Editing Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light

{{Short description|Syncretic new religious movement}}
{{Redirect|Ahmadi Religion||Ahmadi (disambiguation)}}
{{AI-generated|date=January 2026|reason=some early-2025 edits, see talk page}}
{{Infobox religious group
| group         = The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light
| flag          = [[File:Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light official logo.png|200px]] 
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| population    = 
| founder       = [[Abdullah Hashem]]
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| region3       = <!-- up to |region31 = -->
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| scriptures    = {{ubl|''The Goal of the Wise'' (2022)|''The Mahdi's Manifesto'' (2024)|''The Divine Jurisprudence'' (2025)}}
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| website       = {{URL|https://theahmadireligion.org/}}
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}}
The '''Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light''' ({{langx|ar|دين السلام والنور الأحمدي|rtl=yes}}, '''AROPL'''), also known simply as the '''Ahmadi Religion''', is a [[religious syncretism|syncretic]] [[new religious movement]] derived from the [[Twelver Shi'ism|Twelver]] [[Islamic schools and branches|branch]] of [[Shia Islam]].<ref name=":0" /> The leader and founder of the new religious movement is [[Abdullah Hashem]], an Egyptian-American who is believed to be the [[Mahdi]] and the {{transliteration|ar|[[Qa'im Al Muhammad|Qāʾim Āl-Muḥammad]]}} ({{lit.|the one who shall rise of the family of [[Muhammad]]}}) and to have been appointed by name in the will of the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] following the legacy of [[Ahmed al-Hasan]], an Iraqi leader who claimed to be the prophesied {{transliteration|ar|[[Yamani (Shiism)|Yamani]]}}.{{refn|<ref>{{cite web |title=Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light |website=WRSP – World Religions and Spirituality Project |date=2024-06-23 |url=https://wrldrels.org/2024/06/23/ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/ |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |script-title=ar:الشيخ الطوسي |website=الغيبة |url=http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%A8/1335_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A-%D8%AC-%D9%A1/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%81%D8%AD%D8%A9_174#top |language=ar |access-date=2024-11-12}}</ref><ref name="AhmadiIntro">{{cite journal |last1=Introvigne |first1=Massimo |last2=Kotkowska |first2=Karolina Maria |date=2024-05-10 |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light: An Introduction |journal=The Journal of CESNUR |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=33–51 |doi=10.26338/tjoc.2024.8.3.2 |issn=2532-2990}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=13 November 2024 |title=Six Yamani followers arrested in Torbat-e Heydariyeh |url=https://hengaw.net/en/news/2024/11/article-56 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Hengaw (hengaw.net) |language=en}}</ref>}} The Ahmadi Religion espouses a religious, political, and economic ideology known as '''Ahmadism''', whose practitioners are called '''Ahmadis'''.

The AROPL is registered with various international organizations and governmental databases, including the [[United States Commission on International Religious Freedom]] (USCIRF). Adherents of the Ahmadi Religion have [[Sectarian violence among Muslims|faced persecution globally]] and face ongoing challenges for religious freedom.<ref>{{cite web | title=USCIRF – Victims Database | url=https://www.uscirf.gov/victims-list/ }}</ref>

==History==
[[Ahmed al-Hasan]], a [[Shia Muslim]] from [[Basra]], [[Iraq]], claimed to be the ''[[Yamani (Shiism)|Yamani]]'' in the early 2000s. He adopted the epithet "Ahmed al-Hassan al-Yamani". He went into hiding following the January 2007 [[Battle of Najaf (2007)|Battle of Najaf]].<ref name="AhmadiIntro"/><ref name="Ahmadi1">{{cite web |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 1. A Drama and Its Characters |website=Bitter Winter |date=4 April 2024 |url=https://bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-1-a-drama-and-its-characters/ |access-date=11 May 2024}}</ref> The AROPL considers al-Hasan to be the prophesied ''Yamani''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light – WRSP |url=https://wrldrels.org/2024/06/23/ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |language=en}}</ref> and the first of twelve [[mahdi]]s appointed in the will of Muhammad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |date=2024-04-05 |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 2. From Ahmed al-Hassan to Abdullah Hashem |url=https://bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-2-from-ahmed-al-hassan-to-abdullah-hashem/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |language=en-US}}</ref> A group known as the "White Banners" or "Office of Najaf" emerged, sharing messages attributed to him that some followers rejected as inauthentic. This led to a division, with Egyptian-American disciple [[Abdullah Hashem]] spearheading a "Black Banners" faction based in the United Kingdom that accused the White Banners of fabricating messages under [[Iraqi government]] influence. The White Banners proceeded to excommunicate Abdullah Hashem in 2015 and again in 2023. While both groups [[venerate]] al-Hasan, they interpret his role differently. The AROPL has the largest international following, while the White Banners remains primarily an Iraqi-based faction.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Introvigne |first1=Massimo |last2=Kotkowska |first2=Karolina Maria |date=2024-05-10 |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light: An Introduction |url=https://cesnur.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/tjoc_8_3_2_introvigne.pdf |journal=The Journal of CESNUR |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=33–51 |doi=10.26338/tjoc.2024.8.3.2 |issn=2532-2990}}</ref>

