The Early life and significant achievements of Hazrat Musleh Ma’ood ( ra )

1. The Early life and significant achievements of Hazrat Musleh Ma’ood (ra) Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad (ra) By Sarah Ward

2. Childhood and Early Life • He was born on January 12th 1889 in Qadian, India. • He was the son of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and Hazrat Nusrat Jahan Begum Sahiba (ra). • He was the eldest of five children from this marriage. • He had very poor health as a child and as a result of this was not able to study well.

3. Childhood Stories • Growing up, Hazrat Musleh Ma’ood(ra) got to hear many stories by the Promised Messiah(as). These stories would include moral lessons for Hazrat Musleh Ma’ood(ra) and his siblings. One such story is as follows: • “The flood of HazratNuh (on whom be peace) came because people had become very immoral. When people exceed in sin they lose their value in the sight of God. So in the time of HazratNuh (on whom be peace) a bird's chick was left all alone, hungry and thirsty in its nest in a tree on a hilltop because its mother did not return home for some reason. It was gasping with thirst. God commanded His angels to rain down so much water in the area that it reached the nest on the hilltop so that the chick could have a drink. The angels replied that sending down enough rain for water to reach the hilltop would mean the rest of humanity would be drowned and destroyed. God replied He did not care. The rest of the humanity did not mean as much to Him as the bird's chick did. The moral is that when humanity deviates from the right path its significance in God's sight is less than a bird's chick. “

4. Childhood Stories • “Another childhood story Hazrat Musleh Ma’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) recalled was that of Aladdin and his lamp! Aladdin was an impoverished person who found a lamp. When he rubbed the lamp a genie appeared who made anything Aladdin wanted come to pass. Hazrat Musleh Ma'ood said that as a child he thought Aladdin's lamp was real and later realised it was not so. However, when he reached old age, he appreciated that there is a phenomenon as Aladdin's lamp. This lamp does not work on oil but on resolve and determination. Whoever is bestowed this lamp by God makes it work! Owing to the fact that resolve and determination are Divine qualities, when God says 'Be' it happens. Similarly, when following God, and in accordance with principles laid down by Him, while acting upon His commandments and praying to Him and seeking His help a person says 'Be', it happens. Hazrat Musleh Ma’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said he was convinced of the properties of Aladdin's lamp in childhood but dismissed them during adulthood. However, upon reaching old age and after experiencing life for a long period of time he realised that the story of Aladdin's lamp was true. However, it is a metaphorical tale and the lamp connotes resolve and determination, which when rubbed, makes things, no matter how big, happen instantly.”

5. Achievements in Teenage Years • He received his first divine revelation in 1905, when he was only sixteen years old: I will place those who follow you above those who disbelieve until the day of Resurrection. In 1907, an angel taught him the commentary of Surah Fatihah, the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an. From then onward, he was gifted with an unusual knowledge of the commentary of the Holy Qur’an. • When the Promised Messiah (as) passed away, Hazrat Musleh MMa'ood (ra) was only nineteen years old. On this critical occasion, he stood by the body of his deceased father and made the following pledge: “Even if all the people should abandon you (the Promised Messiah(as), I will stand alone against the whole world, not caring for any opposition or enmity. “ • In February 1911, he founded AnjumanAnsarullah. • In September 1912, he performed the pilgrimage to Mecca. • In June 1913, he started the publication of the newspaper Al-Fazl.

6. Significant Achievements asKhalifatul Masih II (1914- 1965) • Elected as Khalifatul Masih II on March 14, 1914. • He was only 25 years old. • He was Khalifah for nearly 52 years, writing several books, organising auxiliary branches of the Jama’at, visiting foreign countries and establishing Ahmadiyyat in many new places. • Establishing Rabwah in Pakistan after partition and building it from a dusty, deserted place to a bustling , thriving town. • Starting many schemes to benefit humanity and serve mankind.

7. Significant Achievements asKhalifatul Masih II (1914- 1965) • Many new Ahmadiyya missions were opened in a number of foreign countries such as: Ceylon and Mauritius (1915), USA (1920), West African countries (1921), Indonesia (1925) and Palestine (1928). • The Fazl Mosque, London was founded on October 19, 1924 by HadratKhalifatul Masih II (ra) himself. • As the community was growing rapidly, it was divided into different age groups to ensure better training of all Jama`at members: LajnaImaillah: for women above the age of 15- established on December 25, 1922. NasiratulAhmadiyya: for girls of ages 7 to 15 years, established in February, 1939. Majlis Ansarullah: for men above the age of 40-established on July 26, 1940 — Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali was the first president. Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya: for the youth.of ages 15 to 40-established on December 25, 1938. Majlis AtfalulAhmadiyya: for boys for 7 to 15 years of age- established on July 26, 1940.

8. Find out more….. • It is not possible to convey all of the achievements of Hazrat Musleh Ma'ood (ra) in these few slides. • Have a look on alislam.org and try to find more information. • There are plenty of links. • Can you make your own presentation including different details than mentioned here? • Ask family members, grandparents etc. of stories passed down about Hazrat Musleh Ma'ood(ra). Some also hold tabarakaat.

9. Refrences: • Imagine from https://www.alislam.org/library/profile/hazrat-mirza-bashiruddin-mahmud-ahmad/ • https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/printer-friendly-summary-2016-02-12.html • https://www.alislam.org/library/books/BasicsReligiousEducation.pdf • https://www.alislam.org/library/articles/hazrat-mirza-bashiruddin-mahmud-ahmad/