Muslims who believe in the Messiah,Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)
Khilafat
Khilafat or Caliphate, is the divinely established system of successorship that follows upon the death of a prophet. After the demise of Prophet Muhammad (sa), he was succeeded by four divinely guided caliphs that continued his work of establishing the peaceful teachings of Islam.
Similarly, after the demise of the Promised Messiah (as) in 1908, the Ahmadiyya Caliphate was established. A caliph is elected to the office of Khilafat by the electoral college of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in which he then serves for the rest of his life. Over the last 113 years, the Ahmadiyya Caliphs have worked tirelessly to promote peace and equality in the world.
The Champion of Peace and Defender of Islam
The current caliph, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aa) (b. 1950), is the fifth successor of the Promised Messiah (as). Elected to this lifelong position in 2003, he serves as the worldwide spiritual and administrative head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
His Holiness is the world’s leading Muslim figure promoting peace and interfaith harmony. Residing in the United Kingdom, where the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community are based, he was recently recognized by ‘The Progress 1000’ as the second most influential religious personality of London after the Queen of England. Among the many peace initiatives launched by His Holiness, the annual Nation Peace Symposium held in the UK hosts guests from all walks of life who come together to exchange ideas on the promotion of peace. Previous dignitaries have included leaders of various political parties, such as the current British Prime Minister. His Holiness also awards the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace at these symposiums, which is an international peace award for individuals or organizations that exhibit extraordinary service in the cause of humanitarianism.
International Addresses
His Holiness has travelled globally to promote and facilitate service to humanity. He regularly meets presidents, prime ministers, other heads of state, parliamentarians and ambassadors of state.
He has been invited to speak at various international legislatures. He has delivered keynote addresses at Capitol Hill in the USA, Canada’s National Parliament, the European Parliament in Brussels, amongst many others.
In all such addresses and meetings, His Holiness provides divinely guided wisdom to governing bodies on how they can work to establish a more peaceful and harmonious world. His Holiness dispels myths surrounding Islam, and underlines the insightful Islamic principles found within the Holy Qur’an, that can help promote a peaceful society.
Communication with Ahmadi Muslims
His Holiness maintains a close bond with Ahmadi Muslims across the globe. He receives thousands of letters a day from Ahmadis, seeking his prayers and guidance. He delivers weekly Friday sermons, broadcasted live by MTA International, an Ahmadi Muslim satellite television station established in 1994, and translated into various languages.
His Holiness provides inspirational leadership to Ahmadi Muslims. Despite the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community facing persecution in various countries of the world, His Holiness expressly forbids any violence. On May 28, 2010, anti-Ahmadiyya terrorists attacked two mosques belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in Lahore, Pakistan. 86 Ahmadi Muslims were martyred during their Friday Prayers, whilst scores more were injured. Despite the barbaric nature of this premeditated crime against humanity, His Holiness instructed Ahmadi Muslims worldwide to respond only through prayers and entirely peaceful means.
