Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Opens their Mosque to its Neigbhours

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community New Zealand will be hosting a Mosque Open Day for the general public on Saturday 14th June 2014 from 10 am to 4 pm at their recently inaugurated mosque in Manukau.

A Mosque is a true ‘House of God’ with two underlying objectives; a place to worship God Almighty and a place to serve humanity. The Ahmadiyya community believes it becomes their responsibility to use this place of worship in developing a relationship with their neighbours, integrating with various communities, faith groups thus giving birth to a bond of love, unity and brotherhood.

The National President of the Community Mr. Mohammed Iqbal said “The stereotype of violence and hatred which is associated with Islam and that mosque are the hub of incitement can only be removed if people are invited to see and experience the true purpose of a Mosque. Our ‘house of God’ is open for worship to all people of monotheistic faiths.”

The Spiritual Leader and Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Allah has very clearly commanded that when you enter a Mosque or when you enter any House of God, your purpose should be to worship Him and to bow down with sincerity before Him. When you enter a Mosque, not only should you pray for your own success and betterment, but also for the benefit and progress of the society in which you live and for others.”

The Community believes that those who have visited open mosques days in the past were quite moved by what they learnt and experienced during the brief encounter. It changed their views about Islam as a religion and become more accommodating as neighbours and as communities.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast-growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) in Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans over 202 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. The New Zealand branch of this community was established in 1987 and has just over 400 members. It is a registered charitable organisation and endeavours to be an active and integrated community within New Zealand society.