In 2015, Abdullah Hashem announced that he was the {{tlit|ar|[[Qa'im Al Muhammad|Qāʾim Āl-Muḥammad]]}}, succeeding Ahmed al-Hasan.<ref name="Ahmadi2">{{cite web |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 2. From Ahmed al-Hassan to Abdullah Hashem |website=Bitter Winter |date=2024-04-05 |url=https://bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-2-from-ahmed-al-hassan-to-abdullah-hashem/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref> He and his followers linked the death of [[King of Saudi Arabia|King]] [[Abdullah of Saudi Arabia]] to a widely circulated Shīa prophecy predicting the emergence of Imam al-[[Mahdī]] after the death of a king of [[Hejaz]] named "Abdullah".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-01-23 |title=Hadith about the death of Abdullah of Hijaz and the reappearance of Imam Mahdi, are they authentic? • Ask the Sheikh |url=https://www.askthesheikh.com/hadith-about-the-death-of-abdullah-of-hijaz-and-the-reappearance-of-imam-mahdi-are-they-authentic/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |language=en-US}}</ref> They further interpreted [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia]]'s name and eye condition as aligning with these prophetic descriptions. Hashem, who was aged 32 in 2015 and of Egyptian descent, also connected his identity to prophecies about the Mahdi emerging from [[Egypt]]. The AROPL believes that the [[ancient Egyptian religion]] was originally aligned with [[Tawhid|Islamic monotheism]]. Citing Muhammad's "will", which allegedly mentions figures named Ahmed and Abdullah, AROPL asserts this refers to both Ahmed al-Hasan and Abdullah Hashem. The group claims al-Hasan personally identified Hashem as the {{tlit|ar|Qāʾim}} of the [[Ahl al-Bayt|family of Muhammad]], meeting three prophesied criteria: being named in the last will, possessing exceptional knowledge, and advocating for [[God in Islam|God]]'s supremacy over human rule. These same criteria, they argue, validated al-Hasan's role as the prophesied ''Yamani''.<ref name=":0" />

==Beliefs and doctrines==
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light preaches tolerance and contains features of [[religious syncretism]]. Some beliefs and doctrines of the faith are:<ref name="Ahmadi4">{{cite web |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. 4. The Divine Just State |website=Bitter Winter |date=2024-04-08 |url=https://bitterwinter.org/the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-4-the-divine-just-state/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref>

*There are seven covenants, including six historical covenants with [[Adam]], [[Noah]], [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], Jesus, and [[Muhammad]], and the current covenant with [[Ahmed al-Hasan]].
*Belief in the [[Metempsychosis|transmigration of the soul]] or [[reincarnation]].
*[[Ramadan]] is considered to be identical to December, since the [[Islamic calendar|Hijri]] months are considered identical to the solar [[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]] months.
*The actual [[Kaaba]] is located in [[Petra]], [[Jordan]], rather than in [[Mecca]], Saudi Arabia.
*[[Friday prayer]]s are not obligatory.
*[[Alcohol in Islam|Alcohol is allowed]] if consumed in moderation.
*Religious head coverings (such as [[hijab]]s) are not mandatory.
*[[LGBTQ community|LGBTQ people]] [[LGBTQ people and Islam|are tolerated]] and allowed to join the religion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/08/04/malaysian-official-brands-lgbtq-people-perverted-after-eight-protestors-detained/|title=Malaysian official brands gay people 'perverted' after eight protestors detained|first=Chantelle|last=Billson|date=August 4, 2023|website=PinkNews &#124; Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news &#124; LGBTQ+ news}}</ref>

