Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq made history again when he unveiled five statues  in The Hall of Mysteries at Webb House, the Headquarters of The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Crewe, the United Kingdom. The statues, commissioned by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, in the order they were revealed are of prophet Mohammed, Fatima Al-Zahraa the daughter of Mohammed, Ali ibn Abi Talib the cousin and son in law of Mohammed, Al-Hassan the grandson of Mohammed and finally Al-Hussain and his infant son Abdullah both martyred in Karbala. This is the very first time in history since the time they were alive that anyone has seen lifelike portrayals of these five figures from history also known as the Ahlul Kisa or people of the cloak. A’isha reported: “The Prophet (pbuhahf) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of black camel’s hair, then Al-Hassan ibn Ali came so he took him under it, then Al-Hussain came and he took him under it (with them), then Fatimah came and he took her under it, then Ali came and he took him under it and then he said: {Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification}.” [Holy Quran, Al-Ahzab verse 33] (Sahih Muslim, Abi Al-Hussein Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj ibn Muslim, 2nd ed., Book 44: Book of the Merits of the Companions, p.787, hadith 2424) The unveiling of these 5 stone statues was accompanied with another first and that is a depiction of a scene from the famous Battle of the Camel, also referred to as the Battle of Basra which took place in the year 656AD or 36 Hijri. This battle which was a significant conflict during the First Fitna, pitting the forces of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the rightful heir and successor to Mohammed’s rule against a rebel army led by Aisha, Talha, and Zubayr where the muslims raised their weapons against the family of Mohammed and fought them officially in an all out war. This is mostly trivialised by the majority Sunni Muslims who do not see it as anything more than a difference of opinion between Aisha and Ali ibn Abi Talib. The image portrayed in this painting is a significant step in the right direction towards rebalancing the injustice of the audacity of that entire battle. This momentous occasion was to mark the start of a new chapter in the story of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light as the announcement by Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq of the intention to make Webb House into a museum by introducing further works of art commemorating the historical aspects of the Divine call throughout time over the coming months. This literally mea ns that Webb House will eventually become an official tourist attraction in which history is recorded and documented for the purpose of educating the world.

On the 7th of February 2026, the devoted Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light community in Trinidad and Tobago took to the streets of the city of Arima to spread word about the call of the Mahdi to the masses. Five believers came together to peacefully engage with the public to share the message of Light, love, unity and humanity above all else carrying the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem to everyone they interacted with. Over the course of the day, the group held a series of conversations with members of the public, answering questions and discussing the principles that guide their faith. Organizers described the outreach as an effort to raise awareness of their religious message and to engage respectfully with the broader community through dialogue and everyday acts of kindness.

How do you convey a message that has nearly been lost to time? How do you make a simple truth visible, one that has been overshadowed for millennia by hostility and selfishness within human society, and trapped in a complex web of power struggles?How can this web of intrigue and intergenerational corruption be untangled? The answer is disarmingly simple: “Religion is a Man.”  With this single thought, the web of confusion dissolves. Just leadership comes through this man, appointed by God. Religion remains alive because it is passed from one representative to the next, allowing it to evolve continuously. If this chain of succession is broken, the divine message becomes a doctrine of the past, applied uncritically to the modern world, and thus loses its true purpose. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light revives this concept through the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq, the God-appointed representative of this era. It was precisely this unbroken chain of divine guidance through a continuous succession of representatives that members of the religion made visible in Hannover on 31/01/26. Eight members presented faces from the history of religions, figures over whom today’s faiths each claim exclusive authority: Buddha belongs solely to Buddhism, Krishna and Arjuna to Hinduism, Jesus to Christianity, and Muhammad to Islam. Yet they are all messengers of the same God, delivering God’s message to humanity at different times and places. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light demonstrates through this unique understanding that all religions are, in truth, one. They differ only in their laws, which are adapted to meet the specific needs of people in their respective times. The Quran says: "For each of you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah had willed, He could have made you one community; but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you. So race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." (Quran 5:48) And Imam Ja'far Al-Sadiq explained in essence: God’s religion is one, but its laws differ according to time, people, and the maturity of humanity. Members of the religion presented the Gospel of the Call, which serves as a foundational text describing the development of God’s relationship with humanity through His various messengers. However, the main attraction was the colorfully printed portraits of religious figures, which drew curious visitors: How do Mary Magdalene and Odin fit together? How do Buddha and the Prophet Muhammad? Despite the winter weather, the message of unity attracted many interested visitors, sparking numerous engaging conversations. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive—not least because the understanding of the unity of religions, as taught by the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, can be summed up in a single guiding principle: “Humanity first.”  A large sign bearing this message invited further discussion and encouraged many passersby to approach the stand. The teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq, founder of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, invite people to see religion not as a source of division, but as a shared path toward unity.

Lady Layla is an incredible example for all believers - a true supporter of the Qaim of the Family of Mohammed, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq. She is the matriarch of a great tribe of dedicated souls that followed her and joined the community of Aba Al-Sadiq. They have walked by his side in support and faith - thanks to her guiding hand and wisdom. Her journey is remarkable and filled with inspiring lessons. This first edition of her book offers insights into how this great companion dedicated her life to one goal alone - finding and supporting the Imam of her time. The reader is taken on a journey, where Lady Layla describes the great miracles and wonders she witnessed through the hands of Aba Al-Sadiq, and how in her experience, faith can truly win every battle. The believers in the community of Aba Al-Sadiq were honoured by the opportunity to attend a special book signing event where Lady Layla signed printed copies of her newly published book. How to Get the Book: · FREE Digital Copy: Available soon for download at www.theahmadireligion.org. · Printed Copies: Coming shortly to our official online store. All proceeds support the spreading of the Call. For more information, please reach out to us at outreach@theahmadireligion.com

Every religion out there has a festival or holiday that hits close to home in the hearts of believers. The Muslims have the month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Eid al-Ghadir. The Christians have Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday, and the Jews have Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover. We, as the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, also have our holidays and festivals, but none as important as the one which we call the Festival of the Will. The Festival of the Will is not something to be taken lightly; it’s not a celebration of a past too far gone for us to recognize its significance and importance. This is a day of reminder—a day in which we remember and celebrate the blessings that we have from God; blessings of guidance, clarity, community, and the Proof of God whose name is recognized within the Will—the Caliph appointed by God in every day and age. Every year, the believers from all around the world gather for this festival to once again open the Will to read within it that which contains the names of his successors of Prophet Mohammed. This is a tradition that traces itself back to the time of Adam, with God himself. God made His Will known to the angels when he said to them: “Indeed, I will make upon the Earth a caliph.” (Qur’an, Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah), Verse 30) God named the successor upon the Earth, His Will. But what about Adam and his children? Abi Abdullah said: "Verily Cain approached Seth and said to him: “My father gave you from the knowledge that he had, and I was older than you and had more of a right to this knowledge than you, but because I murdered his son, he became angry with me and preferred you with this knowledge over me. I swear by God, if you mention anything from the knowledge which you have inherited from your father in order that you show off in front of me and act like you are better, I shall kill you as I killed your brother.” Seth then hid everything he had of the knowledge he earned until the state of Cain and his rule comes to an end. And for that reason we practice dissimulation (taqiyah), because we have an example in the son of Adam, and Seth told his son about the Covenant in secret, and since Seth passed the Will to his son, by God, the sunnah has been to pass down the Will, scholar to scholar, and they would open the Will every year on one particular day and they would talk about how their father gave them a prophecy and glad tidings concerning the coming of Noah." (Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 11, p. 241 From this narration, we extract the origin of the Festival of the Will. We follow this ancient tradition, which has been lost, abandoned, and forgotten by most of the world. So now, just like it was from the beginning, every year the believers—the sons of Seth—gather to open the Will and read it. Noah, being the last vicegerent mentioned in the Will of Adam and Seth continues the tradition by making a new Will for the generations to come after him: From Abu 'Abd Allah, he said: "Noah lived for five hundred years after the flood. Then Gabriel came to him and said: 'O Noah, your prophethood has come to an end, and your days have been completed. So look to the Greatest Name, the inheritance of knowledge, and the traces of the knowledge of prophethood that are with you, and pass them on to your son Sam, for I do not leave the earth without a scholar through whom My obedience is known, and by whom My guidance is recognized. He shall be a means of salvation between the passing of one prophet and the coming of another. I have never left the people without a proof for Me, a caller to Me, a guide to My path, and one who is knowledgeable of My command. I have decreed that for every people there shall be a guide by whom I guide the blessed, and who shall be a proof against the wretched.' He said: So Noah passed on the Greatest Name, the inheritance of knowledge, and the traces of the knowledge of prophethood to Sam. As for Ham and Japheth, they did not have any knowledge from which they could benefit. He said: And Noah gave them the glad tidings of Hud, and commanded them to follow him, and instructed them to open the Will every year, look into it, and let it be a festival (Eid) for them." (Kamāl al-dīn wa tamām al-niʿma, Al-Shaikh Al-Saduq, Vol. 1, p. 551) Abraham himself made a Will, and his grandson Jacob also established a Will just like his grandfather for the Children of Israel. This was the Will of Abraham, as well as Jacob, to his children, saying: "Indeed, Allah has chosen for you this faith; so do not die except in ˹a state of full˺ submission. Or did you witness when death came to Jabob? He asked his children, "Who will you worship after my passing?" They replied, "We will ˹continue to˺ worship your God, the God of your forefathers—Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac—the One God. And to Him we ˹all˺ submit." (Qur’an, Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah), Verses 132-133) Moses whom the Children of Israel considered a savior and the fulfilment of the promise of God also didn’t leave this world without informing his people of the next man appointed by God: As Moses neared the end of his life, when the people had arrived at the Dead Sea, he had another conversation with God about his successor. There God said to him: "Take Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom the Spirit is found, and lay your hand upon him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole assembly and commission him in their sight. Give him some of your authority, so that the assembly of the people of Israel might obey." (Bible, Book of Numbers, Chapter 27, Verses 18-20) And contrary to what most Christians believe, just like Moses, Jesus also establishes for the people the next in line before his disappearance: The Messenger of Allah said: "Jesus, son of Mary, made a will to Simon son of Hamun Al-Safa’a." (Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 36, p. 334) This echoes the scene in the New Testament where Jesus appoints Simon Peter: Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.   