Second Khilafat
From 1960-1965
1960
A Famous Christian Pastor
A famous Christian Pastor, Dr. Billy Graham, from the US toured Africa in 1960. He gave a statement to a representative of the New York Times. He said that there was a neck-to-neck competition in Africa between Islam and Christianity and a day might come when the whole of Africa should be converted to Islam. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 20, p. 584).
Read More29 February 1960
Aminullah Khan Salik
Aminullah Khan Salik served as a missionary in the USA from 29 February 1960 to April 1963.
He utilized many opportunities for preaching through newspapers and radio. (The Ahmadiyya Gazette, Special Issue on Inspired Souls, pp. 37-8).
March 1960
A Challenge by Shaikh Mubarak Ahmad
The famous Reverend Billy Graham boasted of healing powers. In March 1960, the Reverend Dr. Graham made negative remarks about Islam. While touring African countries, he was promptly challenged to a prayer contest by Shaikh Mubarak Ahmad then missionary-in-charge in East Africa, to “determine who it is blessed with God’s grace and mercy and who it is upon whom His door remains closed.”
He suggested that an equal number of patients who had been diagnosed of incurable diseases by the medical practitioners of Kenya should be allocated through a drawing to the reverend evangelist and to the flag-bearer of Islam in Kenya, Shaikh Mubarak Ahmad. Both the antagonists should pray to the Almighty God for the recovery of their respective group of patients. That party’s religion would be considered as the true religion of God whose patients were cured. If the Reverend Graham declined, Shaikh Mubarak Ahmad argued, it would be proved to the world that Islam was the religion that could establish man’s relationship with God. Billy Graham declined the offer. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 20, pp. 572-584).
3-4 September 1960
Thirteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention
The Thirteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention USA was held in New York on 3-4 September 1960. Many American from far off states took part. Apart from Pakistani Ahmadis, Africans and two from Canada participated in the convention.
During the convention, a Consultative Committee Meeting (Shura) was also held. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 21, p. 92).
11-12 Night of November 1960
Aminullah Khan Salik’s Interview
Missionary Aminullah Khan Salik’s interview was telecasted on 11-12 night of November 1960 in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Times published the report. (Al-Fazl, 6 December 1960, p. 5, the Ahmadiyya Gazette, Special Issue on Inspired Souls, p. 37).
Read MoreDecember 1960
Aminullah Salik Tours Columbus, OH
Missionary Aminullah Khan Salik toured Columbus, OH where he was interviewed by two T.V. stations. Local newspapers published reports about Islam and Ahmadiyyat. (Columbus Season Journal, 20 December 1960).
Missionary Aminullah Khan Salik gave an interview to Indianapolis News in December 1960 titled “Islam Missionary Sees Peace Hope.” He was quoted as saying that “real peace will come only through a better understanding of the world’s religions. (The Ahmadiyya Gazette USA, Vol. 73, Nos. 10-12, Vol. 74, Nos. 1-9, p. 37).
8 May 1961
Chicago Sun Times
The Chicago Sun Times, which is an important newspaper of Chicago, IL and had a circulation of 550,000 at the time, published an interview of missionary Aminullah Khan Salik on 8 May 1961, highlighting the achievements and sacrifices of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, USA. (Al-Fazl, October 5, 1962, p. 5).
Read More11 June 1961
Bernertagblatt Writes
The Swiss daily, Bernertagblatt, wrote on 11 June 1961: Jama’at Ahmadiyya has spread all over the world. It has established its missions in London, Hamburg, Frankfort, Madrid, Zurich, and Stockholm. Missions in US cities of Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburg, and Chicago are also working.
Sahibzadah Mirza Mubarak Ahmad, Wakil A‘la and Wakil-ut-Tabshir, undertook detailed visit to Europe and America in the middle of 1961 and held series of meetings to organize preaching efforts (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 21, p. 187).
28 November 1961
A Message from the Khalifa
Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a message exhorting to pay special attention to African American Ahmadis. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 21, p. 221).
Read More17 February 1962
Sufi Abdul Ghafoor
Sufi Abdul Ghafoor was missionary 17 February 1962-27 December 1963. Under his leadership, Syed Jawad Ali, Chaudhri Abdur Rahman Bengalee, and Major Abdul Hameed were trained for missionary work. He made Tabligh trips to Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington and Youngstown. His statements were broadcast on Youngstown Radio.
During his tenure as missionary, Baltimore, Dayton, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia chapters were established. (Urdu Biography of Missionary Major Abdul Hamid, General file America 1963, p. 423).
1-2 September 1962
Fifteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention
The Fifteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention USA was held at YMCA hall in Pittsburgh, PA on 1-2 September 1962. Americans from the East, Midwest, West coast and Canada’s Jama’ats participated. Missionary Sufi Abdul Ghafoor read the inaugural address. A message from Wakil-ut-Tabshir Sahibzadah Mirza Mubarak Ahmad was also read. The proceedings of the convention were reported by well-known American newspapers. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 21, p. 543, Al-Fazl, 5 October 1962, p. 5).
