In 1954 there was an assassination attempt on Mahmood Ahmad. Immediately after having led the Asr prayer, a man attacked him stabbing him twice with a dagger in the neck and in the region of the stomach. He sustained severe injuries but survived. After recovering partially he traveled to Europe for further medical and surgical treatment due to constant discomfort and unease. Briefly staying in Lebanon Mahmood Ahmad travelled to Switzerland via Athens and Rome. He received some medical treatment in Zurich, Hamburg and London, after which it was concluded by experts that the point of the knife had broken at the jugular vein and was embedded in it and that no attempt should be made to extricate it.
During his travels, Mahmood Ahmad had also inspected the various missions of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Europe and also visited Venice and Austria. in London Mahmood Ahmad held a conference of all missionaries stationed in Europe and visited various other European countries such as Italy, Holland, France, Switzerland, Germany,etc.[31]
After having partially recovered he returned to Pakistan. During the early 1960s his health deteriorated progressively and he became seriously ill. He died in Rabwah in 1965 after 52 years as Caliph.