And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 16, Verses 17-19) Jesus also mentioned the coming of a Prophet after him in his Will, Mohammed: “And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, “O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmed.” But when he (Ahmed) came to them with clear proofs, they said: “This is plain magic.” (Qur’an, Chapter 61 (Al-Saf), Verse 6) The Festival of the Will is a reminder that God has never left us without someone who His Spirit is upon. It is a day of remembrance. It is a day in which we remember our covenant with God. On this particular day, January 23rd, the believers gather to remember God’s promise and guarantee to us. Let us go back to Prophet Mohammed. Since we have established that the Vicegerents left a Will for their people to never go astray, we can see too Prophet Mohammed wanted to write a Will before he died, with strong disapproval from some of his companions. Ibn 'Abbas narrated: When Allah’s Apostle was on his death-bed and in the house there were some people among whom was Umar bin Al-Khattab, the Prophet said, “Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.” Umar said, “The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Qur’an; so the Book of Allah is enough for us.” The people present in the house differed and quarreled. Some said: “Go near so that the Prophet may write for you a statement after which you will not go astray,” while the others said as Umar said. When they caused a hue and cry before the Prophet, Allah’s Apostle said, “Go away!” ‘Ubaidullah said: Ibn ‘Abbas used to say, “It was very unfortunate that Allah’s Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Book of Patients, Hadith 5669) As we can see, the Prophet was lying on his deathbed, asking for something simple—a pen and paper—in order to guide his community after his passing. Yet we see that his followers, his very companions, including Umar ibn al-Khattab, tried to prevent that Will from being written, saying that the Prophet was delirious or hallucinating. The Qur’an itself contradicts the statements of those companions: "By the star when it descends, your companion [i.e., Mohammed] has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed." (Qur’an, Chapter 53 (Al-Najm), Verses 1-4) The Qur’an also guarantees us that a Will must be written: "It is prescribed that when death approaches any of you—if they leave something of value—a will should be made in favour of parents and immediate family with fairness. ˹This is˺ an obligation on those who are mindful ˹of Allah˺." (Qur’an, Chapter 2 (Al-Baqarah), Verse 180) So logic dictates that the Prophet himself must have written a Will: Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah's Messenger said, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his last will and testament written and kept ready with him." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Wills and Testaments (Wasaayaa), Hadith 2738) Nobody can prevent the Will of God, and the Prophet did in fact leave a Will and within it he wrote the names of his successors: “Prophet Mohammed said to Ali on the night of his death, ‘O Father of Al-Hassan, bring me a pen and a paper,’ so the Messenger of Allah dictated his Will until he came to this position where he said: ‘O Ali, there will be twelve Imams after me and after them there will be twelve Mahdis. So you, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams, Allah the Exalted has named you in His heavens Ali Al-Murtada (the Content), Amirul Mo’mineen (the Prince of the Believers), Al-Siddiq Al-Akbar (the Greater Truthful), Al-Farouq Al-A’tham (the Greater Judge and Differentiator between truth and falsehood), Al-Ma’moun (the Trusted), and the Mahdi (the Guided). These names may not be attributed to other than you. O Ali, you are my vicegerent/guardian over my own family, their living and their dead, and upon my women: Whomever you kept, she shall find me tomorrow, and whomever you divorced, I am innocent of her, I will not see her and she will not see me on the Day of Resurrection. And you are my successor (Khalifa) over my nation after me. If death comes to you, hand it over to my son Al-Hassan, the righteous and benevolent. Then if death comes to him, let him hand it over to my son Al-Hussein, the martyr, the pure and murdered. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the master of worshipers, Dhul Thafanat (the one with hard skin on his knees) Ali. If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed Al-Baqir (the Revealer of Knowledge). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ja’far Al-Sadiq (the Truthful). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Musa Al-Kathim (the Patient). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al-Ridha (the Pleasing One). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed Al-Thiqa Al-Taqqi (the Trustworthy, the God-Fearing). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Ali Al-Nasih (the Advisor). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Al-Hassan Al-Fadhil (the Meritorious). If death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, Mohammed the Safeguarded of the Family of Mohammed. Those are the twelve Imams. Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s and it is Abdullah, Ahmed, and the third name is Al-Mahdi, and he is the first of the believers.’” (Ghaybat Al-Tusi, Vol. 1, pp. 174-175; Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 53, p. 148) The 23rd of January is not a random day for the Festival of the Will. Rather, it plays a very historic role in our call. It is a day in which a flood of ancient prophecies came to light. Prophet Mohammed said: “There shall rule Hijaz a man whose name is the name of an animal, if you look at him from afar you will think that he is cross-eyed but if you come close to him his eyes seem normal, he will be succeeded by a brother named Abdullah, woe to our Shia from him (he repeated this thrice), give me glad tidings of his death and I shall give you glad tidings of the appearance of the Hujjah (Imam Mahdi).” (250 Signs until the Appearance of Imam Mahdi, Muhammad Ali Tabatabai, Sign 88, p. 136) In Saudi Arabia, there was a man by the name of King Fahd who ruled Saudi Arabia (Hijaz) from 1982-2005 — Fahd means leopard, a name of an animal. In his photographs, you will notice that he looks cross-eyed, but when you zoom in, his eyes are in reality normal. After his death, he was succeeded by his brother King Abdullah, who was known for being extremely anti-Shia. Left: King Fahd who ruled Saudi Arabia (Hijaz) from 1982-2005; Right: King Abdullah who rules Saudi Arabia (Hijaz) from 2005-2015 The location, characters, names, attributes, and events that have taken place fit perfectly with the prophecy the Muslims have been waiting for. However, we have one thing left, the appearance of the Mahdi, which the Prophet guarantees. And Imam Al-Sadiq guaranteed us too, saying: “Whoever guarantees for me the death of Abdullah, I shall guarantee for them the Qaim.” (Bihar Al-Anwar, Al-Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 52, p. 210) On January 23rd, on the day that King Abdullah passed away, the Mahdi mentioned in the Will appeared, Abdullah. And after 11 years his message has spread to every corner of the world, calling people to the truth and establishing the Supremacy of God. This day stands as a decisive moment in that uninterrupted chain. It marks the fulfillment of  prophecy with the appearance of the one named in the Will itself. This day is honored because it represents the continuity of God’s covenant and the manifestation of His promise. The Festival of the Will is the recognition of a divine system that has never stopped operating. From Adam to Aba Al-Sadiq, the Will is the means by which God safeguarded guidance on Earth and protected His authority from being claimed by those that would plan to usurp the throne of God. Each year, when the Will is opened and read, it is not done merely to remember the past, but to reaffirm allegiance in the present. The Festival of the Will is a renewal of out allegiance  to God, through the one He appointed. It is a reminder that God has not left humanity for a second, and that His proof remains present, known, and named.

A video depicting an organised procession at Webb House commemorating the Festival of the Will has gone viral, causing controversy and outrage on social media. The video, uploaded on a   TikTok account  by what appears to be a neighbour living next door to Webb House, has been shared and reshared, and even picked up by notorious right wing influencer Tommy Robinson a.k.a.   Steven Yaxley-Lennon , who tweeted about it on X. Behind the Viral Video Every year, on the 23rd of January, believers of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL) from all around the world come together to celebrate the foundation of their religion. Last year, on the tenth anniversary of the appearance of the twelfth Imam from the family of Mohammed, a huge fireworks event took place at the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light headquarters in Crewe, UK. This commemoration was documented in three video productions from AROPL Studios and uploaded to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light YouTube channel. The first was a twenty-minute   Opening Ceremony for the Festival of the Will , where balloons were launched in the air with a message tied to them promoting  The Mahdi has Appeared channel  on YouTube. The second was a documentary entitled “ 10-Year Anniversary of the Appearance of the Mahdi ,” a summary of activities over the past decade of the call. The final video produced by AROPL Studios was a two-hour recording of a   pivotal speech by Abdullah Hashem , the Riser of the Family of Mohammed. This speech was followed by a ceremony awarding supporters of the Riser certificates of citizenship of the Divine Just State. The evening culminated with a procession for the raising of the Black Banners of “Allegiance is to Allah.” This year, in 2026, the believers at Webb House headquarters took inspiration from the 2025   Remembrance March and Service , in which they had participated. A beautiful way to pay respect to something so highly revered and to commemorate it in a highly organised manner. Supporters of the Qa’im took to practising at Webb House for several weeks before the day of the procession itself, Sunday, 18 January. What Really Happened at Webb House On Sunday, 18 January 2026, believers of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light at Webb House in Crewe organised a disciplined procession to commemorate the Festival of the Will. The event was designed as a solemn, coordinated tribute to one of the central articles of their faith: the Holy Will of Prophet Mohammed, in which his successors are named. In preparation, around 100 men spent several weeks practising their formations so the procession would be dignified and precise. On the day itself, the men gathered in formation and rehearsed until just after noon. They resumed to organise themselves in formation for final practice at 1:30 p.m., before beginning the procession at 2 p.m. in high spirits. Their intention was simple: to honour the Will that underpins their entire religion and to proclaim, clearly but peacefully, the names of the successors mentioned within it. This Will has long been buried in the books of the Muslims for centuries without anyone paying it much attention until Ahmed Al-Hassan publicly declared himself to be the Ahmed mentioned in it, commanded to do so by Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan Al-Askary, the twelfth Imam, in 1999. Since then, it has been the subject of controversy and debate in the Muslim world, especially during confrontations between Muslim scholars or clerics and the supporters of the Mahdi. Abdullah Hashem came forth in 2015 to declare himself the Abdullah mentioned in the Will publicly, commanded to do so by Ahmed Al-Hassan, thus beginning the rise of the Riser with the black banner of “Allegiance is to Allah.”  