101 years ago today, Islam reemerged in modern America with the arrival in Philadelphia of a sage and scholar named Mufti Muhammad Sadiq.
Follow along as we recount his story alongside a brief history of Muslims in the United States. (1/16)
#100YearMovement
The presence of Islam in America dates back to the 13 colonies, when West Africans were enslaved and brought to the new world against their will. Many were Muslim and continued to practice their faith even as it was impossible for them to live freely. (2/16)
#BlackHistoryMonth
But by the end of the 19th century, Islam as a religion in the U.S. started to wane. The descendants of Muslim slaves had little connection to their forefathers, though some had inherited relics such as prayer mats and copies of the Holy Quran. (3/16)
Around the same time Islam was fading in America, a new spiritual movement was awakening halfway across the world.
It was known as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, founded in 1889 by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India. (4/16)
#PromisedMessiah
Ahmad claimed to be the awaited latter day reformer and Messiah for all religions, who came to revive the true and essential teachings taught by the Holy Prophet of Islam. His movement began as a small group in an Indian village and has grown to millions worldwide today. (5/16)