Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) was elected to the exalted position of the Khalifa in 1914. In 1939 he completed twenty-five years of his blessed Khalifat. Hazrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (ra) proposed that on this joyful occasion members should, as a token of gratitude to Allah Almighty, collect a large sum and present it to Huzoor (ra) in a special ceremony. A request should be made to Huzoor (ra) to utilize this collection in the service of Islam, or as he deems proper.

Accordingly, this ceremony took place on the occasion of the Annual Conference of December 1939 and is referred to as the Silver Jubilee of the Khilafat. The celebration consisted of speeches by the scholars, a march to the site of the Conference and the illumination of Minarat-ul-Masih. A cheque in the amount of Rs. 270,000 was presented to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) who stated that the collection would be used on wide-ranging religious projects.

The Liwa-e-Ahmadiyyat (Flag of Ahmadiyyat) was adopted and hoisted for the first time by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) on 28 December 1939. The flag is black in color, in the middle of the flag is Minaratul Masih, and on upper two corners are the Crescent and the full Moon in white. The flag is 18 feet long and 9 feet wide.