Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Introduction

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a reformist movement within Islam, founded in 1889 in British India by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908). Ahmadis follow the same Islamic scriptures and practices as other Muslims, yet they have often been persecuted as “unorthodox” for their distinctive beliefsreligionmediacentre.org.uk. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be the divinely appointed Promised Messiah and Mahdi—a world reformer awaited by various religions—commissioned to rejuvenate true faith and unite humanitydawn.com. The movement’s mission, as he stated, was to revive Islam’s pristine, peaceful teachings, restore the absolute oneness of God (tawhid), and guide society back to moral and spiritual reformationen.wikipedia.orgreligionmediacentre.org.uk. Over a century later, the Ahmadiyya Community has spread globally, continuing to present itself as a revival of Islam destined to bring about a spiritual renaissance.

This document provides a scholarly overview of the Ahmadiyya doctrines concerning salvation and revival. It will outline the community’s foundational beliefs, their teachings on salvation and righteous living, their attitude toward others, and how these positions compare with those of orthodox (Sunni) Islam. The aim is to elucidate how the Ahmadiyya understanding of Islam seeks to balance fidelity to traditional Islamic tenets with the claim of a divinely guided renewal, and how this has prompted both fervent devotion among followers and intense opposition from mainstream Muslim authorities.

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