Abdullah Hashem's ''The Goal of the Wise'' (translated into English in 2022)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Abdullah Hashem |url=https://archive.org/details/goal-of-the-wise-english/The%20Goal%20of%20The%20Wise%20-%20Author/ |title=The Goal Of The Wise – ENGLISH |date=2022-12-24}}</ref> presents a theological framework that blends elements of [[Twelver Shi'ism]], [[Sufism]], [[Christian Gnosticism]], [[Western mysticism]], and [[conspirituality]] narratives. His teachings follow a [[Dispensationalism|dispensationalist model]], wherein human history unfolds through six divine covenants, culminating in a seventh initiated by Ahmed al-Hasan, leading to the emergence of the {{tlit|ar|Qāʾim}}.<ref name=":0" /> Hashem proposes a hierarchy in which he alone will appoint his successor, creating an unbroken line with divine authorization.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zeller |first1=Benjamin E. |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light: An Islamic Millennial New Religious Movement |journal=Nova Religio |date=August 2025 |volume=29 |issue=1 |page=66 |doi=10.1353/nvr.2025.a967006}}</ref>

Hashem offers unconventional religious interpretations, suggesting that Adam's "[[original sin]]" involved a past incarnation of [[Fatima]], Jesus survived his crucifixion by exchanging souls with [[Simon of Cyrene]], and [[Mani (prophet)|Mani]] was the offspring of Jesus and [[Mary Magdalene]]. His beliefs include reincarnation, soul transmigration, and the {{tlit|ar|[[Raj'a]]}} (Great Return), in which present-day believers are seen as reincarnations of past prophets and messengers.<ref name=":0" />

His cosmology includes {{tlit|ar|Samarat}}, a [[Purgatory]]-like transitional realm between incarnations, an Earth-based [[Heaven]], and a Sun-based [[Hell]], with an even worse fate for the most corrupt souls. He dismisses [[evolutionary theory]], instead proposing that [[Pre-Adamite]] [[extraterrestrial beings]] once inhabited Earth. Hashem also claims that [[Iblis]] (Satan) was responsible for creating human bodies, while the [[Ahl al-Bayt|family of Muhammad]] shaped their souls.<ref name=":0" />

Incorporating conspiracy beliefs, Hashem asserts that figures like [[Zeus]], [[Confucius]], and [[Alexander the Great]] were divine messengers. He also claims that U.S. President [[George Washington]] was actually [[Adam Weishaupt]], the founder of the [[Illuminati]], and suggests that U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] is linked to the British occultist [[Aleister Crowley]]. Additionally, he attributes supernatural powers to the {{tlit|ar|Qāʾim}}, stating that he possesses the [[Ring of Solomon|ring]] of [[Kings of Israel and Judah|King]] [[Solomon]] and commands [[jinn]]s. Hashem further ties astrology to personal destinies, associating himself with the planet [[Mars]] and linking Iblis to the star [[Sirius]].<ref name=":0" />

==Regional leaders==
In the United States, AROPL is registered as an organization in [[Reno, Nevada]]. It is also registered in the United Kingdom, where it is headquartered at [[Crewe]] near [[Manchester]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light |website=GOV.UK |date=2021-06-24 |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13474449 |access-date=2024-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light |website=OpenCorporates |url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_nv/E0263282019-4 |access-date=2024-06-06}}</ref> Regional leaders of the Ahmadi Religion are known as "bishops". They currently live in exile due to persecution, and include:

*Hamidreza Saghari, Bishop of Iran and Afghanistan<ref>{{cite web |title=Bishop Of Iran Testifies |website=YouTube |date=2024-03-06 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXPvFJEarF0 |access-date=2024-05-24}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=YouTube is WP:GUNREL and we don't want to rely on AROPL's own media apparatus, see talk page for more specifics|date=July 2025}}
*Kashfullah Amaluddin Ahl Al-Mahdi, Bishop of Malaysia and Indonesia<ref>{{cite web |title=Pahang monitoring 'Ahmadi Religion Peace and Light' deviant teachings |website=thesun.my |url=https://thesun.my/local_news/pahang-monitoring-ahmadi-religion-peace-and-light-deviant-teachings-FE12432474 |access-date=2024-05-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Official Response To The Minister of Religious Affairs in Malaysia & The Malaysian Government |website=YouTube |date=2024-03-06 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-NXhwjYCTY |access-date=2024-05-24}}</ref>

