Muslim Travel Guide Vancouver: Ahmadiyya Mosque, Muslim Community and Canada City Story
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Vancouver Muslim travel guide continues the journey with an Ahmadiyya mosque visit, conversations with Pakistani-Canadian worshippers, Quran reflections, local hospitality, airport trouble, and the author's final move toward Calgary after a colorful Canada trip.
The Ahmadiyya movement started in the Punjab region of India in the 19th century. Its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), claimed to be the savior Mahdi. Although this group claims to follow all the scriptures and laws brought by the Prophet Muhammad, mainstream Islam today still considers them heretical. The Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee spent over a year studying them and concluded that Ahmadiyya are not Muslims, mainly because they believe there are prophets after the Prophet Muhammad.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Ahmad believed that after Jesus was crucified, he did not ascend to heaven. Instead, he woke up in the tomb, traveled to Roza Bal in Kashmir, India, to find the lost tribes of Israel, and lived there until he died.
Everyone I met at this mosque that day was a Pakistani-Canadian. Their prayer rituals were no different from traditional Islam. After talking to them, I learned that their ancestors had accepted Ahmadiyya, which has a history of over a hundred years since its founding.
Regarding the Five Pillars, Ahmadiyya also follow the Quran and Sunnah. Ten years ago at the Beijing International Book Fair, I picked up some of their books, including a Chinese version of a Quran commentary by Zhou Zhongxi, 'Basic Questions and Answers about Islam,' and a Chinese translation of 'The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam' by Ahmad. I have also visited their website and have some understanding of their basic claims.
The people in the mosque were very excited. They did not expect that I, a Chinese person from Beijing, would know anything about them. I had planned to leave, but they invited me into their office, served me tea and desserts, and brought out some Chinese materials to give to me.
I listened to them talk about their experiences. Because they are an illegal organization in Pakistan, they faced persecution and came to Canada as refugees. They now hold Canadian passports. They are usually afraid of meeting fellow Pakistanis abroad because most Pakistanis do not recognize them. As soon as Pakistanis hear they are Ahmadiyya, they turn around and leave, unwilling to say a single word.
But they say Ahmadiyya is exactly the same as Islam, yet the world just does not understand. Currently, there are over 10 million Ahmadiyya followers worldwide. About 4 million are in Pakistan, and the rest are mainly distributed across Africa, Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. Most of the followers are of South Asian descent.
Ahmadiyya believe the Prophet Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, meaning he validates all previous prophets. They believe that after the Prophet Muhammad, while no new scripture would be revealed, people would still receive revelations from Allah. The Prophet Muhammad once prophesied that the Mahdi would come to lead all Muslims to unity and victory. They believe this person has already arrived, has the character of Jesus, and is the Indian man, Ahmad.
Hakeem Noor-ud-Din (1834-1914), the first successor of Ahmadiyya
The first caliph oversaw the translation of the Quran into English. During his lifetime, many famous people studied under him, including the Egyptian leader Muhammad Ali. This English translation later reached China, where people who did not know the full story used it as a reference for writing Quranic commentaries.
To be honest, after reading their work, I am impressed by their academic skills. These Ahmadiyya followers are not ignorant people. On the contrary, they are well-read in scriptures, good at citing sources, quick-thinking, and very persuasive.
I understand their way of thinking, but I cannot accept their claims. I also know that faith is not always rational. You cannot always use logic to explain right and wrong between religions. Whether you believe or not often comes down to a single thought.
If I have to give a reason for not believing, the main point is that over more than a hundred years of missionary work and five generations of caliphs, the Ahmadiyya movement has had very little influence on the world, almost to the point of being negligible. Even though they claim to have millions of followers in over two hundred countries, they have not influenced our politics or daily lives. They are not even as well-known as political leaders like the American Founding Fathers or Marx. How can a savior have less influence on the world than some thinkers and political leaders?
As for the minor details this group argues about, I do not think they are worth debating. You cannot even change the ideas of one Sufi order (menhuan) to another through debate. Every sect has descriptions of its own spiritual masters that outsiders cannot understand. If you understand how various Sufi groups developed, you will not be surprised by the rise of the Ahmadiyya.
The rise of the Ahmadiyya has a historical context. In 19th-century India, it was a time of political turmoil, followed by the partition of India and Pakistan. People were suffering and felt the end of the world was coming. It was just like when the Mongol army marched west in earlier times; people then also thought the end had arrived. In such a social environment, many were unhappy with the world and hoped for a savior to appear.
