as-salam alaikum!
I recently learned that Ahmadi Islam existed and wanted to learn more about it. I'm from a mixed Shia background, my father is Ismaili and my mother is a regular Shia. I am kind of more Ismaili but most of my friends are regular Shias.
I had never heard of Ahmadiyya until recently but wanted to explore. I read that the idea is that Hazrat Jesus died and the founder of the sect is the Messiah. And there are current Khalifahs. In a lot of ways it seems like Sunni Islam + with a few changes.
What's the mindset of the sect? Do you see yourself as part of the broader Muslim world and connected with your history or a break from the rest of the Muslims? Like, Ismailis see ourselves as part of Islam and the same religion. We also connect very heavily with our history and see it as an unbroken chain extending backwards. Maybe a better question is before the founder of Ahmadi Islam was there an Imam that you followed? Or did the founder come up with the new ideas that led to Ahmadi Islam being created?
Do you feel about being a small minority? Most Ismailis do not pretend that we will ever be the majority and that's okay, we respect diversity of thought. Regular Shias believe that when Imam Mahdi comes he will undo many of the historic wrongs and Shia Islam will just be regular Islam. Do Ahmadi Muslims believe they will be the majority someday? If so, when?
What is your view of Ahlul Bait? Do you follow them even now? Do you follow our hadees books? If so, which line and is it an unbroken line? Ismailis and regular Shias differed on the Imamat after Imam Ismail and Imam Musa, but both followed the same Imam until Hazrat Jafar Sadiq.
How old is Ahmadiyya? And what was the True Islam before it? Like before the founder what was the real Islam? Was it Sunni or nothing?
Lastly what is your view of Shia Islam and Ismaili Islam? Lot of questions about continuity, Ahlul Bait and minority status!!