== Persecution ==
{{See also|Sectarian violence among Muslims}}
Believers in the religion have been labelled as heretical and targeted by fundamentalists and state authorities in multiple countries due to its liberal teachings—such as the belief that the hijab is not mandatory and its inclusive stance toward the [[LGBTQ community]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Factsheet: The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light | date=5 February 2025 | url=https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/news/factsheet-the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/ }}</ref>

In Kenya and Somalia two individuals were murdered by the authorities for speaking about their beliefs publicly.<ref>{{cite web | title=Kenyan boy killed for his faith in Aba Al-Sadiq | date=17 April 2025 | url=https://www.eureporter.co/world/africa/kenya/2025/04/17/kenyan-boy-killed-for-his-faith-in-aba-al-sadiq/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Somalia: Nuur Aliyare Saide tortured and killed for his faith | date=16 April 2025 | url=https://www.divinejuststate.com/post/somalia-nuur-aliyare-saide-tortured-and-killed-for-his-faith }}</ref>

in Egypt the believers were kidnapped and brutally tortured by the authorities and kept in underground cells for long periods of time.<ref>{{cite web | title=Egypt: Release Ahmadi Minority Members: Hussein Mohammed Al-Tenawi, Omar Mahmoud Abdel Maguid and Hazem Saied Abdel Moatamed | date=23 April 2025 | url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde12/9296/2025/en/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Egypt: Free detained Ahmadi minority now | date=25 April 2025 | url=https://amnesty.ca/urgent-actions/egypt-free-detained-ahmadi-minority-now/#:~:text=The%20Ahmadi%20Religion%20of%20Peace%20and%20Light%20was%20founded%20in,channel%20called%20Mahdi%20Has%20Appeared }}</ref>

The religious group has been persecuted by police and government authorities in [[Algeria]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Algeria: Release members of Ahmadi religious minority |website=Amnistia Internacional |date=2022-06-21 |url=https://www.amnistia.org/en/news/2022/06/21123/algeria-release-members-of-ahmadi-religious-minority |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ALGERIA: Fact-finding mission of a UN Special Rapporteur and FoRB |website=Human Rights Without Frontiers |date=2023-09-14 |url=https://hrwf.eu/algeria-religious-freedom-to-be-on-the-agenda-of-a-un-special-rapporteur-before-his-fact-finding-mission/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-05 |title=Algeria: Drop all charges against members of a religious minority |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/algeria-drop-all-charges-against-members-of-a-religious-minority/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Amnesty International |language=en}}</ref> [[Azerbaijan]],<ref>{{cite web |title=AZERBAIJAN: Fleeing persecution, the plight of Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light members |website=Human Rights Without Frontiers |date=2024-04-02 |url=https://hrwf.eu/azerbaijan-fleeing-persecution-the-plight-of-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-members/ |access-date=2024-05-24}}</ref> [[Iraq]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2024 |title=Report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues to the UN General Assembly on institutional arrangements of States that enable minority rights to flourish |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/minorities/sr/cfis/instinstitutional-designsitutional-designs/subm-sr-minority-issues-cso-coordination-associations-et-par-ence.pdf |access-date=November 15, 2025 |website=www.ohchr.org}}</ref> [[Iran]],<ref>{{cite web |title=IRAN urged by HRWF to release 13 Ahmadis detained for 8 weeks |website=Human Rights Without Frontiers |date=2023-02-10 |url=https://hrwf.eu/iran-human-rights-without-frontiers-urges-iran-to-release-13-ahmadis-detained-for-8-weeks/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref> [[Jordan]],<ref>{{cite web |title=JORDAN: Fleeing from Jordan to Greece because of their change of religion |website=Human Rights Without Frontiers |date=2024-05-04 |url=https://hrwf.eu/jordan-fleeing-from-jordan-to-greece-because-of-their-change-of-religion/ |access-date=2024-05-24}}</ref> [[Malaysia]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Mail |first=Malay |title=Ahmadi teachings contradict Islamic law, says religious affairs minister |website=Malay Mail |date=2024-03-07 |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/07/ahmadi-teachings-contradict-islamic-law-says-religious-affairs-minister/122035 |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MCMC blocked individual accounts spreading Ahmadi religion, says Fahmi |website=The Star |date=2024-03-09 |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/09/mcmc-blocked-individual-accounts-spreading-ahmadi-religion-says-fahmi |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref> Sweden,<ref>{{cite web |title=SWEDEN: Persecution of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light |website=Human Rights Without Frontiers |date=2024-04-26 |url=https://hrwf.eu/sweden-persecution-of-the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref> and [[Thailand]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Fautre |first=Willy |author-link=Human Rights Without Frontiers International|title=Thailand persecutes the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Why? |website=The European Times News |date=2024-02-28 |url=https://europeantimes.news/2024/02/thailand-persecutes-the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-why/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref>

