The founder of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, the Promised Massih and Imam Mahdi of the Later Days, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian (1835-1908 CE) has had profound spiritual expectations regarding the people who chose to come forward and take the Bai'at- the Covenant of Obedience to God and His Messenger (sa) and the Divine Elect of their times. In his book Kishti Noohu (The Noah's Ark), the Promised Messiah (as) spoke movingly about the vital importance of sincere soul searching and inner purity; righteous conduct and just relations in the abiding quest for the illumination of the heart- to be accepted in the presence of God Almighty. Reproduced below is an extract from the Book where Hazrat Ahmad (as) speaks about the persons who take Bai'at with him, clearly distinguishing between those who truly belong and those who really do not:
“[Y]ou
must not rest satisfied merely because in outward form you have taken Bai’at at my hand. The outward form means nothing: God sees what
lies inside your hearts, and He would deal with you on the basis of
what He sees there.
Lo
and behold! I herein discharge my duty unto you, by making it plain
that sin is a poison. Do not take it. Disobedience to God is a dirty
death which you should avoid. Turn to prayer that you should get the
strength. At the time of prayer, if a man does not firmly believe
that Allah has power over everything, except what may be contained in
a previous promise, such a one is not of my community.
He
who is caught in a tangle of worldly greed, and never even raises his
eyes to things which pertain to the next life, is not of my
community. Whosoever does not wholly and completely keep away from
every sin and every evil action, like wine, gambling, looking
lustfully at women, dishonesty, bribes, and from every kind of
illegal gratification, he is not of my community.
Whosoever
is not constantly turning to prayer, and does not remember Him in
absolute humility of spirit, he is not of my community. Whosoever
does not give up association with a bad companion, who exercises an
unhealthy influence over him, he is not of my community. Whosoever
does not respect his parents, whosoever does not render obedience to
them in things which do not run counter to the Holy Quran, and
whosoever is neglectful in rendering to them the service to which
they are undoubtedly entitled, he is not of my community.
Whosoever
does not live with his wife and her relations with gentleness,
goodness, and magnanimity, he is not of my community. Whosoever
deprives his neighbour of the very least good in his power, he is not
of my community. Whosoever has no wish to forgive the faults of those
who may have transgressed against him, and desires to nurse malice,
he is not of my community. Every man or woman who is dishonest
towards his or her spouse is not of my community.
Whosoever,
in any way, violates the pledge he took at my hand at the time of
bait’at he is not of my community. Whosoever does not really hold
me to be the Promised Messiah and the Awaited Mahdi, he is not of my community. Whosoever
is not prepared to obey me in all things known to be good and
accepted, he is not of my community. And whosoever, as a habit, sits
among those who are hostile towards me, falling into tacit and silent
agreement with them, he is not of my community.
Every
adulterer, debauch, drunkard, murderer, thief, gambler, dishonest
person, bribe-taker, usurper, oppressor, tyrant, liar, forger, and the
associate of these; and whosoever brings false accusations and
scandal against his brothers and sisters, he is not of my community,
unless he fully repents of his misdeeds and totally breaks away from
bad associates, turning a new leaf. Indeed, all these things are
poisons: you cannot partake of them and live, for light and darkness
cannot exist together. Whosoever has a crooked nature and is not open
and above board with God, he cannot partake of the blessing which
comes to those pure of heart.
Indeed
very fortunate are they who cleanse their hearts, washing away all
impurities, and who make a pledge of loyalty with their God, for they
shall never come to nought. It is not possible that God should
disgrace them, they being of God, and God being of them. They shall
be saved from all tribulations. Extremely foolish, indeed, is he who should try to harm them, for verily they are in the lap of God, Who is ever ready to support them.
Who has yielded belief to God? Verily only those who are such as described above. Similarly he also is foolish who is anxious about a bold sinner, evil and full of mischief inside his heart, for he would himself be destroyed. From the day God created this heaven and earth, it has never happened that He destroyed those who were good. On the contrary for the sake of such as these He has always shown great marvels, and will show even now. God is most Faithful and He manifests wondrous works for those who are loyal to him. The world desires to devour them and every enemy grinds their teeth at them, but He who is their friend, delivers them from every place of danger and bestows victory upon them in every field. How fortunate is the person who never lets go the mantle of God....'.
Who has yielded belief to God? Verily only those who are such as described above. Similarly he also is foolish who is anxious about a bold sinner, evil and full of mischief inside his heart, for he would himself be destroyed. From the day God created this heaven and earth, it has never happened that He destroyed those who were good. On the contrary for the sake of such as these He has always shown great marvels, and will show even now. God is most Faithful and He manifests wondrous works for those who are loyal to him. The world desires to devour them and every enemy grinds their teeth at them, but He who is their friend, delivers them from every place of danger and bestows victory upon them in every field. How fortunate is the person who never lets go the mantle of God....'.