Mujaddidiyat: A Lahori Perspective

The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement considers that the belief in Mujaddidiyat is in accordance with the well-established “Islamic practice as recognised by the Ahl as-Sunna”.

Read the following Article in the official website:

“The Holy Quran promises that God will raise, among the Muslims, Khalifas (deputies or successors) to the Holy Prophet Muhammad:


"Allah has promised to those of you who believe, and do good, that He will surely make them khalifas in the earth as He made those before them to be khalifas " (24:55)

By "those before them" are meant the Israelites. The Holy Prophet Muhammad said in explanation: "The Israelites used to be led by prophets; whenever a prophet died, another came after him. After me there is no prophet, but there will be khalifas and there will be many." (Bukhari, book 60, ch. 50)

Official Proclamation as 'Khalifatullah'

Divine revelations are a bounty of Allah for the community of believers: to guide them on the true and narrow path of sublime spirituality. Recipients of Divine revelations are hence a very special category of saints in the faith. It is incumbent upon the believers to recognize and accept such Divinely-raised saints when they make their proclamation about the Divine Mission they have been entrusted with. For, they come with the messages of the Divine that teach and guide the community about the true faith and practical wisdom for their everyday lives. As the world was entering into the third millennium after Christ, and the Muslim world has entered into the new Century of Hijri Calendar, in accordance with the prophecy of the Holy Prophet (sa), regarding the renewal of Islam in every century, a spiritual progeny of the Promised Massih (as) became a recipient of revelations and Divine communion. In the last decade, (2000-2010), Allah (twa) protected him under His shadows and allowed him to preach Islam to the world and also engage in seeking to refine a community of his followers on the practical ordinances of  Islam. During this decade, Allah (twa) gave him several spiritual titles and revealed very many spiritually appealing teachings. It was on May 26, 2008 that Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius proclaimed himself as the Khalifatullah of this age after recurring Divine revelations were bestowed upon him by Allah the Most High in this regard. 

Read from the Extracts of a Message issued after the official proclamation by the Khalifatullah:   

“Since the past weeks, by the Grace of Allah, I have been receiving many revelations, concerning the state of the world and the need of my humble appearance as the Khalifatullah of this Era. I am the Khalifatullah of this age. God is with me and He is standing like a sharp sword and He has revealed to me that these mischievous people who will combat me will be disgraced. Look by the Divine Commands, I have given you the warning, which was my responsibility to convey to you. You can laugh at me, much as you wish, abuse me as much as you like and plan to create problems for me as many as you like. And try to make plans by deceit to destroy me as much as you like. Even then remember Allah will show you that His Hand is overpowering.

An Ahmadi Mujaddid in Africa

In the beginning of the year 2001, Allah chose a spiritual progeny of the Promised Massih (as) Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius as His Chosen Messenger of our times- at a time when the world was about to enter the Third Millennium of the Christian Era and the Muslim world had firmly entered the Fifteenth century. In a post- Communist world order, Islam became the new enemy of the ‘Liberal’, ‘Democratic’, western, Christian, "free world". More than ever, Islam as a religion and Muslims as a community is under relentless attack from varying forces. So, the appearance of the new Messenger of Allah could not have been more timely and necessary.  

If we look at the history of prophethood, it was at the age of forty that the Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad (sa) began to receive messages from the Unseen and was raised to that august spiritual position through recurring Divine revelations. Like wise, the Promised Massih Hadhrat Ahmad (as) was also blessed with Divine revelations by the time he was forty years of age. It is remarkable to note that Allah, the Exalted chose to elevate the spiritual status of Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib by the time he turned forty years of age in 2001.

All Ahmadis agree that most prophecies regarding the Imam Mahdi and the Promised Massih have been fulfilled at the time of Hadhrat Ahmad (as). Yet, it is a fact that there are several prophecies remain to be fulfilled in greater measure in our times. It is thus instructive to note that several Hadiths foretells of the coming of the Mahdi (that is, the Khalifatullah) in some 20 to 30 years after the 1400 years after Hijra (of the Holy prophet of Islam).

