AFTER THE DEMISE of the Promised Messiahas in 1908, the institution of Khilāfat (Successorship, also translated “Caliphate”) was established to succeed him, in fulfillment of the prophecies contained in the Holy Quran and Aḥādīth. In the Holy Quran, Allah speaks of this promise and what it entails, as follows:
Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.52
The Muslims here are promised a “successorship” or Khilāfat similar to the one granted to those before them. Prophet Muhammadsa elaborated how this Khilāfat was to be granted when he said:
Prophethood shall remain among you as long as Allah shall will. He will bring about its end and follow it with Khilāfat on the precepts of prophethood for as long as He shall will and then bring about its end. A tyrannical monarchy will then follow and will remain as long as Allah shall will and then come to an end. There will follow thereafter monarchial despotism to last as long as Allah shall will and come to an end upon His decree. There will then emerge Khilāfat on the precepts of Prophethood. (Prophet Muhammadsa said no more).53
In fulfillment of these prophecies, four successors have passed since the death of the Promised Messiahas. His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaa is the current, fifth Khalīfa or Successor to the Promised Messiahas and the head of the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community.
His Holiness is the world’s leading Muslim figure promoting peace and inter-religious harmony. Through his sermons, lectures, books, and personal meetings with world leaders in a variety of walks of life, His Holiness has continually advocated the worship of God Almighty and serving of humanity. Some of his speeches and letters to world leaders addressing these issues have been compiled into a book published recently, World Crisis and Pathway to Peace54.
Since being elected Khalīfa, His Holiness has led a worldwide campaign to convey the peaceful message of Islam, through all forms of print and digital media. Under his leadership, national branches of the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Community have launched campaigns that reflect the true and peaceful teachings of Islam. Aḥmadī Muslims the world over are engaged in grassroots efforts to distribute millions of “Peace” leaflets to Muslims and non-Muslims alike; they host interfaith and peace symposia, and organize and conduct exhibitions of the Holy Quran, in order to demonstrate its true and noble message. These campaigns have received worldwide media coverage and demonstrate that Islam champions peace, loyalty to one’s country of residence and service to humanity.55
These campaigns include “Stop the CrISIS” (with the goal to counter radicalization), “Meet a Muslim Family”, “Fast with a Muslim Friend”, and so on. Recently, in the USA, a campaign entitled “True Islam” has been endorsed thousands of times by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It consists of 11 points that are key tenets of true Islam that differentiate it from extremism. It states that true Islam is a religion that:
1. Wholly rejects all forms of terrorism.
2. Believes in non-violent Jihad of the self and of the pen.
3. Believes in the equality, education, and empowerment of women.
4. Advocates freedom of conscience, religion and speech.
5. Advocates for the separation of mosque and state.
This is just one of many examples of campaigns that the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Jamā‘at undertakes which constitutes Jihad for peace.