Read More19 September 1962
UN President of the General Assembly
On the election of Chaudhri Muhammad Zafrulla Khan as the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the American press reacted positively for the coveted post. A New York newspaper wrote on September 19, 1962, that in electing Chaudhri Muhammad Zafrulla Khan of Pakistan as President of the General Assembly, the United Nations had chosen “An outstanding Veteran Diplomat.”
On 21 November 1962, J. F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America, met in the oval office with the companion of the Promised Messiah, the President of the UN General Assembly, Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan. (The Ahmadiyya Gazette USA, Vol. 72, Nos. 10-12 and Vol. 73, Nos. 1-9, October 2020-September 2021, p. 83).
1962
10,000 Copies of the Holy Quran
The American Ahmadiyya Mission published 10,000 copies of Qur’an and distributed it all over the country creating renewed interest in Islam. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 17, pp. 313-4).
Chaudhri Mohammad Zafrulla Khan delivered a speech on Islam at Harvard College when he was appointed Judge of the International Court of Justice which was widely admired by many students who happened to meet him after the speech. A professor of the Department of Political Science thanked him. (Tabshir report USA).
9 April 1963
Abdur Rahman Bengalee Arrives
Abdur Rahman Bengalee arrived in the USA on 9 April 1963. He was stationed at Washington D.C. followed by Pittsburgh PA. He was appointed missionary in-charge at the return of AG Soofi. (Ahmadiyya Gazette, January 1972, p. 3. Ahmadiyya Gazette, Aug-Sep 1970, p. 2. Journal File USA 1970-72, p. 50).
Read MoreMay 1963
Major Abdul Hamid Appointed Missionary
Major Abdul Hamid was appointed missionary at Dayton, Ohio in May 1963. At that time, Sufi Abdul Ghafoor was missionary in-Charge (Biography of Missionary Mian Muhammad Ibrahim, p. 30).
Major Abdul Hamid prepared a vibrant Tabligh group who displayed placards in Dayton depicting messages from Islam. They distributed flyers also. This interesting program created attention to Islam among non-Muslims. (Al-Fazl, 17 August, 26 October, 12 December 1963, and 25 February 1964).
He started building the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Dayton, Ohio in 1963 with the help of Ahmadis of Dayton. (The Ahmadiyya Gazette, Vol. 72, April-September 2020, p. 86).
28 August 1963
I Have a Dream
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech before a crowd of 200,000 during the civil rights march in Washington, D.C.
30-31 August to 1 September 1963
Sixteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention
The Sixteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention USA was held in Cleveland, Ohio on 30-31 August to 1 September 1963. Two hundred members of the following chapters participated: Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Youngstown, Covington, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Dayton. Missionary Sufi Abdul Ghafoor read the inaugural address. Meetings of Lajna Ima’illah, Ansarullah, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya took place as well. (Al-Fazl, 17 August, 26 October, 12 December 1963, 25 February 1964, Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 22, p. 347).
Read More22 November 1963
Assassination of JFK
President J.F. Kennedy (35th President of the US from 20 January 1961 to 22 November 1963) was assassinated in Dallas, TX. He was succeeded in office by his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson.
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the US. He remained in office till 20 January 1969. (Wikipedia).
Early 1964
Chaudhri Zafrulla Khan Visits Washington D.C.
In early 1964, Chaudhri Zafrulla Khan came to Washington D.C. and stayed there for three days. Missionary Syed Jawad Ali gave a reception in his honor in which many non-Ahmadis participated. Zafrulla Khan spoke for about one and half hours on Islam and Ahmadiyyat. (Al-Fazl, 23 May 1964, p. 3).
Read More28-30 August 1964
Seventeenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention
The Seventeenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention USA was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Two hundred members of the following chapters participated: Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Wilmington, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Canada. Meetings of Lajna Ima’illah, Ansarullah, Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya took place as well. A Consultative Meeting was also held. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 22, p. 710).
23 March 1965
First Purpose-Built Mosque
The first purpose-built mosque in a traditional Islamic design was completed in Dayton, Ohio. Local Ahmadis contributed $16,500. (Urdu Biography of Major Abdul Hamid. Al-Fazl, 13 May 1965, p. 3).
Read More21 June 1965
In the News
The Catholic Telegraph newspaper of Cincinnati published a large photograph of the mosque with an interview from Missionary A.R. Bengalee on 21 June 1965. (Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, USA, 50th Jalsa Salana Souvenir, June 1998, p. 66 and Urdu Biography of Major ‘Abd-ul-Hamid, The Ahmadiyya Gazette USA, Vol. 72, April-September 2020, p. 86).
Read More4-5 September 1965
Eighteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention
The Eighteenth Annual Ahmadiyya Muslim Convention USA was held in Dayton, Ohio on 4-5 September 1965. (Tarikh Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 23, p. 50).
Read More8 November 1965
Passing of the Second Khalifa
As a result of his extremely heavy workload and the after-effects of the deep wound in his neck, the health of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him) gradually worsened over a period of seven years. At last, on November 8, 1965, at nearly 2 A.M., before dawn, he passed away, at the age of 76 at Rabwah, Pakistan.