“People will gather around the Mahdi in 1400”. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 108). In another Hadith, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) said:

“Count two or three decades after the decades of Hijri 1400. At that time, the Mahdi emerges...” (Asmal Masalik Lieyyam Mahdiyy Maliki Li Kull-id Dunya Biemrillah-il Malik, Qalda bin Zayd, p. 216)

In the last decade, Allah, the Most High bestowed many titles on Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib- “Hadhrat”, “Amir’ul Mu’mineen”, “Muhyi-ud-Din”, “Mujaddid”, “Khalifatullah”, “Nabiullah” and “Rasulullah”. In a recent Friday Sermon, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) observed:

“If we analyse these Hadiths, all these points in the direction of my epoch, my coming. I was expelled from the Nizam-e-Jamaat Ahmadiyya on 01 January 2001 (that is, 1421 Hijri). We are now in 1432 Hijri and I made my proclamation as Amir’ul Momeneen on 19 January 2003 (that is, 1423 Hijri), Muhyi-ud-Din on 06 December 2003 (that is, 1423 Hijri), Khalifatullah on 26 May 2008 (that is, 1429 Hijri) and Messiah, Mujaddid and Prophet of Allah officially (though I already received these revelations beforehand until Allah made me stand up to proclaim it officially) in 2010 (that is, 1431 Hijri)”.

In December 2003, proclaiming that Allah had made him the Muhyi-ud-Din/ Mujaddid of this era, Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) stated:

“I want neither pelf nor power. I have been commissioned by Allah as a Warner unto mankind, to deliver His Message to you. Should you accept it, you shall have felicity in this life as well as in the life to come. Should you reject the word of Allah, surely Allah will decide between you and me. As from today, I take Allah as my witness that I am the Muhyi-ud-Din of this era.”

For a list of Divine revelations vouchsafed to him, click here. 

Munir A. Azim Sahib: Early Life

There is considerable interest among people to understand not only the claims of the Khalifathullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmadi Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius but also about his personal life before the period when Allah raised his spiritual status and he began to receive divine revelations. Born on January 07, 1961 into an Ahmadi Muslim family, Munir Ahmad Azim was the youngest male child of an entrepreneur, late Solim Azim Sahib of Rose- Hill, Mauritius and his respected wife Momin Azim Sahiba. 

Read the extracts from a Biographical Note:

HIS FAMILY BACKGROUND AND CHILDHOOD:

The Muhyi-ud-Din Munir Ahmad Azim was born on January 7, 1961 into a Ahmadi Muslim family of  very modest origin. His father, the late Solim Azim, was a renowned entrepreneur in the timber trade in Rose-Hill, Mauritius, and his mother Momin Azim, as was the custom in most traditional Muslim families, housewife. Munir Azim is the last boy in a family of four boys and two girls.

He spent his childhood in Trèfles (in the town of Rose-Hill). At the age of fourteen, his family change their address and came to live about 200 meters from the mosque Dar-us-Salaam Ahmadiyya. He follows his secondary studies in the Ahmadiyya College. He has the opportunity to share his free time between work and mosque. Apart from that, he was happy to accompany the missionaries of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association during their various trips throughout the island. He followed his secondary studies for five years without taking part in the final examinations of the School Certificate.

Some Questions to Ahmadi Friends

In October 2010, a spokesman of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Kerala sent to three Ahmadi scholars, a bunch of questions based on the Holy Qur’an, the Ahadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and on the official Ahmadiyya literature. Deafening silence was the response. Later, the same was published as a public notice, entitled “Will the Ahmadi Maulanas respond?”. Once again, those who claim to be the disciples of that great Divine Reformer refused to join the debate.

It is surprising that those who are duty bound to serve and promote the cause of the Ahmadiyya Community are trying to evade and ignore these searching questions. We believe that it is incumbent upon every Muslim, especially Ahmadi Muslims, to search for answers to these questions, even if their leaders and scholars refuse to engage with them. The following are among the questions:

Do the Ahmadis hold the belief that a Mujaddid will appear in every century? If yes, is it not a topical issue in every age? Can we ignore the Fifteenth Century from this wider debate? Ahmadi Maulanas point to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa) when they propagate their message among other Muslim brothers. What do you say about those traditions and their relevance in the new century? 

Do not the Ahmadis hold the belief that the Mujaddid of the Fourteenth Century was the Imam Mahdi as per the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)? Was it on this basis that they recognized and accepted Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908) as the Mujaddid of the previous century? In both speeches and literature, Ahmadis have raised strong arguments in the past pointing out that the chain of prophethood will not end and that the door of revelations will always be open. Many people joined Ahmadiyyat in Kerala after reading Ahmadiyya literature including Thabligh-e- Hidayat in Malayalam, entitled SANMARGA DARSHINI and the great works of the late Maulana B. Abdullah Sahib HA (ra) such as An Nubuwwat fil Qur’an and An Nubuwwat fil Islam which powerfully articulate the cause of divine revelations and prophethood in future as well. Are you now suggesting that these people should ignore the new century? Can you now say that the door has been closed in the Fifteenth Century?


