Hadhrat Musleh Maud (ra) always cherished a special concern for the youth of the movement. It was this concern that led him, as early as 1902, to start a literary organisation for the youngsters called Tasheezul Ahzan and it was this very concern that caused him, in 1920, to express so profoundly his exhortations to the youth in this poem "To the Nation's Youth".

Thus, 10 zealous young men approached Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) seeking permission to form a youth organisation. Huzur readily agreed. This group first met at the house of Sheikh Mahboob Alam Sahib on 31 January 1938. They resolved to do their utmost to defend the institution of Khilafat and the Jama'at in general against any attacks made on it. Four days later, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) names this organisation and so, on 4 February, Khuddamul Ahmadiyya was born.

Huzur, while establishing this organisation, defined the aims of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya as follows:

My idea of establishing this body is that the knowledge which has been acquired by us and safely locked in our hearts must continue to be passed onto the next generation after, and thereafter it must become a continuous cycle so that the world at large may benefit.

During the intial years, the organisation differed from what it is today in the sense that it was restricted. It was restricted in two ways; first in membership, and secondly in terms of the kind of duties undertaken by it. It was limited in terms of membership because it was primarily viewed, by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), as an organisation for the exclusive training of those young men who needed it. This meant that those youths who were sufficiently experienced in discharging responsibilities pertaining to the Jama'at were positively discouraged to become part of this organisation.

However, as the organisation began to grow and develop, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) recognised that it had achieved a stage whereby its benefits could be more widely distributed. Huzur therefore announced on the 26 July 1940 that within the next 15 days it was compulsory for every young man between the ages of 15 and 40 to register himself as a member of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. As a consequence of these instructions, branches of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya were not only formed in all parts of India, but in all parts of the world.

At the outset, Khuddamul Ahmadiyya was primarily a literary organisation. Its programmes, therefore, included such things as the study of the Holy Qur'an, Hadith, Islamic History, Islamic Jurisprudence, and knowledge about Islam and Ahmadiyyat. It was only later that its objectives became more detailed and more comprehensive.

In commenting on a particular work of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya, whereby articles were written defending attacks on the Community, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) stated:

I have seen how hard Khuddam have worked and they have performed very well. At first that were extremely worried and anxious. They obtained books from varous places, consulted many people and wrote drafts upon drafts of the replies they wished to submit for printing but when the final articles were printed they were of an extremely high standard.

In the latter part of 1938, Khuddamul Ahmadiyya issued its  first constitution which included 12 points:

The pledge of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya was first formulated by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II in 1938. It was revised in June 1942, and then, revised again for the final time in 1956: in accordance with the needs and development of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya as it progressed. The main differences, between the pledge we have today and the earlier versions, is that in the latter there was no specific undertaking of an allegience to Khilafat. Another item that was absent in the first two pledges was the sacrifice of time. Earlier pledges stated all things that may be of value to a Khadim, like life, property and honesty, but the precious measure of time was not mentioned. As Khuddam would recognise, particularly in this country; time is certainly a worthy asset to sacrifice for the sake of Allah and its inclusion in the pledge is fully justified

Khuddamul Ahmadiyya organised its first two Ijtemas on the same days as Jalsa Salana. However, by the time of the third Ijtema, it was evident that because Khuddam needed to attend to other duties relating to the Jalsa, it was not practical to hold Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Ijtemas on the same days as a Jalsa Salana. Therefore, from that time onwards: Ijtemas and Jalsas were held on separate dates.

During the first Ijtema - rather than having academic and sporting competitions - there was only one item which was an address by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra). In this address, Huzur established the great responsibility held by the Khuddam and the youth of the movement in the following words:

The success of a nation is dependent on its youth. If the youth of a nation become true custodians of its traditions then that nation can survive for centuries upon centuries. However, if the generations of the future are negligent then a nation can never achieve success, and even the progress it makes can be transformed into failure.

Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) lived for 27 years after the establishment of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. Throughout this period, Huzur very carefully nurtured and moulded Khuddamul Ahmadiyya from its humble beginnings to the formidable force it is today. He did this through numerous speeches and lectures and also by assuming direct control as President of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya from 1948 to 1954. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) took a very personal interest in the development of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya. His guidance was particularly essential during the early years, and it is related that Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) at that time, gave special instructions to his staff: if any official of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya wished to seek advice from him on any matter with respect to Khuddamul Ahmadiyya - he would make himself available at any time. In addition to this, the involvement of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), was much deeper. He did not merely offer advice or give instructions, but led by example and showed by his own actions - how Khuddam should conduct themselves. It is related that Huzur used to present himself for Waqar-e-Amal - he used to arrive, take off his turban, and then with his own hands dig some earth, collect it in a basket and carry it to the appropiate place.

Thus, through the counselling and personal example of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), he showed how a Khadim should behave. It is therefore, our duty and indeed our privilege that we, as members of Khuddamul Ahmadiyya should strive to uphold and live by the teachings of Islam and Ahmadiyyat. Insha'Allah.