For believers, the yearly Festival of the Will and the associated procession are a direct, living connection and commitment to that monumental declaration. It is this testament and its incredible significance which the believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light seek to celebrate annually and to proclaim its truth. Escalation, Hate and Documented Persecution On Sunday, 18 January, as this crucial article of faith, the Holy Will of Prophet Mohammed, was being celebrated in this unique and powerful tribute, some neighbours became alerted by the sound of 100 men marching in unison and declaring their faith by calling out some of the names mentioned in the Will together, in one voice. A video was put together and uploaded to TikTok on the same day, 18 January. By 19 January, it had generated over 650,000 views with a large variety of comments expressing different theories, assumptions and opinions. It was now beginning to circulate among certain far-right circles with aggressive rhetoric encouraging action against the religion and its members. Tommy Robinson, a notorious far right vocal activist, picked up the video and   posted it on his X account, spreading it deeper into far‑right networks with calls for action. The original TikTok post has now exceeded 1.3 million views, and that number continues to rise. Tommy Robinson, also known as Steven Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, is known for anti-Islam campaigning in the UK and former involvement in the English Defence League (EDL), which he founded in 2009 with his cousin Kevin Carroll. It is widely reported that he has been prosecuted on numerous occasions for various criminal activities. His criminal record includes convictions for violence, financial, and immigration frauds, possession of drugs, and   public order offences . He has served at least three separate custodial sentences: in 2005 for assault, in 2012 for using false travel documents and in 2014 for   mortgage fraud . This development raises serious concerns: when a figure like Tommy Robinson, widely perceived to be a leader for the far-right extremist movement, makes a post targeting a group through ignorance, it brings a spike in negative rhetoric. This leads to threatening and potentially violent activity, in particular from far-right groups. Given Robinson’s track record of anti‑Islam activism, criminal convictions and repeated involvement in inflammatory campaigns, his intervention naturally fuels hostility. One of the great fears this generates is an escalation of past incidents against the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. This wave of attention is far from isolated. In early 2023, smaller right-wing YouTube channels filmed at the gates of Webb House, portraying it as a “migrant hotel” and triggering a tide of hate comments and threats, despite the claim later being shown to be false. The backlash from even one misleading ten-minute video with under 25,000 views, was false rhetoric and incitement to violence. In 2025, articles published in mainstream British newspapers, including The Guardian , misled the public by claiming that the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, operating from its worldwide headquarters in Crewe, is a cult. The source of this accusation was discredited material from a little-known, self-proclaimed cult hunter named Be Scofield, whose claims were never verified or fact-checked by the outlets that repeated them. The Guardian  professes the motto "Comment is free, but facts are sacred," yet in its coverage of Webb House and the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, turned this principle on its head, favouring sensationalism over factual integrity, amplifying unproven "cult" labels from unreliable sources while disregarding AROPL’s consistent statements of peace and its well-documented history of persecution, recognised by the UN and Amnesty International. The double standard of The Guardian is glaring: facts are only "sacred" when they fit a comfortable narrative. When targeting an unfamiliar minority like AROPL, they become expendable for clickbait headlines that endanger lives. Since that coverage, experts on cults and new religious movements, such as Rosita Soryte  have challenged and debunked the original source cited by these publications, but much damage was already done. A new wave of harassment followed, which falsely proclaimed to the world that the religion was a cult operating freely in Crewe. Various content creators seeking sensational footage made intrusive visits, with some resorting to flying drones over the property without consent or notification, to "expose" what they believed was a cult. On the ground, the consequences have been serious. In 2024, masked youths appeared at Webb House carrying machetes, clearly intent on intimidation and creating fear in the inhabitants and personnel there. In 2025, after the “cult” articles were published, Webb House saw a spike in anger-fuelled demonstrations of aggression from groups of youths on electric bikes launching projectiles and, on numerous occasions, fireworks and other pyrotechnics at the gates with intention to hurt someone on the property. These hooligans often appeared at night wearing balaclavas and other face masks, with a clear intention of intimidation driving them to persist over several months, always shouting expletives and specifically the word “cult” in obvious imitation of the language pushed by hostile coverage.  With there being children and families regularly hosted at Webb House, there is anxiety that the next wave of attention generated by these misleading social media posts may result in injuries. As a consequence, law enforcement have been alerted and are on heightened alert regarding this situation. They have expressed concern, encouraging additional security measures for the foreseeable future and recognising the genuine risk of escalation sparked by far‑right incitement and misinformed local hostility. In response, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has strengthened security measures and made all personnel aware of the impending dangers as part of their duty to protect families, staff and visitors against threats created by others. The British Double Standard on Marches Where the hypocrisy becomes impossible to ignore is that Britain regularly accommodates large, very visible religious and political marches, often in the heart of its cities. Shia Muharram and Ashura processions, for example, have long taken place in London, with roads closed and police facilitating thousands of marchers. These processions are not only permitted but actively protected, even when they include extreme practices such as tatbir , self-flagellation with blades or chains that draws blood and causes visible injury, in highly public, central locations. Thousands routinely march from Marble Arch, performing intense chest-beating or bloodletting, while security ensures the events proceed smoothly and peacefully. Even when such marches attract criticism from some commentators, authorities work with organisers, issue permits, and treat them as legitimate expressions of faith. Similarly, Christian groups like the King’s Army have marched near Buckingham Palace proclaiming that “Jesus is Lord over England,” explicitly advocating the idea that Jesus, not the monarch, should be recognised as king. Videos show large crowds, banners, amplified preaching, and clear theological messages  in front of one of the most symbolically sensitive sites in the country. These events are celebrated within Christian media as signs of a “spiritual shift,” not treated as threats to public order. In contrast, at Webb House, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light held an orderly procession on its own private grounds, without occupying public roads or engaging the public. No calls for violence were made, in fact, the participants explicitly reaffirmed the movement’s peaceful stance and opposition to injustice. Yet a short, context‑less video showing men in black walking in formation was enough for far‑right agitators and some local voices to label it sinister “training,” “militia” or “cult” behaviour. When Shia processions draw blood at Marble Arch or Christians proclaim "Jesus is King" before Buckingham Palace, such acts are framed as passionate religious expression. Yet a peaceful march by the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light on private grounds, with no disruption or harm, goes viral as "militant training" or a "cult parade." The double standard is glaring. If thousands can block central London for Ashura or proclaim divine kingship before Buckingham Palace, then a small community marching on its own property to honour the Prophet’s Will should not be vilified or singled out as dangerous. When one group’s expressions of faith are accommodated and even celebrated, while another’s are turned into viral “evidence” of extremism, that is not concern for safety, it is a double standard. ​The Cost to Real People The reaction to the Webb House procession lays bare a deeper hypocrisy. The same individuals who claim to defend Britain and British values: free speech, free assembly, freedom of religion, are often the first to demand crackdowns when those freedoms are exercised by a group they dislike. When masked youths with machetes and fireworks appear at the gates, it is not the marchers in Webb House endangering British society, but those who have been whipped into a frenzy by misleading videos, sensational headlines, and calculated demonisation. It is also telling that those currently stoking fear about Webb House show little interest in the documented reality: families and children are regularly present there, and the group has consistently declared its commitment to peace, humanity and justice. Local interviews with Aba Al-Sadiq, the leader of AROPL, highlight his desire to work with the community, help those in need regardless of background, and to unite rather than divide. None of that is reflected in the viral clips or inflammatory captions circulating online. If Britain truly values its principles, then all peaceful religious marches, Shia, Christian, Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, or otherwise, must be protected and treated with the same basic respect, or none of them should be. Selective outrage, fuelled by ignorance and bigotry, has already placed children and families in Crewe at risk. The hope is that this year, named by Aba Al‑Sadiq “The Year of Ability and Miracles,” becomes not only a test of the believers’ patience and courage, but also a test for Britain itself: will it uphold its own principles, or continue to tolerate a two‑tier system where some faiths may march proudly, while others are vilified for simply walking on their own land? Victory in the Year of Miracles The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light stands unbowed, its principled march at Webb House a beacon of disciplined faith that no viral lie, far-right agitator or hypocritical headline can extinguish. While others spill blood in public streets or claim divine kingship before palaces, it is AROPL's solemn tribute on private ground, affirming peace and allegiance to God alone, that ignites panic and provokes hysteria, branded as "militant cult training." This exposes the true nature of the outrage: fear. Fear of a rising light that challenges comfortable narratives and calls humanity to its highest creed, "Humanity First." Last year, facts replaced by sensationalism brought machetes and fireworks to our gates. Yet AROPL stands unshaken. Every threat forges another miracle, every act of hatred only amplifies the sacred call, “Allegiance is to God.” This year, 2026, decreed by Aba Al-Sadiq as "The Year of Ability and Miracles," dawns not in defeat but in divine momentum, with the black banners rising higher and reaching ever farther across the world.  As the Riser advances, humanity awakens. Join the light, or watch it triumph. Watch the full procession carried out by the Black Cloud on the official YouTube channel of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.