At the same time, someone in Africa also claimed to be the Mahdi, but he was wiped out shortly after. Do not simply think of these people as scammers. Some self-proclaimed religious leaders truly believe they are special and do not think they are lying. If a person lives in isolation for a long time and is malnourished, they might have hallucinations. They might believe they really heard revelations from Allah. Then, through rumors spread by people who do not know the truth, it eventually ferments into a new religious group.
So the problem is not what they said or did, but what their appearance brought to this world. At least for now, most Chinese Muslims have never heard of this Mahdi. He has had no influence on our lives. He has been gone for over a hundred years, and our world has not become a better place because of the arrival of a savior.
In fact, since the Prophet Muhammad, no new religious group has reached world-class influence. Most only spread within specific regions or groups. The world does not run or develop under the leadership of a new religious leader. If their god only intended to save that small group of people who think they have the truth, that would be too narrow-minded.
Even in India and Pakistan, where the Ahmadiyya began, the region did not become more prosperous or united because of the savior's arrival. Instead, his arrival led to even more conflict.
Ahmadiyya Quran translations in various languages, including the Chinese version.
The person on the right in the photo above is the fifth and current Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (1950-). Born in Pakistan, he is the nephew of the fourth Caliph (left), Mirza Tahir Ahmad, as his mother was the fourth Caliph's sister. He now lives in the UK and has visited Vancouver many times, where members of the mosque have met him often.
The second and third Caliphs.
The Ahmadiyya community restored the Caliphate system. They choose successors through internal nomination rather than hereditary succession or public election, and there is no requirement for the Caliph to be from the Hashim family.
Congratulatory messages sent by various Canadian government officials for the 50th anniversary of the Ahmadiyya community.
The Ahmadiyya motto: Love for all, hatred for none.
Kitchen.
I asked them about their dietary rules, which are the same as ours, so they do not eat just anything. They also introduced me to some reliable halal chain restaurants in Canada.
Saying dua before and after meals.
Abdus Salam.
He is likely the most famous Ahmadiyya follower. Abdus Salam was Pakistani and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979. He was the first Pakistani Nobel laureate and served as the head of the Pakistani delegation to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Because his faith was not officially recognized, he later chose to leave Pakistan. He passed away in Oxford in 1996, and his body was returned to Pakistan. His grave is in Rabwah, Pakistan. The tombstone originally stated he was the first Muslim to win a Nobel Prize, but the word Muslim was later covered up.
However, as far as I know, Egyptian President Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978, a year before Salam. Does that mean the Peace Prize does not count as a Nobel Prize? Or does Sadat not count as a Muslim?
The tombstone of Abdus Salam.
Salam meeting with Kennedy.
Salam said: The Quran tells us to reflect on the laws of nature created by Allah. Our generation is lucky to have caught a glimpse of a part of Allah's design. This is a blessing, and I express my gratitude with a humble heart.
When reading his Nobel Prize in Physics acceptance speech, he quoted the Quran: He created seven heavens in layers. You cannot see any flaw in the creation of the Most Merciful. Look again! What kind of flaws can you actually see? Then look twice more, and your eyes will return to you, dazzled and weary! (67:3-4) In fact, this is the belief of all physicists. The deeper we explore, the more we are amazed, and the more dazzled we become.
The current Caliph once attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this mosque.
The Ahmadiyya movement repeatedly emphasizes that the meaning of jihad is not aggression or starting a war, but rather inner spiritual practice. Force may not be used unless it is to resist oppression.
A small incident happened when I left Vancouver to head to my next stop, Calgary. People at the Ahmadiyya mosque learned I was going to the airport and immediately offered to drive me. They told me not to rush and that we could chat a bit more. Later, an uncle drove me. I reminded him several times on the road that the airport I was going to was not Vancouver Airport, but another one. He said he understood, but he still took me to the wrong place. He then called another person from the mosque and asked him to wait for us there. This person was a taxi driver. We returned and switched to his car so he could take me to the airport, which was faster. I switched to the taxi to continue to the new airport. On the way, the driver said I needed to pay. I said no problem. For the 50-kilometer trip, the meter showed over 120 dollars. I asked him for a discount, and he finally charged me 100 dollars and did not ask for a tip.
Luckily, my flight was delayed by another hour, so I didn't miss it. If I had taken the bus to the airport myself, I wouldn't have spent 100 dollars. I wanted to save some money, but ended up losing a lot instead. I believe the man didn't mean to lead me the wrong way, but maybe this experience was a little warning for me?
My next stop is Calgary, the most affordable city in Canada. I am going to see Banff National Park, which is just like a copy of northern Xinjiang.