On 24 May 2023, 104 AROPL members seeking asylum at [[Kapıkule]] on the [[Bulgaria–Turkey border]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Türkiye must not deport members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light seeking asylum: UN experts|website=[[OHCHR]]|date=2023-07-04|url=https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/07/turkiye-must-not-deport-members-ahmadi-religion-peace-and-light-seeking|access-date=2024-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Members of religious minority seeking asylum pushed back at Turkish-Bulgarian border |website=The Sofia Globe |date=2023-05-24 |url=https://sofiaglobe.com/2023/05/24/members-of-religious-minority-seeking-asylum-pushed-back-at-turkish-bulgarian-border/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref> were detained and violently harassed by Turkish authorities.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fautre |first=Willy |title=Turkey, Physical and sexual violence by police against 100+ Ahmadi asylum-seekers |website=The European Times News |date=2023-06-05 |url=https://europeantimes.news/2023/06/turkey-violence-police-ahmadi/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Persecuted Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light minority denied asylum in Europe amidst escalating violence |website=Global Voices |date=2023-05-27 |url=https://globalvoices.org/2023/05/27/persecuted-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light-minority-denied-asylum-in-europe-amidst-escalating-violence/ |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref>

In July 2023, eight AROPL members in Malaysia were arrested by police at an "LGBTQ gathering".<ref>{{cite web |last=Times |first=New Straits |title=Eight men from 'Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light' group detained for LGBT gathering |website=NST Online |date=2023-07-31 |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/07/937143/eight-men-ahmadi-religion-peace-and-light-group-detained-lgbt |access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref> The National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI) declared the teachings of AROPL deviant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BERNAMA |date=2024-12-31 |title=MKI Declares Teachings Of 'The Ahmadi Religion Of Peace And Light' As Deviant |url=https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2378390 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=BERNAMA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 19, 2024 |title=Malaysia Issues Religious Decree Against Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light |url=https://www.eureporter.co/world/malaysia/2024/12/19/malaysia-issues-religious-decree-against-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1751370063652809&usg=AOvVaw0AovtlV0bTOYhO_Ebl0GW9 |access-date=November 15, 2025 |website=www.eureporter.co}}</ref>

In April 2024, [[Amnesty International]] appealed over the crackdown on AROPL followers in Egypt. Amnesty International has condemned the Egyptian authorities for detaining and causing enforced disappearances of AROPL members. Several followers have disappeared since early March 2025, raising human rights concerns about freedom of religion in Egypt. Amnesty emphasizes that Egyptian authorities are legally obligated to uphold and safeguard the right to freedom of religion for all individuals within the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peacock |first=Ruth |date=2025-04-14 |title=Religion news 14 April 2025 |url=https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/news/religion-news-14-april-2025/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Religion Media Centre |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Official scriptures ==
In 2022, AROPL published the official gospel of the religion, titled ''The Goal of the Wise'' ({{langx|ar|rtl=yes|غاية الحكيم}}). The book, which has 40 "doors" (chapters), has been translated into Arabic, Urdu, Malay, Spanish, French, German, Turkish, Azeri, Persian, and other languages.

On 19 May 2025, the ''Goal of the Wise'' was awarded the 2025 Best International Book Award in the category of Religion and Spirituality at the International Book Fair in [[Turin]], Italy.<ref>{{cite web | title=Castellion v. Calvin: Freedom vs. Theocracy, from Geneva to Iran and the Case of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light | date=22 May 2025 | url=https://bitterwinter.org/castellion-v-calvin-freedom-vs-theocracy-from-geneva-to-iran-and-the-case-of-the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/ }}</ref>

*{{cite book |last=Hashem |first=Abdullah |title=The Goal of the Wise: The Gospel of the Riser of the family of Mohammed Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq |date=2022 |publisher=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light |isbn=978-1-7392629-0-7}} {{in lang|en|ar|ms|tr|az|fr|es|de|zh|fa|ur}} [https://archive.org/details/goal-of-the-wise-english/The%20Goal%20of%20The%20Wise%20-%20Author/]
*{{cite book |last=Hashem |first=Abdullah |title=The Mahdi's Manifesto |date=2024 |publisher=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light}} {{in lang|en|ar|fa|ur|bn|ml|ha|yo|az|tr|ms|th|ko|zh-cn|pl|ru|sk|sl|de|es|fr|ro}}
*{{Cite book |last=Hashem |first=Abdullah |title=The Divine Jurisprudence |date=2025 |publisher=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light}} {{in lang|en|ar|fa|ur|bn|ml|ha|yo|az|tr|ms|th|ko|zh-cn|pl|ru|sk|sl|de|es|fr|ro}}