By selecting Hadhrat Adam (as), Allah, the Most High says: “I am about to place a Khalifa in the earth” (2:31). Can a Divinely-appointed Khalifa and the man-elected Khalifa be on the same pedestal? Ahmadis now believe that since Ahmadiyya Khilafat is in place, nobody can come in a new century or even till the Day of Judgement. If the elected leadership is indeed the Second Manifestation of Divine Power, why did Ahmadis gather together and conducted prayers for the descent of Second Manifestation of Divine Power during the Khilafat of Hadhrat Maulvi Hakkim Nuruddin Sahib (ra) (1908-1914)? 

Did the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) ever say that Imam Mahdi of the Fourteenth Century will be the last Mujaddid or that there shall be no Mujaddid after him? Did Hadhrat Ahmad (as) ever say that the Second Manifestation of Divine Power will preclude the coming of Mujaddidin in future? Why did the  Promised Massih (as) say that Mujaddidiyat is the “permanent institution” of Islamic Khilafat till the Day of Judgement?

If the elected leadership is the only form of divine favour on the Community till the Day of Judgement, why did the Promised Massih (as) instruct the community in Al Wassiyat to remain united under an elected ‘Khilafat’ till the arrival of someone who is a recipient of divine revelations and stand up with the help of Roohul Qudouss? Why did you, then, propagate till recently that it is essential that a Mujaddid ought to come in every century as per the prophecy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)? 

Do you consider that the existing Ahmadiyya Khilafat is the Second Manifestation of Divine Power? Can the Khilafat that propagates utter falsehood- that there are 80 million Ahmadis in India and over 200 million in the world over- be anywhere near to the Majesty of the Truthful Lord? Can it even aspire to be the Second Manifestation of Divine Power when it is drowned in a web of lies so embarrassing that the so called true statistics had to be erased and removed from the public domain? 

Allah appoints His Khalifa or Mujaddid as the spiritual Commander of the Muslims. Once such an appointment is made, who presides over the spiritual realm among the believers- a man-elected Khalifa or a divinely-appointed Mujaddid? The issue can no longer be put under the carpet. Ignoring or evading the issue will not brush it away. If the current Ahmadiyya Khilafat is indeed based on the precept of prophethood enjoying divine pleasure and on a higher pedestal, then, why is it that Allah, the Most High has deserted the present Khalifa Mirza Masroor Ahmad Sahib and deprived him of divine revelations? Why is it that the “spiritual Commander” Khalifa is unable to respond from a spiritual perspective to the claims of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius as the Mujaddid of the Fifteenth century, Muhyiuddin, Khalifathullah, Massih Maoud and Amir’ul Mu’mineen?

To read the Notice in Malayalam, click here. 

The Ethics of Islamic Veil

In his Friday Sermon of 20 May 2011, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (atba) of Mauritius spoke at length about the question of gender equality in the social order. Based on his deep insight, the Khalifatullah rejects the western notion that Islamic veil seeks to seclude women at the cost of her individual freedom and spiritual identity. He explains the profound moral precepts of Islam that seeks to promote family values and maintain a complex balance in gender relations in society- while restraining unhindered mixing of men and women, it does promote healthy interactions across the gender divide by observing the Islamic norms. He calls for abundant caution in the pursuit of addressing “any weakness (or) immoderation in the system” and asserts that the system is essentially rooted on the principles of “justice and equity, balance and proportion”.

Read the extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Islam on Women’s Rights

Gender relations and women’s space, rights and status in Islam have been a perennial source of debate in the recent times. In a series of sermons in May 2011, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib has now reflected on various aspects of this wide-ranging issue. Reproduced below are extracts from the Friday Sermon of May 20, 2011.

“As a fundamental of its system, Islam holds that the woman is a human being; and she has a soul similar to that of man. The Holy Quran says: “O people! Be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you.” (4:2)

Thus, men and women are quite equal to each other in their origin, their abode as well as in their place of return and are as such entitled to similar and equal rights. Islam gave her the right to life, to honour, and to property like men. She is an honourable being and it is not permissible for anyone to find fault with her or backbite her. No one is permitted to spy on her or hold her in contempt due to her functions as a woman. These are the rights that both men and women enjoy, there being no differentiation against either of them.

So, none can deny the fact that as human beings, man and woman are equal. Both make up the human race together as its equal constituent parts. Both are equal partners in building up community life, creating and bringing about civilisation, and thus serving humanity. Both have been endowed with hearts, brain and reasoning power and both possess feelings, desires and the other human instincts. Both stand in need of mental and intellectual training and education so that they may duly contribute to the happiness and welfare of society.