Summary: This Vancouver Muslim travel guide continues the journey with an Ahmadiyya mosque visit, conversations with Pakistani-Canadian worshippers, Quran reflections, local hospitality, airport trouble, and the author's final move toward Calgary after a colorful Canada trip.
The Ahmadiyya movement started in the Punjab region of India in the 19th century. Its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), claimed to be the savior Mahdi. Although this group claims to follow all the scriptures and laws brought by the Prophet Muhammad, mainstream Islam today still considers them heretical. The Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee spent over a year studying them and concluded that Ahmadiyya are not Muslims, mainly because they believe there are prophets after the Prophet Muhammad.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Ahmad believed that after Jesus was crucified, he did not ascend to heaven. Instead, he woke up in the tomb, traveled to Roza Bal in Kashmir, India, to find the lost tribes of Israel, and lived there until he died.
Everyone I met at this mosque that day was a Pakistani-Canadian. Their prayer rituals were no different from traditional Islam. After talking to them, I learned that their ancestors had accepted Ahmadiyya, which has a history of over a hundred years since its founding.
Regarding the Five Pillars, Ahmadiyya also follow the Quran and Sunnah. Ten years ago at the Beijing International Book Fair, I picked up some of their books, including a Chinese version of a Quran commentary by Zhou Zhongxi, 'Basic Questions and Answers about Islam,' and a Chinese translation of 'The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam' by Ahmad. I have also visited their website and have some understanding of their basic claims.
The people in the mosque were very excited. They did not expect that I, a Chinese person from Beijing, would know anything about them. I had planned to leave, but they invited me into their office, served me tea and desserts, and brought out some Chinese materials to give to me.
I listened to them talk about their experiences. Because they are an illegal organization in Pakistan, they faced persecution and came to Canada as refugees. They now hold Canadian passports. They are usually afraid of meeting fellow Pakistanis abroad because most Pakistanis do not recognize them. As soon as Pakistanis hear they are Ahmadiyya, they turn around and leave, unwilling to say a single word.
But they say Ahmadiyya is exactly the same as Islam, yet the world just does not understand. Currently, there are over 10 million Ahmadiyya followers worldwide. About 4 million are in Pakistan, and the rest are mainly distributed across Africa, Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. Most of the followers are of South Asian descent.
Ahmadiyya believe the Prophet Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, meaning he validates all previous prophets. They believe that after the Prophet Muhammad, while no new scripture would be revealed, people would still receive revelations from Allah. The Prophet Muhammad once prophesied that the Mahdi would come to lead all Muslims to unity and victory. They believe this person has already arrived, has the character of Jesus, and is the Indian man, Ahmad.
Hakeem Noor-ud-Din (1834-1914), the first successor of Ahmadiyya
The first caliph oversaw the translation of the Quran into English. During his lifetime, many famous people studied under him, including the Egyptian leader Muhammad Ali. This English translation later reached China, where people who did not know the full story used it as a reference for writing Quranic commentaries.
To be honest, after reading their work, I am impressed by their academic skills. These Ahmadiyya followers are not ignorant people. On the contrary, they are well-read in scriptures, good at citing sources, quick-thinking, and very persuasive.
I understand their way of thinking, but I cannot accept their claims. I also know that faith is not always rational. You cannot always use logic to explain right and wrong between religions. Whether you believe or not often comes down to a single thought.
If I have to give a reason for not believing, the main point is that over more than a hundred years of missionary work and five generations of caliphs, the Ahmadiyya movement has had very little influence on the world, almost to the point of being negligible. Even though they claim to have millions of followers in over two hundred countries, they have not influenced our politics or daily lives. They are not even as well-known as political leaders like the American Founding Fathers or Marx. How can a savior have less influence on the world than some thinkers and political leaders?
As for the minor details this group argues about, I do not think they are worth debating. You cannot even change the ideas of one Sufi order (menhuan) to another through debate. Every sect has descriptions of its own spiritual masters that outsiders cannot understand. If you understand how various Sufi groups developed, you will not be surprised by the rise of the Ahmadiyya.
The rise of the Ahmadiyya has a historical context. In 19th-century India, it was a time of political turmoil, followed by the partition of India and Pakistan. People were suffering and felt the end of the world was coming. It was just like when the Mongol army marched west in earlier times; people then also thought the end had arrived. In such a social environment, many were unhappy with the world and hoped for a savior to appear.
