A shopkeeper in Glasgow, Asad allegedly claimed the "status of a prophet" on social media. A man drove all the way from Bradford to murder him for what the murderer later described as blasphemy.
Khalida Shah (wife), Athar Shah (brother), Syed Shah (father), Sadiqa Shah (mother)
Asad Shah, the owner of a convenience store in Glasgow and a member of the Ahmadi religious community, was murdered for alleged claims of prophethood by a man from Bradford in July 2016. The killer, who pleaded guilty, said that such a claim (which has not been verified) was unacceptable blasphemy against Muhammad, who is the final prophet of God according to Islamic scripture. Members of the community mourned his loss, laying flowers at his store and remembering him as a kind and benevolent man.
"He was a brilliant man, recognizing that the differences between people are vastly outweighed by our similarities ... Asad left us a tremendous gift and we must continue to honor that gift by loving and taking care of one another." - statement from Asad's family
Although the reaction to the murder was one of sorrow in Asad’s home, some Islamic religious leaders elsewhere, particularly in Pakistan, reacted rather with jubilation. The perpetrator has fans who revere him for doing what is righteous and continuing the good work of Salman Taseer’s bodyguard. From prison, he has released statements denigrating the Ahmadiyya, calling them heretics and blasphemers. Whether Asad personally claimed prophethood or not, his killer clearly had a motive regardless, as he—along with many fundamentalist Muslims—interpret Ahmadiyya beliefs as rejecting the finality of Muhammad’s prophethood and thus constituting unbelief.
