Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) was born in 1835 in Qadian, India. From his early life, he dedicated himself to prayer, and the study of the Holy Quran and other scriptures. He was deeply pained to observe the plight of Islam, which was being attacked from all directions. In order to defend Islam and present its teachings in their pristine purity, he wrote more than ninety books, thousands of letters, and participated in many religious debates. He argued that Islam is a living faith, which can lead man to establish communion with God to achieve moral and spiritual perfection.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) started experiencing divine dreams, visions, and revelations at a young age. In 1889, under divine command, he started accepting initiation into the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The divine revelations continued to increase and he was commanded by God to announce that God had appointed him to be the same Reformer of the Latter Days as prophesied by various religions under different titles. He claimed to be the same Promised Messiah and Mahdi whose advent had been prophesied by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa).
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is now established in more than 200 countries.
After his demise in 1908, the institution of Khilafat (successorship) was established to succeed him, in fulfilment of the prophecies made in the Holy Quran and by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba) is the Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah(as) and the present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.