Special interview with Yahya Hashem, an early companion of Aba Al-Sadiq, and an eyewitness to the death of King Abdullah and the unfolding of prophecy. Yahya is one of the brothers who has known Aba Al-Sadiq for a long time, since much before the appearance of the Black Banners. He lived with Aba Al-Sadiq since 2011. Yahya was among his first companions even before he received the title of Mahdi and successor to Ahmed Al-Hassan. He was part of that group gathered around Abdullah in Egypt to call to the Yamani Ahmed Al-Hassan and to Imam Al-Mahdi.  There was a widespread belief that Imam Mahdi would appear on a day coinciding with the death of King Abdullah of Hijaz (today’s Saudi Arabia). Today, we are celebrating the 11th anniversary of the death of this king and the appearance of Imam Mahdi, which also corresponds to the first raising of the Black Banner and the appearance of the Qa’im, Abdullah Hashem. Many people are intrigued by what happened on that famous night of January 23, 2015. Let us delve into the archives of a sacred night, into the company of the Qa'im's close friends during this special event with brother Yahya. On January 23, 2015 you were with Abdullah Hashem and the brothers and sisters in Egypt - Cairo -  in a small apartment. Can you tell us about the environment, what the atmosphere of the evening was like, what do you remember of that day? It was the night of 23 January 2015, the night that many had been waiting for, without knowing how history would actually unfold. The prophecy of the death of King Abdullah, which happened in 2015, was a sign that we were all waiting for. At the time, this prophecy was understood as one of the major signs for the appearance of Imam Mahdi, based on a narration that stated very clearly:  When King Abdullah dies, Imam Mahdi, or the hujja, would appear. For years, this sign had been discussed, analysed, anticipated by the Shi’a population, by the Muslims. It was not sudden. It was expected. So you are saying that long before 2015, the group had already been living with this expectation, with this specific prophecy in mind, waiting for that very special day? Yes, we were waiting for it. And from a long time. The prophecy was publicly discussed as early as 2010–2011. You can even find videos on YouTube of Aba Al-Sadiq, making videos in his “Arrivals” series... where he specifically mentioned this hadith. It was part of a broader framework: He was basically proving through his series that we are living in the end times. The signs were many:  there were the non working scholars, the appearance of the Antichrist, which we know is America, and many other signs. Everything pointed toward the same conclusion; all of it was already pointing to the time that we were living in which was being fulfilled. So what happened on this actual day? You're spending your evening together and suddenly in the middle of the night you hear the news of the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. What happens at that moment in the apartment? It happened in the middle of the night. I remember it was nighttime when it took place. At the time, we were in Egypt, gathered around Aba Al-Sadiq. I remember being with Aba Al-Sadiq, and I remember several of the brothers coming over to his house. The reaction was immediate and emotional. We were basically being happy because of this news. We had gathered that night, basically to congratulate one another. The atmosphere was joyful, but also heavy with meaning. On that specific night, the brothers gathered, all the brothers came down. We hugged Aba Al-Sadiq. There was joy, but also uncertainty. I was excited, but there was still a lot to know, a lot to understand. We did not yet know everything. We didn’t know that the Imam had actually appeared to the 12 men on that specific night. It only happened maybe a week or two afterwards. We just had faith and we knew that the sign was fulfilled. The King was dead, therefore the Imam had to appear. Afterwards, everything accelerated. Everything started after that event, shortly after. Aba Al-Sadiq would tell us about prophecies that would happen in the future, even our exile was foretold. He told us that we’re going to be in Europe. At the time, this seemed impossible. This whole time we were thinking that we were staying in Egypt. And finally, the decisive moment came. Maybe a month maximum after the death of King Abdullah is when Ahmed al-Hassan made the statement. The words were unmistakable: I appoint you, my son, as the responsible over the whole world. And with that, the prophecy was complete. The Facebook post made by Yahya to point out the death of King Abdullah and its relation with the appearance of Imam Al-Mahdi Yet, something unexpected happened. It was also a strange phenomenon to complete, because the office in Najaf was not recognizing this sign as something important. Their silence was deafening. They kind of ignored it, and they pushed it aside. This was shocking, because it’s the major sign that all the Shias had talked about for years right before it took place, including the office of Najaf and the ansar of Ahmed Al-Hassan in Iraq. And yet, all of a sudden, when this sign happened, nobody was talking about it anymore. This silence revealed something crucial. That made us basically the only people believing in this sign. So until then, there was still belief that the office of Najaf was aligned with Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan? Yes. We thought that they were with Ahmed Al-Hassan. But the events following the sign changed everything. It was actually precisely this hadith that proved that they were not with Ahmed Al-Hassan. The truth was unveiled. Ahmed al-Hassan came out, and he actually revealed himself to Aba Al-Sadiq who was then able to expose the cursed office of Najaf. He told him about the corruption of the office and all of their lies. The accusation was explicit: The people that were in the office were the usurpers. They were the liars. They were not with Ahmed Al-Hassan for years; since 2007 actually. And Ahmad Al-Hassan provided evidence to show that they had usurped his right. If I may ask, how did this first encounter between the Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan and your group occur? After this sign took place - the death of King Abdullah - by only a few weeks, people who were from the 12 actually came into contact with Aba Al-Sadiq (the 12 companions of Ahmed Al-Hassan who met in person with Imam Al-Mahdi Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan on the night of the 23rd of January 2015). This marked a turning point, this is where the connection, the first physical encounter with Ahmed Al-Hassan, took place. At that moment, the prophecy was no longer theoretical. How did you live this transition? Did you notice a change in Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq? The question would be, how was it to live in the intimacy of the future prophesied Mahdi before and after his status went from being more of a guiding brother to the actual revealed companion of the will? Before 2015, Abdullah Hashem was already known for his character. To be with Abdullah Hashem before 2015 was no different to being with him after in terms of his character. He opened his doors to the believers. When he made the announcement that the Yamani was here, anyone who believed was welcomed by Aba Al-Sadiq to join him in Egypt. His conduct reflected prophetic qualities. The way people describe the Prophet Mohammed in the hadith where they said that he was, for example, Al-Amin, or Al-Sadiq, the trustworthy, the truth, the truthful… this was also his character, Abdullah’s character. And people knew him by that, and this is why many people who were there, turned to him for advice, whether it was in regards to marriage, whether it was advice as a brother, whether it was advice in regards to religion, in regards to anything really, because he was the most knowledgeable from us. He knew all the hadith of the Ahul Bayt. He was well aware of the time that we were living in, and that hadn’t change. It is clear and without a shadow of a doubt that no one on earth can debate him in anything whether they're Jews or Christian or Muslims, anyone who comes forward has no chance to debate against the knowledge that Aba Al-Sadiq has presented. Concerning his character, he's remained the same. He's remained the same loving person. What changed was the level of knowledge revealed. He’s revealed much greater knowledge today than he has before, and that's in large part due to his encounter with Imam Mahdi, his encounter with Ahmed Al-Hassan the Yamani. Through that encounter, he gained much more, you could say he gained the Holy Spirit. He gained more knowledge of God. He gained more, you know. You could say that he was awakened to the soul that was already within him. So he was awakened to his own truth and reality. After that revelation, after the appearance of Imam Mahdi and the appearance of Ahmed Al-Hassan, certainly Abdullah Hashem was still the same, but did his role and the relationship between him and you and the brothers who were around him change? Or did it also remain the same ? I think it has remained the same. If anything, we have always loved Aba Al-Sadiq, Abdullah Hashem, from day one. It is a testament to that love that we went to him, trusting him, even though we had never met him in person. We knew him from his works, and even from his appearance, that he was an important person, someone who would eventually fill the role of becoming the Mahdi. Many of us already believed it was within him. Whether we believed he was already the Mahdi or someone chosen by God, we already thought highly of him. In terms of how our relationship with him changed afterwards, it also placed upon us the same burden that we must carry: the supremacy of God—guiding people to the truth and standing by him throughout all the fitnas and trials he was facing. This was true both before he was announced as the Mahdi and even more so afterward. Many of those trials had already come from the authorities in Egypt. He was already dealing with problems, with fitna, and with governments trying to force us out of the country, and he was always at the forefront. After he was announced as the Mahdi by Ahmed Al-Hassan, he remained the same in character.  What we can say changed for us at the time was that this responsibility was also placed upon those who were with him. The mission became collective. It became, more than ever, our duty as a community to establish this divine just state, a duty that we carry on striving for to this very day and until it will be established.  The Imam was known, God had already pointed out to us who the Imam of the time was, so now it was time to act.

In Xochimilco, Mexico City, the Niñopa  is the community’s centrepiece of faith and identity. Each year on the 2nd of February (Candlemas), a new caretaker family ( mayordomía ) hosts the image for the year. Tradition holds that the image was carved in the sixteenth century by an Indigenous artisan from palo de colorín  wood. Many locals have long associated the Child symbolically with Huitzilopochtli —“the hummingbird of the south”—an example of religious syncretism that took shape in Mexico during evangelisation by Spanish missionaries. Pairing familiar sacred motifs with Christian images often reduced resistance among communities living under colonial pressure. Across Mexico, there are visible layers of this history: in Cholula, for example, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies stands atop the Great Pyramid once dedicated to Quetzalcóatl , patron of the priesthood and a god of wisdom, learning, and intelligence. Baroque hilltop church built above the Great Pyramid of Cholula. (Tlachihualtepetl), Puebla, Mexico. Photo: Dge, “ZA Cholula (30).jpg,” CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. There is reportedly a waiting list for stewardship that extends into the 2040s, with some families waiting decades. The mayordomía  is a cherished local custom: the family that hosts the image takes responsibility for the annual programme of prayer, visits, and hospitality. The handover and major processions are accompanied by groups of chinelos , who parade through the streets in tall feathered hats, embroidered capes, and masks with pale faces and stylised beards. Crowds accompany the Niñopa from the outgoing steward’s home to San Bernardino de Siena for Mass, many carrying their own images of the Christ Child under various titles ( advocaciones —that is, devotional or patronal titles linked to places or communities). Locals treat the Niñopa as a living child. Under the mayordomía , the family dresses him, lulls him and rocks him to sleep each night, and symbolically “feeds” him—gestures of love that require significant resources to host guests and organise meals in his honour. They offer him toys to “play” with—balls, balloons, and other traditional gifts. In some years these toys are later donated to local children; in other years they are kept as part of the Niñopa’s patrimony, depending on the mayordomía . His belongings are extensive: when the image moves between stewards, three to four lorries, each carrying three to four tonnes, may be needed to transport clothes, toys, and household gifts. The Niñopa, Xochimilco’s beloved Child Jesus, during a 2022 parish visit to Tepepan. Photo: Eduardo Ruiz Mondragón, “El Niñopa,” CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Devotees report small signs —soft steps, moved toys, a warming presence. Some say that, by morning, his clothes bear earth or grass as if he had visited the garden; others whisper that he tastes the food left for him or that they have heard gentle laughter at night. A few witnesses say his cheeks change colour when he visits the sick, as a sign of hope or warning. Many also say he “enjoys” rides on the flower-decked trajineras , the canal boats of Xochimilco. For believers, these reports connect with wider traditions of “living” images across cultures. The daily rhythm is carefully organised. On weekdays, the Niñopa is taken on scheduled home and institutional visits—sometimes on foot with the chinelos , sometimes by car. Mass may be celebrated at the nearest church or, on occasion, at the host home. Some visits are public, others private; most are offered in thanksgiving for perceived favours or healings. At 8:00 p.m. every day, the community gathers for the rosary led by the current steward. On Sundays there are no home visits; instead, the steward takes the Niñopa to San Bernardino for the 5:30 p.m. Mass, after which the image returns in procession for the rosary. Every year on the 2nd of February (Candlemas), a new family receives the image amid music and dance, and they provide large pots of food—tamales, rice, mole, and more—to feed the crowds.   