Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

Mīrzā Ghulām Aḥmad(Arabic: ميرزا غلام أحمد; Urdu: مرزا غلام احمد; February 13, 1835 – 26 May 1908 CE, or 14 Shawal 1250 – 24 Rabi' al-thani 1326 AH) was a religious figure from India and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

He claimed to be the Mujaddid (divine reformer) of the fourteenth Islamic century, the Promised Messiah (Second Coming of Christ), and the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the end days. However, he remains a controversial figure and is regarded by orthodox Muslims as heretical because he claimed to be a non law-bearing (Ummati) prophet after Muhammad, whom Muslims traditionally believe to be the final prophet sent to guide mankind. He declared that Jesus (Isa) had in fact survived the crucifixion and later died a natural death after having migrated towards Kashmir. He declared that he had appeared in the spirit and power of Jesus.

He traveled extensively across the subcontinent of India preaching his religious ideas and ideals and won substantial following within his lifetime. He is known to have engaged in numerous debates and dialogues with the Muslim, Christian and Hindu priesthood and leadership. Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam on 23 March 1889. The mission of the movement, according to him, was the propagation of Islam in its pristine form.

Ghulam Ahmad authored around 100 books on various religious, spiritual and theological issues. He advocated a peaceful propagation of Islam and emphatically argued against the necessity of Jihad in its military form in the present age.