At the same time, someone in Africa also claimed to be the Mahdi, but he was wiped out shortly after. Do not simply think of these people as scammers. Some self-proclaimed religious leaders truly believe they are special and do not think they are lying. If a person lives in isolation for a long time and is malnourished, they might have hallucinations. They might believe they really heard revelations from Allah. Then, through rumors spread by people who do not know the truth, it eventually ferments into a new religious group.
So the problem is not what they said or did, but what their appearance brought to this world. At least for now, most Chinese Muslims have never heard of this Mahdi. He has had no influence on our lives. He has been gone for over a hundred years, and our world has not become a better place because of the arrival of a savior.
In fact, since the Prophet Muhammad, no new religious group has reached world-class influence. Most only spread within specific regions or groups. The world does not run or develop under the leadership of a new religious leader. If their god only intended to save that small group of people who think they have the truth, that would be too narrow-minded.
Even in India and Pakistan, where the Ahmadiyya began, the region did not become more prosperous or united because of the savior's arrival. Instead, his arrival led to even more conflict.
Ahmadiyya Quran translations in various languages, including the Chinese version.
The person on the right in the photo above is the fifth and current Caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (1950-). Born in Pakistan, he is the nephew of the fourth Caliph (left), Mirza Tahir Ahmad, as his mother was the fourth Caliph's sister. He now lives in the UK and has visited Vancouver many times, where members of the mosque have met him often.
The second and third Caliphs.
The Ahmadiyya community restored the Caliphate system. They choose successors through internal nomination rather than hereditary succession or public election, and there is no requirement for the Caliph to be from the Hashim family.
Congratulatory messages sent by various Canadian government officials for the 50th anniversary of the Ahmadiyya community.
The Ahmadiyya motto: Love for all, hatred for none.
Kitchen.
I asked them about their dietary rules, which are the same as ours, so they do not eat just anything. They also introduced me to some reliable halal chain restaurants in Canada.
Saying dua before and after meals.
Abdus Salam.
He is likely the most famous Ahmadiyya follower. Abdus Salam was Pakistani and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979. He was the first Pakistani Nobel laureate and served as the head of the Pakistani delegation to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Because his faith was not officially recognized, he later chose to leave Pakistan. He passed away in Oxford in 1996, and his body was returned to Pakistan. His grave is in Rabwah, Pakistan. The tombstone originally stated he was the first Muslim to win a Nobel Prize, but the word Muslim was later covered up.
However, as far as I know, Egyptian President Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978, a year before Salam. Does that mean the Peace Prize does not count as a Nobel Prize? Or does Sadat not count as a Muslim?
The tombstone of Abdus Salam.
Salam meeting with Kennedy.
Salam said: The Quran tells us to reflect on the laws of nature created by Allah. Our generation is lucky to have caught a glimpse of a part of Allah's design. This is a blessing, and I express my gratitude with a humble heart.
When reading his Nobel Prize in Physics acceptance speech, he quoted the Quran: He created seven heavens in layers. You cannot see any flaw in the creation of the Most Merciful. Look again! What kind of flaws can you actually see? Then look twice more, and your eyes will return to you, dazzled and weary! (67:3-4) In fact, this is the belief of all physicists. The deeper we explore, the more we are amazed, and the more dazzled we become.
The current Caliph once attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this mosque.
The Ahmadiyya movement repeatedly emphasizes that the meaning of jihad is not aggression or starting a war, but rather inner spiritual practice. Force may not be used unless it is to resist oppression.
A small incident happened when I left Vancouver to head to my next stop, Calgary. People at the Ahmadiyya mosque learned I was going to the airport and immediately offered to drive me. They told me not to rush and that we could chat a bit more. Later, an uncle drove me. I reminded him several times on the road that the airport I was going to was not Vancouver Airport, but another one. He said he understood, but he still took me to the wrong place. He then called another person from the mosque and asked him to wait for us there. This person was a taxi driver. We returned and switched to his car so he could take me to the airport, which was faster. I switched to the taxi to continue to the new airport. On the way, the driver said I needed to pay. I said no problem. For the 50-kilometer trip, the meter showed over 120 dollars. I asked him for a discount, and he finally charged me 100 dollars and did not ask for a tip.
Luckily, my flight was delayed by another hour, so I didn't miss it. If I had taken the bus to the airport myself, I wouldn't have spent 100 dollars. I wanted to save some money, but ended up losing a lot instead. I believe the man didn't mean to lead me the wrong way, but maybe this experience was a little warning for me?
My next stop is Calgary, the most affordable city in Canada. I am going to see Banff National Park, which is just like a copy of northern Xinjiang.
