On Sunday, 2 June 2024, a group of Ahmadi women and girls from Cologne and Bremen, Germany, visited Islamabad, Tilford, UK, and had the honour of an in-person audience with Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^aba, the Worldwide Head and the Fifth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. During the program, the participants were granted the opportunity to ask questions. A young girl asked why there are different religions in the world instead of one.

His Holiness initiated his response by asking about the girl’s education level to gauge her understanding and then proceeded to explain the concept of religious evolution, which parallels human development. He described how human societies have evolved from living in caves to forming complex civilisations, and said that a kind of evolution also took place in religion.

His Holiness elaborated that initially, when human intellect was still developing, Allah provided basic guidance through various Prophets, sent to all the different regions of the world. These Prophets taught the fundamental principles of worshipping the One God and maintaining good morals; however, as the means of communication were limited in those times, each community received guidance tailored to their specific conditions and capabilities.

As societies advanced, communication improved, and people began to interact more with neighbouring regions. His Holiness pointed out that this set the stage for the need for a universal prophet who could address the entire human race with a unified message.

He further explained that while earlier Prophets were sent to specific peoples, such as Prophet Moses^as to the Israelites and Prophet Jesus^as to the lost sheep of Israel, their teachings were meant to prepare humanity for the final, comprehensive message of Islam brought by the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa. His Holiness explained, “When Allah the Almighty saw that mankind had reached a level of intellect where they could understand everything and easily communicate and connect with each other, He sent the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa. All the previous Prophets had foretold that in the Latter Days, a prophet would come who would be for the entire world. Therefore, no other scripture—neither the Torah, the Gospel, nor any other—even claimed that their teachings or prophets were for the entire world. They only stated that they came for their own people.… But in the Holy Quran, the Holy Prophet^sa proclaimed that Allah had sent him as a Bearer of glad tidings and a Warner for the entire world. This prophecy [about the Holy Prophet^sa] had also been made by previous Prophets.” 

His Holiness also said, “Thus, Allah the Almighty spread the teachings of the Holy Prophet^sa throughout the world, who also foretold that, ‘In the Latter Days, when people would start to communicate and connect even more with each other, the Promised Messiah would come. He would preach and convey the teachings of Islam to everyone, and you should accept him.’”

His Holiness emphasised that the advent of the Messiah in the Latter Days, foretold by previous scriptures and the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, was meant to revive true Islamic teachings and gather all Muslims, and indeed all humanity, under the banner of peace and brotherhood. Hence, His Holiness said, “the Promised Messiah^as, taught that Allah had instructed him to unite all Muslims on one faith and to also bring together the people of the rest of the world so that we may worship one God and fulfil each other’s rights. He taught that we should abandon fights and wars, for this can only be achieved when we follow one religion and live as brothers.… We must consider each other’s sentiments and care for one another to truly unite. This is the teaching of Islam.”