Pray for Ahmadiyya

Founded in 1889 in the region now known as Pakistan, Ahmadi Muslims believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a latter-day prophet, the promised Mahdi (Guided One), the Christian’s Messiah, and a reappearance of Muhammad. Ahmadis believe that they must restore Islam to its lost purpose and true pristine form. They are called to be the preeminent missionaries spreading Islam – the final fulfillment of all religions – around the world.

Led by “his Holiness” Mirza Masroor Ahmad and headquartered in London, the Ahmadiyya number more than ten million adherents in more than 200 countries. There are large concentrations of Ahmadis in South Asia, Indonesia, and in West and East Africa. Ahmadi Muslims are considered unorthodox by most Muslims, and they face harsh persecution in many Muslim nations. They passionately propagate a peaceful version of Islam in order to bring lasting world peace.

Ahmadis hold to the orthodox Islamic beliefs and practice the five pillars, as do all other Muslims. What sets them apart, however, is the prophetic role they attribute to their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. In addition, they believe that Jesus did not die on the cross, but merely fainted. He then made his way to Kashmir, they believe, and married and had children and died at the age of 120. The “recently rediscovered” tomb of Jesus is a place of pilgrimage in Kashmir.

The Ahmadiyya movement arose in response to Christian missionary work, and they are among the most virulently anti-Christian of all Muslim movements. They continually critique Christian teachings and convictions and seek to undermine Christians’ confidence in their faith in order to convert them to Islam. In Asia and Africa, they have at times been successful in drawing many Christians away from their faith.

Ahmadis believe that the Quran has authority over the Hadith (traditions). They teach that Jihad never involves violence. Ahmadis only seek to defend and propagate Islam through peaceful means. They do humanitarian work, running hospitals and clinics in Africa. They often live in close-knit communities whose members support and protect one another.

The most prominent Ahmadi convert to Christ is the late Nabeel Qureshi, an American born to Pakistani Muslim parents in California. Qureshi came to follow Christ through the faithful friendship and witness of a Christian friend at university. Following further studies, Qureshi became an apologist with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. He lectured in universities around the world and wrote three books. His 2014 autobiography Seeking Allah Finding Jesus is a bestseller. Qureshi died of cancer at the age of 34 in 2017. Though there is very little observable turning to Christ among Ahmadis, Qureshi’s story points the way for fruitful Christian engagement with these often-zealous Muslim missionaries.