== Controversies and issues ==
Prior to May 2023, Swedish authorities allege that AROPL ran three fraudulent companies and created fake jobs to allow 70 AROPL members to receive residence status. One of these businesses was identified as a restaurant in central [[Örebro]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radio |first=Sveriges |date=2023-05-12 |title=Sektens upplägg – startade företag för att medlemmarna skulle få komma till Sverige – P4 Örebro |url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/sektens-upplagg-startade-foretag-for-att-medlemmarna-skulle-fa-komma-till-sverige |access-date=2025-11-15 |website=www.sverigesradio.se |language=sv}}</ref>

In Malaysia, the teachings of Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light have been a subject of significant controversy and official religious censure: in 2024 the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI) formally declared the movement's doctrines "deviant," "misguided" and inconsistent with mainstream Islamic beliefs and Shariah law, noting that some of its beliefs such as claims regarding the Twelfth Imam and other theological points diverge sharply from accepted Sunni Islam; this ruling has led to prohibitions on promoting or distributing related materials and heightened scrutiny by religious authorities, with critics and government officials characterising the group as a deviant sect whose activities conflict with established Islamic teachings in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BERNAMA |date=2024-12-31 |title=Ajaran The Ahmadi Sesat, Bercanggah Dengan Ajaran Islam Dan Hukum Syarak – MKI |url=https://bernama.com/bm/news.php?id=2378379 |access-date=2026-02-14 |website=BERNAMA |language=ms}}</ref>

Conversely, Human Rights Without Frontiers alleges that in 2019, the Ahmadi organization and members began facing a sustained campaign of harassment from the Swedish Police Authority, who coordinated with the Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Tax Agency, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority. This campaign led to multiple police raids in which it is claimed that no illegal activity was found, no interviews were conducted and no formal charges followed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mirre |first=Christine |date=2024-04-26 |title=SWEDEN: Persecution of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light {{!}} Human Rights Without Frontiers |url=https://hrwf.eu/sweden-persecution-of-the-ahmadi-religion-of-peace-and-light/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=hrwf.eu |language=en}}</ref>

In March 2026, it was reported that the British [[Home Office]] was investigating a company linked to AROPL, AROPL Studios which produced social media and YouTube videos about AROPL, over its use of skilled worker immigration visas. Previously the Swedish migration court had issued 69 deportation orders for AROPL members associated with three AROPL-linked companies. AROPL's lawyers said any suggestion that visas were used improperly was false.<ref name=guardian-20260320>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/20/home-office-investigates-company-linked-religious-sect-immigration-visas |title=Home Office investigates firm linked to religious sect over immigration visas |last=McClenaghan |first=Maeve |newspaper=The Guardian |date=20 March 2026 |access-date=20 March 2026}}</ref>

==References==
<references>

<!--<ref name="AhmadiIntro">{{cite journal |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |last2=Kotkowska |first2=Karolina Maria |title=The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light: An Introduction |journal=The Journal of CESNUR |volume=8 |issue=3 |date=2024-05-10 |issn=2532-2990 |doi=10.26338/tjoc.2024.8.3.2 |pages=33–51}}</ref> -->

</references>

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite journal| doi = 10.1353/nvr.2025.a967006| issn = 1541-8480| volume = 29| issue = 1| pages = 57–77| last = Zeller| first = Benjamin E. |author-link= Benjamin E. Zeller | title = The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light: An Islamic Millennial New Religious Movement| journal = [[Nova Religio]]| date = 2025 |language=en}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
{{wikiquote}}
*{{official website|https://theahmadireligion.org/}}
*[https://themahdi.wiki/ The Mahdi Wiki] (knowledge base)

{{Islam topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Religion topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Islamic new religious movements]]
[[Category:LGBTQ Muslim organizations]]
[[Category:Liberal and progressive movements within Islam]]
[[Category:Mahdism]]
[[Category:Millenarianism]]
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 2010s]]
[[Category:New religious movements in the United Kingdom]]
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[[Category:Twelver Shi'ism]]