Intro
An Ahmadi missionary, Kamal Yousuf tours Denmark in 1956. Kamal Yousaf is named as the regional missionary for Scandinavia, which cover Sweden, Denmark and sometimes more narrowly to the Scandinavian Peninsula, or more broadly to include the Åland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Finland, and Iceland. He worked extensively in Sweden too, see here.
By 2021, there are roughly 600 Ahmadi’s in the country. There are two Ahmadi Muslim mosques, of which one is purpose built. The Nusrat Dhahan Mosque, which lies on the outskirts of Copenhagen, in Hvidovre, is the oldest in the country. The capacity for this place of worship is barely 120. The Baitul Hamd Mosque is in Nakskov, a small town in southern Denmark.
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1956
An Ahmadi missionary, Kamal Yousuf tours Denmark in 1956. Kamal Yousaf is named as the regional missionary for Scandinavia, which cover Sweden, Denmark and sometimes more narrowly to the Scandinavian Peninsula, or more broadly to include the Åland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Finland, and Iceland.
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1957-1959
Some of the earliest Danes to have converted to the Islamic faith were also from the 1950s and the 1960s, and who predominantly converted to the Ahmadiyya movement. Among the converts of that period, estimated at almost 30, was Svend Aage Madsen, a teacher who adopted the name Abdus Salam Madsen. Despite Yousuf’s initial engagement, Islam was introduced in Denmark by converts as opposed to, by foreigners. In other European countries it was foreign missionaries who were chiefly responsible for introducing the religion.
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1961
In 1961, led by Madsen, the then national vice-president of Community, Ahmadi Muslims applied for recognition as a religious community in Denmark by a royal decree. The Community requested for the civil recognition of Islamic marriage ceremonies and funeral services. However, the Ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs rejected the application on the basis of the size of the congregation.
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1964
Ahmadiyya sources tell us that Ahmadi women were asked to pay for the proposed Nusrat Dhahan Mosque, which lies on the outskirts of Copenhagen, in Hvidovre, and would be the first ever mosque of any kind in Denmark.
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1965-1966
In 1966, roughly five days prior to construction, the Hvidovre Municipality revoked its initial permission to construct the mosque. On the other hand, the third caliph of the Community, Mirza Nasir Ahmad was due to arrive in the region, to lay its foundation. The mosque’s architect, John Zachariassen, reported the situation to the then Prime Minister of Denmark, Jens Otto Krag. Krag gave a notice to ignore the municipal decision and to continue with the construction work. The foundation stone was finally laid on May 6, 1966 and the mosque and by Mirza Mubarak Ahmad, the step-brother of the 3rd Khalifa, the construction of which gained widespread media attention.
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1967
Khalifatul Masih III travelled to Europe, leaving Rabwah on 6 July and returning home on 24 August, 1967. The Nusrat Dhahan Mosque was inaugurated a by the 3rd caliph on July 21, 1967. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Danish government. The first translation of the Quran in Danish was also published. The main translator was Abdus Salam Madsen himself, whose publication was the sole translation available to the Danish public for over four decades. Until the late 1980s, Madsen was seen as the leading public figure of Islam in Denmark. On July 28th, he gave a short lecture at Wandworth Town Hall, London. He also visited Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark and England. During his visit to England, he took a break in the Lake District and staggered tourists and the local people with his flawless Oxford accent. In Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, Khalifatul-Masih III inaugurated the first mosque built entirely by the financial contributions of Ahmadi women.
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1973-1974
In 1973, once again led by Madsen, reported that of the 12,000 Muslims in the country, 3,000 to 4,000 of them were associated to the new mosque. However, by this period, royal decree, as form of recognition had been abolished. Nevertheless, a year later, in 1974, the Community was recognized as the first Muslim community of Denmark.
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1982
The 4th Khalifa is touring the Scandinavian countries and stops in Denmark. He meets with Kamal Yousaf, who has been working in these areas for 25+ years, Hamid Karim and Noor Ahmad Bustad.
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1992
The first ever Jalsa Salana is held.
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2005
The 5th Khalifa tours Denmark.
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2006-2008
Mr. Naimatullah Basharat is the Amir and the missionary-in-charge. Usman sahib is a junior Ahmadi murrabi.
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Links and Related Essay’s
Who is Mirza Mubarak Ahmad, the grandson of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ahmadiyya_buildings_and_structures#Denmark
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmadiyya_in_Denmark#CITEREFLewis2015
Lewis, James R. (2015). Handbook of Nordic New Religions
Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosques Around the World – A Pictorical Presentation. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; Khilafat Centenary Edition. 2008. p. 70. ISBN978-1882494514
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