Alejandro Linares García, “Chinelos… after the Niñopa procession”, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Oral testimony: the story of Guillermo Guillermo had hoped to host the Niñopa since childhood. At around twenty, he suffered a violent assault that left him with a fractured jaw and an intestinal perforation, requiring a long recovery during which his mother, Pilar, says faith kept him alive. He later studied paediatrics, and—after many years on the waiting list—finally received the stewardship in 2003. According to those close to the mayordomía , preparations took roughly two years. On the eve of Candlemas, he coordinated the floral decorations and served at the altar. During the handover Mass, after the obligations were read, Guillermo made the traditional promise: “Mi casa desde hoy es la casa del pueblo” —“From today, my home is the people’s home.” From the church, a large crowd accompanied the image to the López Caleano home, where an abundant public meal was served and teams were organised for music, prayer, and daily logistics. The family had reportedly waited decades for their turn to serve as stewards, preparing far in advance with street decorations, banners, tables, and volunteers. I once worked with a nurse who hosted the Niñopa; she told me many miracles had happened in her life. Although the family spent significant money and effort—because they hosted and fed everyone who came to venerate the image—she gratefully remembers the privilege of hosting the Child. There are also countless testimonies from people who say they received favours through an image. As a child, my father visited The Lord of the Wonders ( El Señor de las Maravillas ), and my mother made a yearly pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe ( La Virgen de Guadalupe ), the image with the largest following in Mexico. Around 11–12 million pilgrims typically visit the Basilica of Guadalupe between the 8th and 12th of December, with even more across the whole month. Some approach on their knees—sometimes to the point of bleeding—others walk for hours or even several days from across the country, some carrying heavy images or running barefoot along Mexico’s roads. From childhood rituals to cautious Faith Even now, I think of images as mirrors of the invisible. They were part of my Catholic childhood; I kept some at home and followed many small rituals in daily life. Later, reading Scripture, I took seriously the warnings against idols: “Do not make any idols.” (Exodus 34:17) “You shall not make for yourself an image… You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” (Deuteronomy 5:8–9) For a long time, I avoided all images of saints and sacred figures, believing that honouring them might risk dishonouring God. Many Sunni Muslims, for different theological reasons, also emphasise aniconism (caution regarding sacred images). I understand the desire not to do anything against God—yet people keep speaking about miracles: statues that “laugh,” “eat,” or offer help. Are people lying? Are such signs demonic? We simply want to worship God rightly—but can we ignore that witnesses exist? That is why this lecture fascinated me: it offers a framework to consider what might be hidden in plain sight—as the writer Edgar Allan Poe illustrated in “The Purloined Letter.”  And, of course, modern films often play with the idea of possessed objects or haunted images, which keeps the question alive in popular culture. Do Images Hold Power? Devotees, Doubters, and Santería Rites We had rarely imagined statues could act like living beings. Still, devotees tell stories that deserve a fair investigation. What fascinated me in Aba al-Sadiq’s lecture was the reminder that, in some Christian contexts, images are veiled or even defaced—eyes and noses removed—to make clear that they hold no power of their own. If images are powerless, why such caution? The point, as the lecture argues, is to prevent misdirected devotion, not to grant power to the object. It is more a matter of recognizing that it is not the image itself, but rather whom it represents that, in certain cases, becomes something like a means of receiving the intersection of holy people. Although it is not true that all of them have power, some do, which you can see in more detail in the lecture by Aba al-Sadiq. (Full Lecture posted at bottom of this article) I remember priests of Santería telling me that if someone can no longer keep the obligations, a consecrated object should not be thrown away. Instead, one should consult a babalawo  or santero  to perform an ebbó —a ritual “decommissioning” that releases the consecration. One priest warned that discarding a sacred object without the proper rite could bring serious harm—even death. Gathered with What We Worship Only after Aba al-Sadiq’s explanation did the matter make sense. The testimony of witnesses—those who venerate different images in Mexico or consecrate objects in Santería—supports this line of thought. Such rituals, whether “feeding” images or consecrating and later “releasing” objects, are widespread and culturally accepted. This is where the Prophet Muhammad’s warning, and the Qur’anic teaching, take force: that people are gathered with those they followed—and with whatever they worshipped. “[The angels will be told:] Gather the wrongdoers with their counterparts, and whatever they used to worship.” (Qur’an 37:22) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain… “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” (Matthew 4:9–10, NIV) A warning in the story of the calf "In the absence of Moses, his people made from their jewellery a calf—an image that lowed. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the right path? Yet they took it as a god and became wrongdoers." (Qur’an 7:148) Many overlook that the text says the calf made a sound—it “lowed.” In another lecture, Aba al-Sadiq suggests the maker “drew on Gabriel’s power.” Whether one accepts that reading, or sees the sound as a trick or a misperception, the effect was the same: the community was drawn into misplaced devotion. It is another example of an image tied to a sense of real—even supernatural—force. We know how the story ends. We are often amazed by wonders, but we rarely consider the consequences. “And if Allah had willed, He could have made you one nation; but He sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.” (Qur’an 16:93) Although it is not true that all of them have power, some do, which you can see in more detail in the lecture by Aba al-Sadiq. Then we can better understand the difference between worship that is mediated by God and worship that is not. From Healing Sign to Broken Idol: Nehushtan’s Lesson In the lecture He gave us the example of the snake, that some Christians relate it to the cross. The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. This happens after the Israelites complained in the wilderness and were bitten by “fiery serpents”. (Numbers 21:8–9) Name & meaning: Later the bronze serpent is called Nehushtan . “He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)” (2 Kings 18:4)  Most scholars read this as a dismissive nickname meaning “a piece of bronze” (from neḥoshet  = bronze), playing on naḥash  = serpent. Why a serpent? In the ancient Near East, serpents often symbolised healing and protection (compare the later Greco-Roman staff of Asclepius). The point, however, was never the object’s power, but God’s mercy. The lesson. Over time, people can misplace devotion—directing it to an object rather than to God. That is why Hezekiah later broke the serpent: a reminder that signs may help for a moment, but they must not become our focus. We have to distinguish between using a symbol and worshipping a symbol, and avoid treating it as a substitute for God. Sign, Spirit, and Prudence As Aba al-Sadiq explained (drawing on the Perfect Sermon, Asclepius XXIV), some traditions hold that certain images can “receive spirit,” appear in dreams, give warnings, and—by God’s permission—bring comfort or lift sorrow when fitting. Scripture holds a real tension: on the one hand, God commands images as signs (e.g., the cherubim over the Ark, Exodus 25:18–22 ); on the other, He forbids worshipping them or any part of creation. It is wise to describe any “agency” with care. In some Christian settings, custodians have treated objects as empowered or “active” until a rite of release/deconsecration is performed; practices vary from veiling or defacing faces (to prevent misdirected devotion) to stricter removal. By contrast, some Shi‘a contexts allow broader devotional use within bounds. The common point is intention: the sign must point to God without replacing Him. It is also true that, in appearance, certain circles can seem to venerate the statuette more than God. This calls for prudence because the Bible and the Qur’an forbid worship of created things. The classic distinction helps: to venerate a sign that points to God is not to worship it; but when attention fixes on the object, the sign becomes a stumbling block. Other reports from around the world It isn’t only in one place that such signs are reported. Delhi, 1995 — the “Milk Miracle”. Thousands said that a spoonful of milk held to a Ganesha idol “disappeared,” as if the idol drank. Investigators proposed capillary action and surface tension; devotees focused on prayer, generosity, and remembrance of God. Manchester, 2013 — the rotating Neb-Senu statuette.In the first-floor Egyptian galleries at Manchester Museum, a small Middle Kingdom statuette (Neb-Senu, c. 1800 BCE) appeared to turn by itself in its case (caught on time-lapse) appeared to turn by itself inside a sealed, wall-mounted display case. Staff captured the motion on time-lapse video and noted that the case was locked and positioned within the gallery rather than near an entrance, making drafts unlikely. Long-time staff also remarked that in all the years the object had been on similar surfaces, no one had ever seen it move before—2013 was the first recorded instance.  In ancient Egypt, such figures could function as backup vessels  if the mummy was damaged—highlighting how objects were once imagined to “stand in” for a person. Egypt — luminous apparitions and myrrh icons. From 1968–71 in Zeitoun (Cairo) and again in 2000–01 in Assiut, very large mixed crowds reported luminous figures over Coptic churches. Contemporary accounts describe tens of thousands on peak nights and, over the months, hundreds of thousands of witnesses in total. Observers included Coptic Orthodox and other Christians, Muslims, and people of no stated faith. Separately, some churches have reported icons exuding oil/myrrh. Whether read as grace or as misunderstood natural effects, these accounts prompted prayer, repentance, and charity. Pop-culture and ritual “feeding”. The Annabelle/Raggedy Ann doll popularised claims of objects that move or harm; and in Afro-Atlantic traditions with Yoruba roots, consecrated fundamentos/otanes are treated as living and ritually fed. Not every report is supernatural; many have natural explanations. Taken together, however, they show why people still speak of “living images.” Why revisit these accounts now? Since Aba Al-Sadiq has been speaking about this possibility as real, revisiting these accounts makes sense. Natural explanations often exist, and we should examine them more carefully. We must resist confirmation bias—seeking only what supports our view—and we must not ignore Scripture cited in the lecture. The safe centre is clear: if a sign does anything, it is only by God’s permission; the sign must lead us back to Him. “If Allah had willed, He could have made you one nation; but He sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.” (Qur’an 16:93)  From Staffs and Serpents to Right Worship "So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs." (Exodus 7:10–12)  Rabbinic commentaries deepen the point. Shemot Rabbah 3:12 recounts the first sign given to Moses (Exodus 4), when the staff became a serpent and Moses recoiled in fear. Shemot Rabbah 8:3 says the staff bore the Divine Name and was passed down from the patriarchs—its “power” derived from God, not from wood or magic. Some midrashim even link the staff to creation, underscoring that the sign’s authority is borrowed, not inherent. The Qur’an echoes this logic of permission : “I fashion for you out of clay the form of a bird; I breathe into it and it becomes a bird—by Allah’s permission.” (Qur’an 3:49) Such passages do not invite us to argue abstractly about the “power” of objects; they teach discernment: what matters is who authorises, what it points to and where it leads. Conclusion — Sign over Spectacle Object-focused piety sits close to what many would call magic. The message is the same in Scripture: when a sign becomes the center, it must be broken, like Nehushtan. When a sign points beyond itself, it serves. We can spend our wealth, faith and strength on creation, or we can embrace the Creator, who alone grants power to His creation. The Niñopa shows how love translates into lullabies, meals, rosaries, and Masses; prudence asks where our final devotion rests. Scripture is plain: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other." (Matthew 6:24) From the Ahmadi Religion of peace and Light's perspective, God’s guidance is living—the Mahdi foretold by earlier prophets, from Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The wisest investment of our time and resources is in the Living Guidance God sends, not in objects. Venerating statues for favours can tether our hearts to the visible world; worshipping God turns signs into pathways, not pitfalls. God discloses hidden things through His messengers; this re-orients us from chasing marvels to walking in His enduring covenant with humanity. To love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul is to seek not merely daily comforts but true illumination—and to give our admiration and gratitude where they are due. "Ensouling Statues" Lecture from the Hall of Mysteries series by the Qaim Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem.

