few days after the demise of his predecessor Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Today he frequently tours around the world, visiting countries for the community's Jalsa Salanas (annual gatherings). Masroor Ahmad also regularly leads prayers at the Al-Fazl Mosque in London, England as well as Friday prayers from Baitul Futuh Mosque, in Morden, London.

Under his leadership the community's global satellite TV network MTA International, launched by his predecessor, has expanded into several further affiliated TV channels, social media and radio stations to provide transmission in different languages. Further campuses of Jamia Ahmadiyya, the Ahmadiyya Islamic seminary and educational institution, have been established including one in Ghana and one in the United Kingdom, the latter has been the first in Europe. He has focused particularly on directing the community in systematically countering negative media coverage of Islam and engaging in grassroots efforts to propagate what the community believes is the true message of Islam.

In 2004, he launched – and regularly addresses – the annual National Peace Symposium (held twice in 2015) in which guests from all walks of life come together at the largest mosque in Western Europe (the Baitul Futuh Mosque) to exchange ideas on establishing world peace. These symposia have attracted parliamentarians, religious leaders and other dignitaries. In 2009, he initiated the Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Prize; an international peace award for individuals or organisations that have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment and service to the cause of peace and humanitarianism.

Masroor Ahmad has frequently met heads of state in different parts of the world as well as having delivered keynote addresses to the United States Congress on Capitol Hill, the European Parliament, the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament, the Parliament of Canada and the Dutch Parliament on the teachings of Islam regarding the establishment of peace, presenting Quranic solutions to world problems. He has consistently called for honesty and the observance of unconditional justice and fairness in international relations.

Khilafat Centenary

On 27 May 2008, members of the community celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of Khilafat. Masroor Ahmad spoke at a large gathering of community members in the Excel Center in London, England and took a pledge from Ahmadis worldwide. This was relayed around the world via the community's television channel, Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International with a live link up to Qadian, India, the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and original global headquarters before the partition of India in 1947.

A Jalsa Salana celebrating the centenary anniversary of the Caliphate was planned in Qadian for December 2008. This gathering was to mark the end of celebrations of the centenary. But due to the Mumbai terrorist attacks in late November, and the resulting security situation, Masroor Ahmad cancelled his participation in the gathering at Qadian and returned to London.

Controversies

In 2005, a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten published some caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that infuriated Muslims around the world. Ahmad condemned the publishers of the cartoons saying that this was an abuse of free speech. But at the same time, he condemned the violent reaction showed by some Muslims around the world saying that this goes against the fabric of peaceful teachings of Islam. He guided his community to disseminate the character of Muhammad in Denmark as well as the rest of the world through writings and dialogue. He also advised Ahmadis to send durood on Muhammad in this time of adversity. His sermons on this issue were later published as a book, The Blessed Model of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the Caricatures.

Source: adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirza_Masroor_Ahmad), text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.