The Aqsa Mosque is located in the small municipal council of Qadian, a part of the Gurdaspur District of the state of Punjab, India. Known all over the world as the birth place of the religious leader Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Qadian is famous for its rich religious history. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a religious scholar of great repute, founded the Ahmadiyya sect of Muslim religion, an initiative started in the 19th century as an Islamic reformist movement. Now, more than a century since the death of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, his teachings have spread all over the world. Nearly ten million Ahmadiyya Muslims, spread all over the world consider Qadian the sacred place from where their community originated.

Historical Significance of The Site

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was born in Qadian to an illustrious father, Mirza Ghulam Murtaza in the year 1839. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the then ruler of the area gifted Qadian along with five adjoining villages to Mirza Ghulam Murtaza Ahmad – a gift made in exchange for military assistance in Kashmir, Mahadi, Kullu, Peshawar and Hazara.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad the surviving son and inheritor of Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, established Qadian as a center of religious learning. Devoted to the study of Islam from a very early age, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad declared himself the divine reformer, or Mujaddid, of the Islamic religion. The Ahmadiyya sect of Muslims was developed here, based on his teachings and named “Ahmadi/ Ahmadiyya” in his honour.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his associates carved out a distinctive religion of their own. In doing so, Ahmad attacked many of the recognised Muslim symbols of unity; redefining them and claiming meanings that often ran contrary to the prevalent beliefs of Muslims and Christians at the time. The Ahmadiyya sect, that bases itself on Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s teachings, adopts these beliefs as their own.

The Masjid of Aqsa, Qadian gains special significance in the light of Mirza Ghulam Ahmads teachings. According to him, Qadian has been proclaimed one of the three holy cities of the Muslim community by the Holy Quran. Moreover, the Masjid of Aqsa has been distinctly mentioned. In one of his books, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad asserts that the Mashid-e-Aqsa that the Prophet Muhammad gained his accession to heaven from is in reality the Masjid of Aqsa that lies in Qadian.

The Masjid of Aqsa

The Aqsa mosque or the Masjid-e-Aqsa is a very important religious site for Muslims of the Ahmadiyya sect. Located close to the Minaret of Qadian, the building is a spectacular sight that overwhelms the visitor with its beauty. The building is completely white and looks breath taking when seen under moon light. The structure stands out from the surrounding residential area with its spires and domes. The architectural style is an interesting mix of local traditions and traditional Islamic styles. The mosque is adorned by many arches along the walls and ceilings. On the roof are three domes, a central large dome flanked on both sides by two smaller ones. A minaret marks each corner of the structure and is topped by narrow spires. A little further away, one can see the white minaret of Qadian towering above the mosque and reaching for the sky.

The Masjid-e-Aqsa and the MinaraulMasih or the white minaret of Qadian istwo sites of great significance for the Ahmadiyya Muslims. These structures stand witness to the rich religious heritage of the place and the glorious years of development of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam founded here by HazratMirzaGhulam Ahmad.

How to Reach The City

The Masjid of Aqsa lies at the extreme east side of the town Qadian. Located in close proximity to the Minarat ul Maseeh, or the white minaret of Qadian; the Aqsa mosque can be easily located and is a well known spot in the town. From the local railway station, the mosque is roughly two km away and can be easily reached by car as well as local public transports.