December 2025 saw a new and incredible phenomenon sweep across the globe. Several major cities around the world had people fulfil a little known prophecy which bodes well for the times we are living in.  Abi Baseer narrated that Aba Abdillah said: So he (meaning Ali ibn abi Talib) said to Al-Hassan: “My son, the people have to reach a specific time, and verily this banner will not be spread after me except by the Qaim.” (Kitab Al-Ghayba, Al-Numani, Vol. 1, p. 317) The banner is the banner of the Ahlul Bayt: the Banner of Truth. The Black Banner, which says on it, “Allegiance is to God.” This is the banner which nobody has raised except Abdullah Hashem since Ali ibn Abi Talib raised it in Basra, where it was last seen. First raised by Abdullah Hashem in 2015, this banner has played a vital role in distinguishing the movement which Abdullah Hashem has pushed forward to the world and stood firmly doing so, despite all kinds of attacks and scrutiny. In December, the true month of Ramadan, Abdullah Hashem announced an instruction to his followers in a group of his supporters: “The obligation for the fasting in the month of Ramadan has not yet come. In the life of the prophet Mohammed (sawas), it was only in the 2nd year of Hijra that the verse came down concerning the obligation to fast in Ramadan, so that was after 13 years in Mecca and two in Medina. Meaning 15 years into the announcement of the religion of Islam. Why? Because the establishment of a state was much more important than the fasting of a month. The concept of having enabled prophet Mohammed (sawas) as a divinely appointed leader had to come first before rituals. And for that same logic and reason, God has not yet commanded me to make fasting obligatory for you all. When that changes, I will announce it. And so this December is Ramadan, but the obligation to fast and the commandment from God has not yet come. And instead, you all have the obligation to work your hardest to educate the people that they must fast from electing other than the caliph of God... to abstain and fast from elections. And you have an obligation to be messengers to mankind, like the disciples of Christ were to him. You are expected to invite people to this call, and awaken mankind during this month of Ramadan. I want you to abstain from excessive spending and instead of that, help give to this dawa and cause or help feed the orphans and clothe them. And the widow, and the poor! And fight and fight and fight. This jihad of ours, this ideological jihad to spread the concept of the supremacy of God. This is much better for you at this time. You are the only ones on planet earth whose fast is accepted when you fast, and you are counted as someone who fasted even when you didn't. For verily everything goes back to its Jewel and essence, and you and the supremacy of God is the essence of faith and religion.”   Aba Al-Sadiq's instructions were clear. He gave a command and those who heard, obeyed and carried out his instructions. “Love one another and spread this call. Fight to awaken the people like your life depends on it.” As such, we witnessed a wave of marches and missionary works in many countries all over the world, united by their love for humanity and the importance of the message on the banner binding them in belief and loyalty to God. Believers from each country organised themselves and gathered at a meeting point in their respective countries, with the very same objective in mind: to raise awareness of the message of the Riser of the family of Mohammed, Abdullah Hashem. Allegiance is only to Allah, and this literally means that nobody has a right to rule over the people except the one appointed by God. So, any process of selecting a leader who is not appointed by God through some form of clear and direct appointment method must be rejected and replaced with the divine decree for leadership. This means that the only person who has a right to sit in a position of authority over the people must have a clear indication to show that God has approved him and appointed him to that position. Abdullah Hashem was clearly declared by the Prophet Mohammed in his final will and testament left on the day he passed away. No other Abdullah, since this document was written and witnessed by Salman, Abu Dhar, and Miqdad, has ever come forward to proclaim himself as the Abdullah mentioned in this document. With that being said, the believers who accepted his claims and pledged their allegiance to him took his instructions as a commandment for the month of Ramadan, and in a manner befitting the message to humanity from God coordinated themselves with a series of black banner led marches starting in Germany on the 11th of December. There were many other works carried out in December which we will mention, but not in great detail like feeding the poor, providing clothing to the needy or distributing leaflets and posting stickers. Germany Essen : On Thursday the 11th of December 2025, Germany became the first country in the world to have the black banners of “Allegiance is to Allah” raised, during the month of Ramadan of 2025, publicly in a march which lasted exactly one hour in the city of Essen, from 15:30 to 16:30 local time. Hamburg: On the 20th, 28th, and 29th of December, three of the believers in Hamburg distributed food and clothing to the homeless. Essen, Germany Malaysia  Sepang, Malaysia Kedah: Between the 7th and the 12th of December, two believers took to distributing posters and leaflets in streets. Petaling Jaya: On the 12th of December, four believers raised flags and distributed leaflets at Sunway Pyramid Mall. Sepang: On the 13th of December three believers raised flags and distributed leaflets. Gambak to Ampang: On the 23rd of December, twenty three believers gathered and drove their cars in convoy  with black banners raised from the windows. Some of the cars also had advertising banners  for the Mahdi and his call attached to the passenger doors on the side of the cars. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang, Selangor: On the 29th of December two believers raised and waved the black banner of ‘Allegiance is to Allah’ outside the airport. Trinidad and Tobago  Port of Spain: On the 13th of December, five spirited believers did some missionary work inspired by the advice by Aba Al-Sadiq to go out in Ramadan. Since God has not revealed the obligation of fasting yet, they acted on the command to feed the poor and proclaim the supremacy of God to the people. So these five did that by providing meals for the people in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. Port of Spain : On the 20th of December, ten dedicated believers boldly stepped forward, armed with a megaphone for impassioned speeches. They streamed the event live on TikTok, ensuring the message resonated far beyond the streets. Banners and signs were proudly waved high, while brochures were distributed to those drawn in by their efforts. The response from the public was overwhelmingly positive and engaging. Brochures were eagerly accepted by those intrigued, and encounters with individuals who had previously received “The Mahdi’s Manifesto” revealed glowing feedback, giving testimonies of how their lives were touched and perspectives altered. Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago Canada Toronto : On the 14th of December 2025, five members went out to raise awareness of the Mahdi’s revolution shouting slogans like “The Mahdi has Appeared,” “Return to God's choice!,” “Only God can choose a leader!” and “Do not Vote for leaders!” with their   black banners held high. They were met with all kinds of questions like, who's this man? And why the black banner? A lot of people recorded videos and took pictures of this initiative. It was very busy due to the location, near the TMU (Toronto Metropolitan University) subway, at the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street. On that day, they handed out leaflets, fifty copies of “The Mahdi’s Manifesto,” candy, and hotdogs. On the 19th, a family of four believers went out by the City Hall of Toronto and handed out chocolate and cookies while interacting with many of the less fortunate people. They met with “Hope On Wheels” (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Hyundai Motor America in 1998), and they handed out clothing and food, as well as hot tea and coffee. These endeavours are very typical of the believers in Canada, they are regularly involved in engaging the public and no doubt their efforts will continue and increase in 2026. Toronto, Canada Singapore Lion City : On the same day, the 14th of December, believers in Singapore conducted activities in the centre of Lion City. Their efforts included distributing posters and leaflets while raising the black banners in urban areas. India  Mumbai : On the 15th of December, a group of eleven members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light gathered at the Gateway of India, one of Mumbai's most iconic and lively public landmarks, displaying banners and posters highlighting the shared truths across different religions, proclaiming that “Allegiance is to Allah.” Many individuals from various religious communities reacted with hope and encouragement upon hearing that the message included respect for figures like Prophet Mohammed and Lord Krishna. This was an extremely blessed demonstration of the principle of “humanity above religion.” Mumbai : On the 16th of December, outside Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s house, eleven devoted believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light gathered not in protest, but in peaceful proclamation, raising banners that declared “Allegiance is to God.” As the believers stood resolute, a Punjabi artist and YouTube creator approached, intrigued by their banners, snapping photos and requesting an email address to share his posts. His enthusiasm underscores how this call transcends boundaries, inspiring creative minds to amplify the voice of unity in the digital age. A police officer also approached the group, his initial scrutiny giving way to curiosity and then approval, saying: “Do it! You guys are doing an amazing job, and no one will stop you.” In a nation where faith-based gatherings often face hurdles, this endorsement from law enforcement highlights the purity and power of the Mahdi’s message, even police officers recognise it as a force for good. Mumbai, India Nigeria   Abuja, Nigeria Abuja : On Wednesday the 15th of December, four members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light reached out to the public at Life Camp Junction in Abuja displaying the banner of  "Allegiance is to Allah" and distributing leaflets while addressing passersby. They used a microphone to speak about the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, including references to the arrival of the Mahdi, and invited people to learn more about the call. Several individuals stopped to engage in one-on-one conversations with the group. The organisers focused on raising awareness of the banner's message in a prominent public location in Nigeria's capital. Using the microphone amplified their voices in the bustling area, generating significant attention from locals and commuters. The group presented proofs related to the call of the Mahdi Aba Al-Sadiq, appealing to a diverse crowd passing through the junction. Several passersby expressed interest, pausing to listen and discuss the message further. Bangladesh  Dakha : On Tuesday, December 16th, in the South Plaza area of the Parliament Building, and on the occasion of the great Victory Day of Bangladesh, a peaceful invitation rally was held in front of the National Parliament Building in the capital, Dhaka, with the black banners proudly on display. Several believers in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light from different districts of the country participated in the rally. A large number of people gathered in the Parliament Building area from different areas of the capital, Dhaka, and surrounding areas on the occasion of the great Victory Day. The rally ended with a brief discussion and speech at the main gate of the South Plaza. Speakers emphasized the unity of humanity, avoidance of violence, morality, and peaceful coexistence. They said that humanity needs a just and divine leadership system that goes beyond the conventional election-centric political system, and that instead of a man-made political system, only loyalty to the leadership chosen by Allah can lead humanity to the path of justice, unity, and lasting peace. Dhaka: On the 27th of December several of the believers gathered with the aim of feeding the poor and leafleting. Dhaka, Bangladesh Ivory Coast Abijan: The 16th of December saw a sole champion go out onto the streets to spread the message of the divine call to the supremacy of God. He distributed leaflets and put stickers on walls to raise awareness. United Kingdom Liverpool : The 16th of December saw an awesome gathering that sent a seismic spiritual shockwave out into the universe, as His Holy Eminence, the Qaim Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem, led almost 400 devoted companions in the largest gathering of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light to date. This monumental event marked a triumph for the call to the Supremacy of God as the streets echoed with the resonant chant of "Aba Al-Sadiq." Liverpool, UK London : On the 23rd of December, a group of thirteen believers from the UK gathered in London’s Southbank to inform the British public that the Saviour of Mankind and Riser of the Family of Mohammed is here. They chose to gather in a busy area near