Mahmud Eriksson, Sweden

Mahmud Eriksson, Sweden

Biography of Saiful-Islam Mahmud Gunnar H. Eriksson (1937 – )

The first Swedish convert to Ahmadiyyat, Saif-ul-Islam Mahmud Eriksson, signed his Bai’at as a young student, only 17 years old. He was later given the title “honorary Missionary” by the second Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad.

The bi-monthly, multilingual magazine Aktiv Islam (Active Islam) was started in 1959 by Saif-ul-Islam Mahmud Gunnar Hugo Eriksson, in Sweden. He was the sole editor of this magazine and wrote most of the articles himself and revised the others. Furthermore he carried all costs himself, so this magazine was never a burden on the Ahmadiyya Jama’at, but an asset in all possible respects.

He wrote several booklets to introduce new converts to Islam and teach how to pray the Islamic prayers. Among his efforts to propagate Ahmadiyyat, were his regular visits to different jails where he spoke to the prisoners.

Mahmud Eriksson was present in Denmark when the third Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, visited Copenhagen on the occation of the inautguration of the first Ahmadiyy mosque in Scandinavia. This he was also present during my Bai’at. He became my mentor and wrote cauntless letters over years to advice, explain and reply to all the questions I had as a new convert.

He visited Norway several times, for example did he visit his friend Noor Ahmad Bølstad in Lakselv in Porsanger in Finnmark, Norway, during the autumn 1971. At that occasion they also drove to a place called Trollholmsund, where this picture was taken. Furthermore he visited the same friend in Oslo somewhere between the autumn1964 and the summer 1967.
Dr. Qanita