Exhibition
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih III
An embodiment of profound wisdom and knowledge, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad was born in Qadian, India, in 1909. As the grandson of the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community he was raised in a deeply spiritual atmosphere, where he developed a passion for the progress of Islam.
Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad memorised the entire text of the Holy Qur’an by the age of thirteen. He excelled in secular as well as religious studies, and was subsequently awarded a degree (BA) in Islamic Theology (Maulvi Fazil) by the prestigious University of Punjab.
He later attained a Masters degree in Economics and Philosophy from Balliol College, Oxford University. Whilst in England, he was an active member of the London Branch of the Ahmadiyya Community. This phase of his life gave him the unique opportunity to interact with western academics and begin conveying the message of Islam to the modern, western world.
In 1938, he was to dedicate his life for the service of Islam and spreading its message of peace. During this period, he worked on numerous important projects, until he was elected ‘Khalifa’ in 1965 — the spiritual successor of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
In 1974, the extremists of Pakistan reached a consensus in declaring Ahmadis as heretics. This was the fulfillment of a grand prophecy of the Holy Prophet, in which he had foretold that all sects of Islam would unite against the one and only true sect. It was a political move to oppress Ahmadi Muslims, by extreme religious clerics scrambling for power. It was through the great leadership and supplications of Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, that Ahmadis remained steadfast during this cruel persecution.
Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad remained a spiritual leader to promote the core values of Islam, love and peace. He was to tour the nations of West Africa in 1970. After this trip, he launched a scheme by the name of the Nusrat Jehan Scheme, in order to establish non-profit schools and hospitals throughout West Africa.
Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad’s legacy includes the wonderful motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, still used today. Launched at the laying of the foundation stone of Basharat Mosque, Pedrobad, Spain, in 1980, it is:
“LOVE FOR ALL, HATRED FOR NONE.”