Waterloo Station during the Christmas period to spread the message. The group travelled from all over the UK carrying the black banner of the Mahdi of “Allegiance is to Allah” as they brought the message of the supremacy of God to the people of London. They set up a table and announced to the people passing that the Mahdi and Saviour of mankind is here. Using a megaphone, they preached about humanity first, that no one has the right to appoint a leader except for God, and highlighted the fact that current injustice and inequality are the result of following leaders other than the one chosen by God. Throughout the afternoon, members of the group distributed leaflets and held conversations with members of the public about corruption, inequality, and social decline, and spoke about divine leadership as an alternative to man-made systems. They also played lectures from Aba Al-Sadiq over a loudspeaker to the people passing by and livestreamed the event over TikTok. According to the participants, the public response was largely curious and engaged. Many flyers were taken by teenagers and young people, and the raising of the black banners drew attention, with several passersby stopping to take photos and videos. London, UK Zambia Central Provence: On the 18th of December, seven believers in the faith went out to proclaim the call of the Mahdi to the people of Zambia. One of the brothers there has taken it upon himself to establish a centre with the name “ The School of the Qaim of Mohammed. ” He has committed to dedicating this endeavour to preach the message of Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem. Thailand  Bangkok : On December the 20th, fifteen believers gathered at Bangkok's iconic Siam Paragon mall, a symbol of modern Thai commerce and culture. The group, comprising individuals from diverse walks of life aged 24 to 74, initially intended to march directly into the mall. The participants were redirected by security personnel, adapting seamlessly to proceed outside and within the surrounding area. Undeterred, they distributed informational leaflets to passersby, sparking genuine curiosity among onlookers. The black banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” was clearly on display. Several individuals engaged with the believers, expressing interest in learning more about the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light's teachings on spiritual renewal and divine justice. Bangkok, Thailand Philippines Pagadian City: On the 20th of December, sixteen believers took to the streets in Pagadian City. They marched from Plaza City Hall to Boulevard for 30 minutes, escorted by two Police patrol cars for the entire route. The banner of the Ahlul Bayt written “Allegiance is to God” was raised high. The police escort was provided under the permission of the Mayor of the Pagadian City. The believers handed out flowers to the people in the street and to drivers who were waiting for passengers, street food vendors, even people inside their cars and all were happy to receive. Flowers were used as symbols, Red for love and yellow for hope. Balloons were also used to symbolise the colours of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, black and yellow. The name and picture of Aba Al-Sadiq was attached along with the QR code for the AROPL website. Some children in the street of Pagadian City were captivated by the presence during this march and some of the believers gave out pieces of candy making them smile. This wonderful display of love and peace brought joy to many in the name of the black banner of “Allegiance is to Allah.”   Indonesia  West Kalimantan : On the 20th of December, nine devoted believers took to the streets with unwavering faith, waving the banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” high while distributing informative materials. They boldly called passersby to embrace God's Supremacy and reject worldly oppression and elections. Pontianak: On the 20th of December, eight believers declared their faith openly raising flags and banners on the streets. Pontianak, Indonesia Jakarta: On the 29th of December, six of the believers gathered and distributed posters and leaflets. They raised flags and banners while conducting dawah on the streets. Jakarta, Indonesia Belgium Liège: On the 20th December three believers took to the streets with banners and leaflets, they left them on car windshields and spoke to passersby about the supremacy of God. One of the believers, a refugee from Palestine, was amazed at his ability to speak to people freely on the streets in Belgium about the Mahdi while in Palestine he is prohibited from doing the same. Serbia Belgrade: On the 20th of December, eight believers started marching from Kalemegdan Fortress in Belgrade and continued to the Republic Square in the centre of Belgrade. They had banners of “Allegiance is to Allah” on display along with several placards displaying pictures of the Mahdi Aba Al-Sadiq and declaring the Mahdi Revolution.  Belgrade, Serbia Ethiopia  Addis Ababa: On the 21st of December, nine believers went to a building 100m away from the town municipal administration office where they held a meeting that day. There were many militias out, a heavy police and federal police presence and the road was closed for a conference on Gender Studies in Ethiopia. The believers went up the building and   raised the banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” and went back out to the main square in the town chanting “Labayk ya Aba Al-Sadiq.” Intrigued people stopped by to ask what they were doing and why. On the 29th of December, the believers gathered again in the capital to raise awareness about the call, they raised the banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” once again attracting attention to their belief in the Mahdi. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia France Paris : On the 23rd of December eight believers started a march at 10 am from Place de la République to The Trocadéro  where they reached around 4 p.m . They marched with approval from the police and, as such, were accompanied by police. Two big banners and several placards were displayed throughout the march. On the 24th of December the same believers took to leafleting churches, they distributed one thousand leaflets and hundreds of stickers. Paris, France Denmark Copenhagen : On the 23rd of December, the city centre of the capital saw the black banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” raised by four believers who marched on to Nørrebro while declaring to the people that the Mahdi has Appeared. A loud speaker was used to play songs about Aba Al-Sadiq, and one of the believers in attendance addressed the people on the concept of the supremacy of God, that only God has the right to appoint leaders over humanity and how the leader He chose today is Aba Al-Sadiq. Copenhagen, Denmark Pakistan Khanewal: On the 25th of December, the birthday of Jesus, four believers went to the local Shia Imambargah (congregation hall) where they spoke with the committee leaders and informed them of their intention to raise the banner of Ahlul Bayt on the flag/banner tower.  The committee leaders refused on safety grounds insisting that their trained staff will have to put it up to ensure safety for all. So the  committee members raised the banner  themselves. This was filmed by the believers using a drone and the footage  is available for all to see. They also launched balloons which had cards on them advertising The Mahdi has Appeared channel on YouTube. Khanewal, Pakistan Islamabad: On the 27th of December ten believers took to the streets of the capital and raised the black banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” while proclaiming their faith in the Mahdi and the supremacy of God. Islamabad, Pakistan Poland  Warsaw : On the 26th of December a diverse group of sixteen believers (hailing from Azerbaijani, Thai, Jordanian, and Polish origins) gathered at the historic Castle Square for a powerful march proclaiming the divine call. United as followers of the Qaim Aba Al-Sadiq, the participants chanted resonant slogans in English, Polish, Azerbaijani, and Turkish: “Jesus has sent a messenger; the promised savior has come.” The black banner of “Allegiance is to Allah” was clearly displayed. The event drew media attention, with participants interviewed by a prominent and popular YouTube channel  boasting over 250,000 subscribers, which swiftly uploaded the coverage, amplifying the message to a vast audience. Informational booklets about the faith were distributed to those present, sowing seeds of curiosity and reflection in the heart of Warsaw.  Warsaw, Poland Spain Malaga: On the 8th of December a seventyt-three year old believer from Thailand residing in Malaga went out alone to deliver the message that the saviour is here in his area. He put up posters of the dawah all over the area where he lives. Zaragoza: On the 15th of December, a family of five believers went out to the area where they live to put up posters advertising the call of the Mahdi. Madrid: On the 27th of December, thirty four believers from all over Spain got together and went out calling for peace and humanity first, telling people about the solution that they have found for establishing peace, harmony, equity and abundance for all, which is the supremacy of Allah. These thirty-four believers are from different places in Spain, some took eight hours or more to reach there, and for most of them it was the first time they met each other. One of the most beautiful things about this march is that it had people from different ages and different nationalities. People from Thailand, Colombia, Spain, Argelia, Africa and Azerbaijan, all gathered with their different cultures and different languages, yet they still managed to come together deciding that they were not going to go out and talk about the supremacy of Allah and leave anyone behind. It started at 11 a.m. and ended around 2 p.m. It was all meticulously organised, each person knowing who was going to print what, what they were going to speak about, who was going to talk, who was in charge of security, who was in charge of the sandwiches, who was in charge of the money; everybody had a role and everybody did as expected. It was really beautiful because the love was clearly visible for all to see, they had only love for each other, peace in the meeting. The black banner of the Mahdi was raised high that day. They marched with the principles of Aba Al-Sadiq which they embodied in their conduct that day. Madrid, Spain Turkey Antalya: On the 25th of December, the believers in Turkey submitted an official application to the Turkish state dated 25.12.2025 with petition number 14994. The purpose for this measure was to ensure that they were not violating any local laws for their intentions to peacefully declare their religious beliefs to the public. However, the state authorities of Turkey did not grant permission. In an official response letter dated 26.12.2025, it was stated that the request was rejected with the expression: “Your request was deemed inappropriate as it was considered risky in terms of security.” Subsequently, on the 27th of December, fifteen believers gathered in a closed office belonging to one of them in the Alanya district of Antalya province and declared their religious beliefs. During this gathering, they stated that Aba Al-Sadiq is the promised saviour, displayed banners proclaiming the “Humanity comes before Religion” mantra. After declaring their beliefs, the believers addressed the public and questioned the security-based rejection of their request by stating: “You rejected our declaration on security grounds, what was dangerous here?” Antalya, Turkey Tunisia Gabès: On the 28th of December four believers took to the streets to invite people to learn about the call of the Mahdi armed with simple printouts of images taken from the literature available on the official website. Tunis: On the 30th of December a new believer courageously took it upon himself to go out on his own and to spread the word using hand written messages which he distributed on cars and sellotaped to walls and poles.  Gabès , Tunisia United States NYC : On the 29th of December seven dedicated believers from across the United States gathered in Manhattan for a three-hour march transforming the streets into a stage for divine truth. A digital billboard truck was also employed to amplify the call far and wide. They generally waved flags, chanted through megaphones, and broadcast lectures on religious corruption; the group openly declared the appearance of the Mahdi, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq. Approximately 200 leaflets reached a diverse group of nationalities and backgrounds, with many onlookers pausing in curiosity amid the city's relentless pace. At the Rockefeller Center, unified chants drew crowds, while Times Square witnessed flags waving high, proclaiming “Allegiance is to Allah” with the black banner raised with pride. The believers walked the streets boldly, proclaiming the call without hesitation. With the Mahdi Abdullah Hashem at the helm of this divine call, we can see that the believers are inspired to proclaim the truth without any fear or hesitation and with total pride and compassion. The truth that only God can appoint a ruler. The Supremacy of God in the face of the supremacy of the people. No other religious body on Earth carries this message with such vigour and passion. No other religion can rival this message with any rational argument.  Mainstream religion is dead but the True Religion of God is alive and 2026 will prove this further.

