Ahmadi Muslims follow the same holy scriptures and teachings as other Muslims. The key difference is that Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Promised Messiah (also referred to as the Mahdi in some texts) of the latter days has arrived and he established the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 1889. It is a revivalist movement that has no new religious laws or teachings as it seeks to rejuvenate the true Islam as taught by the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(sa). Other Muslims are still waiting for a reformer to come.

More than 1400 years ago, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) made a prophecy that said,

“My people will be divided into 73 sections, all of them will be in the fire except one.” The companions asked, ‘Who are they O Messenger of Allah,’ Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “They are those who will be like me and my companions.” (Trimizi, Kitabul Eeman).

How does one identify the true sect?

As previously mentioned, the Holy Prophet(sa) had prophesized that his followers would be divided into 73 sects, and all would be in the fire except one. When asked by his companions, how one could recognize the true sect, he replied that they will follow in mine and my followers footsteps. The persecution of the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions was very severe. They were victims of public stoning because of their beliefs, they weren’t allowed to build mosques nor pray. They weren’t allowed to perform Hajj or identify themselves as Muslims.

This kind of treatment has been shown to every generation so far since the foundation of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. Ahmadis in most Muslim countries are not allowed to preach openly, are not allowed to build mosques or call their buildings mosques, are not allowed to pray openly and are not allowed to perform Hajj.

The government of Pakistan and the leaders of all the rest of 72 sects of Islam (other than Ahmadi Muslims) clearly distinguished the identity of the true sect when they collectively signed legislation in 1974 that declared all Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority in Pakistan. This decision, however, did ironically provide an interesting, if not unique, distinction of one group of Muslims from the other 72 sects fulfilling the prophecy of Holy Prophet(sa).

This is an unfortunate fact where many of the Muslim clergy issue edicts declaring other Muslims as non-Muslims. Fundamentally in Islam, this right has not been given to any human being to declare others as non-Muslims. Religion is a personal matter and between the person and God and that is how the accountability is going to take place. It appears that by declaring others as non-Muslims, such people want to create a sort of hatred in the minds of Muslims so that they are not interacted with. They think by declaring Ahmadi Muslims as non-Muslims they can be isolated and their message would not be heard. It is interesting to point out that Muslim clergy have not agreed on one definition of, who is a Muslim.

Not all Muslims say that Ahmadis are non-Muslims however. According to the Pew Research Forum, 40% of the citizens of Bangladesh – a Muslim country – consider Ahmadis to be Muslims.