Hazrat al-Haj Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad (ra) (1889–1965), was the second Khalifah of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He was the son of the Promised Messiah and his birth was the fulfilment of the Musleh Mau‘ud (Promised Reformer) prophecy. This prophecy was published by the Promised Messiah (as) as a Sign of the truth of Islam in reply to a challenge put forth by the Arya Samaj.
From his early youth, he was gifted with knowledge—both, secular and spiritual—and a deep love for the Holy Quran. He was nineteen years old when the Promised Messiah (as) passed away on 26 May 1908, in Lahore. The next day, on 27 May 1908, he pledged allegiance to Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen, Khalifatul-Masih I, the first Khalifah of the Promised Messiah (as).
He visited Egypt and Arabia in September 1912 during the course of which he performed the Hajj pilgrimage. In June 1913, he started a newspaper, titled Al-Fazl.
In 1914, at the age of 25, he was elected as Khalifatul-Masih II. During his almost fifty-two years of Khilafat, he led the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community on an international level, expanding the Movement to forty-six countries, and building dozens of hospitals, mosques, and schools. He consolidated and formalized the system of financial contributions of the Community, and initiated the annual campaigns of Tahrik-e-Jadid in 1934 and Waqf-e-Jadid in 1957, considerably expanding Ahmadi missionary activity globally. He was an active political figure especially in India prior to its independence. He was also one of the founding members and the first president of the All-India Kashmir Committee set up for the establishment of the civil rights of Kashmiri Muslims.
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad (ra) was an avid scholar and a prolific author, who spoke and wrote extensively in defence of Islam. A twenty-six volume compilation of his works called Anwarul-‘Ulum contains over 800 writings and lectures (excluding several thousand sermons). His Tafsir-e-Kabir—ten-volume commentary of the Holy Quran—is revered as a treasure trove to this very day. Likewise, he was an orator of unmatched eloquence, captivating his audiences for hours on end. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad (ra) gave the Jama‘at its current organizational and administrative structure, formally establishing the Majlis ash-Shura (Consultative Council). He established the auxiliary organisations for men, women, and children. His many momentous achievements include the establishment of the Electoral College for the election of Khalifatul-Masih, and the establishment of the Community’s headquarters in Rabwah, Pakistan after the partition of British India in 1947.
He passed away on 8 November 1965 in Rabwah, Pakistan, and was succeeded by Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad as Khalifatul-Masih III (rta).