The 23rd of January commemorates the end of the occultation of the twelfth Imam from the family of Mohammed, Mohammed ibn Al-Hassan Al-Askary and only Aba Al-Sadiq stood on a public platform to declare to the world the beginning of a new chapter for mankind in 2015, when the prophecy from the Prophet Mohammed came true with the death of King Abdullah of "Hijaz" or Saudi Arabia. To celebrate this day with deep significance, on the 11th anniversary of this historic moment, the most important document to ever be recorded was brought to the attention of the world by the Qa’im (Riser) Aba Al-Sadiq. The prophet Mohammed described his Holy Will and Testament as: “...a document after which you would never go astray.” (Sahih Muslim, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Naysaburi, Book 25, Hadith 30) “...a writing after which you will not go astray," (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah, Hadith 7366) “...a statement after which you will not go astray.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Al-Bukhari, Book of Patients, Hadith 5669) The common thread is that this document prevents those who hold on to it from going astray. This document was brought to prominence by Ahmed Al-Hassan in 1999, when he declared that he was the “Ahmed” mentioned in this Holy document, and thus through him ‘Allegiance to Allah’ is established. Allegiance to anyone or anything else is polytheism. This very claim was repeated by Abdullah Hashem publicly in 2015 when he declared to the world that he is the “Abdullah” mentioned in this Holy Will. On the 23rd of January 2026, the 11th anniversary of the appearance, Aba Al-Sadiq gave a sermon  in the Holy Basilica at the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in which he addressed the people of the world. He mentioned the betrayals of the past and he also highlighted the warnings given in the past and the resulting punishment after the people rejected these warnings. When Ahmed Al-Hassan warned the people of Iraq not to enact polytheism by obeying those not established by God to rule over them, they rejected him and obeyed their scholars and clerics who encouraged them to elect their leaders. The result of their choices was their destruction and humiliation in front of the entire world since 2003.  Aba Al-Sadiq renewed his warnings which he gave in 2023 about imminent punishments and those came to pass. He then directed a stern warning to the Persians and the Arabs and prophesied their destruction at the hands of the United States and Israel in the very near future. With the recent goings on in Iran and the political rhetoric directed at this country, it is clear that what the Riser has warned about is on the verge of coming to pass. The skeptics should take note and pay attention. As the proofs are established upon the people and they become more recognised, this leaves no excuse to reject the merits of this holiest of calls through ignorance or, as we see from the deeply indoctrinated, arrogance. “God has turned his face from them and no longer considers them to be the ummah of Mohammed, the true chosen people of God, but rather God's chosen people are those who uphold the Will of Mohammed. That's why Mohammed and his family said 'with the Qa’im are very few Arabs' and the prophet Mohammed (saw) said 'may God curse Kusrow, the Shah of Persia verily the first of the people to be destroyed is Persia and then the Arabs' and that's what you see coming to pass today. Persia is about to be destroyed and tomorrow after that will be the Arabs. So today I have conveyed what I was commanded to convey. I have reminded you of the covenant and I have recited to you the will. I have named the proof of God upon you and I have warned you of the consequences of turning away.” (Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem, A Global Address by the Mahdi Aba Al-Sadiq on the 11th Anniversary of the Appearance ) May God have mercy on us all in the coming tribulations which the world will bear witness to over the coming years, for the prophesied flood of blood is coming and there will be no escape apart from the Ark of Salvation established by the Proof of God, who is walking and talking to the Earth clearly and without fear.

Picture a handful of ordinary people gathering from the four corners of the earth, flawed as we all are—riddled with scars and everyday troubles—standing shoulder to shoulder in defiance of a world that scoffs at them. They are short, tall, chubby or skinny. Some have red, brown, blonde or purple hair, while others have tattoos and piercings. Most of the men have beards, long hair and wear black beanies. We are all gathered not far from London, UK. No, we are not anarchists, not punks either, but revolutionaries, yes, we are. Our faith is our weapon. Our love for truth is our garment. Our loyalty is our boots. We call ourselves a family, we are the army of the Mahdi. The Mahdi? Is it not supposed to be an Islamic figure conquering the world by force and Sharia law with a strong and powerful army? According to mainstream Muslims, we don’t exactly fit the bill. Why do they have all these kids around? Why do their women not wear hijab? Why do they all wear black beanies? Why don’t they speak Arabic and pray and walk in battalions? Why are they so nice, kind and patient? Where are their swords and horses? That's what you hear Muslims asking in the comments on social media. Yet here we are, the companions of the Mahdi, just humble human beings. Humble enough to have recognised the truth, accepted it and followed it, no matter what the whole world would think of it and of us. Despite our faults and flaws, we pledged our hearts to God’s chosen leader, the Mahdi, even as the rest of the globe, especially the Muslim world, turned away from him in disdain. And that is exactly what makes us the strongest, bravest, purest and most perfect supporters. Our perfection lies in our loyal stance, will and determination. We have no armour, but our hearts are like iron. When God has sent His messenger and asked for support, we are the only ones who responded “present” and carried with him the weight of the path and the cross, for over 10 years now. We are lovers of humanity. Are we delusional? Are we just a band of dreamers? Are we just a bunch of rejects that tempted our Lord into an unrealistic mission? No. We are the unexpected, unapologetic, yet truthful manifestation and fulfillment of hundreds of years-old prophecies. We are a living promise, a prophecy becoming alive, echoing through time like the faint heartbeat of hope in a cynical age. The Mahdi and his companions won’t storm capitals with sabers and “Allahu-akbar suicide squads.” No, our victory will be much gentler and deeper: a takeover of hearts, one quiet act at a time. Every day is a battle for us, a battle where our victory lies in the growing number of human beings hearing the call, and a battle where every minute and interaction counts. Every moment is an opportunity to love, share and kill inequality and selfishness. We preach and we live what we preach. We live by example, and that is exactly how we are going to conquer the whole world. “Our religion will conquer the world. It definitely will.” (Aba Al-Sadiq, Abdullah Hashem) We’ve seen the failures of the mighty throughout time. Great nations, bloated with wealth and power, promise a better tomorrow, but only deliver despair. Poverty festers in gleaming cities, where skyscrapers mock the homeless huddled below. When palaces and cathedrals rebuke (even in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City) the most vulnerable, leaving them to sleep on the cold pavement. When the Muslim sheikhs and Marjas and other pseudo-Muslim royal families befriend their enemies and leave their brothers in faith being massacred and starved to death next door. Inequality yawns like a chasm, swallowing dreams while CEOs toast record profits and plan for more profit and more misery over the population of entire nations. Loneliness and depression shadow boardrooms and bedrooms alike, a thief stealing joy from the young and old. Cooperation? A relic, buried under nationalism’s rubble. Care? Diluted into hashtags and humanitarian trips transformed into holidays and selfies. Selfishness reigns supreme, each soul an island in a sea of isolation and desolation. But what if the Mahdi’s way flips the script? Imagine a planet where poverty doesn’t just get patched up with handouts, but erased through genuine care—where the rich share tables with the ragged, not out of pity, but humanity. Where inequality crumbles not under protests, but under the weight of shared burdens lifted together. What if the conquest is not by the sword, but by the good word? Enough of the old way of the army of the mean Serpent, it’s time to throw away the “I-me-mine” and repent. Time has come for the Will of the Lord to finally be respected and honoured. The Mahdi's followers don’t preach from pulpits of perfection; they live it, flaws and all. We show it’s possible to coexist—not just tolerate, but thrive together. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, all under one banner of truth and peace, proving harmony isn’t a fairy tale. We tackle what titans couldn’t. No race, no colour, no clan, no borders, no cultures, no social or economic class; everybody is part of the hive, equal and precious. One body. One heart. One mind. One King. The truth that dwells in the hearts of the believers, manifesting itself and embodied in a man as the perfect leader: selfless, merciful, determined, good, wise, noble and legitimate. It has now been 11 years that our movement grows in number and success, prophecies fulfilled one after the other, battles against the calumniators, the haters, the corrupt governments and the envious religious institutions without any flaws. I am not talking about a miracle of fish and bread being multiplied on one occasion, but hundreds of families fed and sheltered and dedicated to and enlightened on a daily basis for over a decade. This is the real miracle, and this is just the beginning. In the frenzy for dominance—wars, elections, and viral outrage—the world has forgotten the power of the meek. But didn’t Christ say: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 5) The Mahdi’s army conquers by vulnerability, because through the cracks the light shines forth. Loving fiercely when rejected, being patient when insulted and shouted at, forgiving when wronged, putting the other first, building when others burn, uniting when others divide, that's what a true soldier of the Mahdi's army does. We inherit the earth not by force, but by becoming the earth others long to call home. As the prophets all foretold, truth shines brightest in the humble vessel. While empires clash, these quiet revolutionaries rewrite the future—one heart, one helping hand at a time. It might sound fantastical, utopian, unrealistic or naive. We’ve heard this a million times already. But what if the world our forefathers built is the real illusion, with no realistic future? The great majority reject us now, mock us now, ridicule us now, and threaten us now, but watch closely because history has a way of crowning the meek and Jesus promised it. Watch the episode of the new podcast of Aba Al-Sadiq where he goes more in depth about this topic:

A post on the Facebook page of Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq  praised a decision taken by the German government to grant asylum to a member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light on the 24th of January 2026. This historic decision shows that the German authorities recognise the legitimacy of this religion and ergo its leader Aba Al-Sadiq.  With this decision, Germany becomes the sixth country in Europe to recognise the status of the believers and the persecution they face in various Muslim-majority countries. The other European countries to grant asylum to believers of this faith are Latvia, Greece, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom, along with the United States of America, are currently the first countries to grant charitable and tax-exempt status to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light continues to grow and become more established on a global scale—more than those who oppose it may care to acknowledge or accept. These seven Western countries have now made it abundantly clear that the attitudes of numerous Muslim countries—which continue to undermine the credibility of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light—violate their own international commitments to uphold the fundamental human right to freedom of belief. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations in 1948, establishes freedom of belief as a fundamental human right. Article 18 of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, which includes the freedom to change one’s religion or belief and to practice it publicly or privately.