A Brief Sketch of the Ahmadiyya Movement

Announcement for accepting bai`at

At that time there were those who expressed a desire to enter into his bai`at (pledge of allegiance) but he refused it by saying that God Almighty had not directed him to do so. At last on 1st December 1888 C.E. he announced that God had commanded him to accept bai`at and form a Jama`at (group):

"I have been commanded that those who seek after truth should enter my bai’at in order to give up dirty habits and slothful and disloyal ways of life and in order to imbibe faith and a truly pure life that springs from faith and to learn the ways of God."

He also wrote that he had received ilham (revelation) in this respect saying: "Trust in God and make the ark (boat) before Our own eyes and according to Our own revelation.". This bai`at was not like that of the sufis but its main purpose was to defend and extend the cause of Islam and to place the service of Islam above all considerations. Accordingly out of the ten conditions which have been mentioned elsewhere the following are the words of the eighth condition:

"That he will regard religion and the honour of religion and the sympathy for Islam dearer to him than his life and property and his honour and his children and every one dear to him."

Later on when shortened these conditions the following words were retained to convey the whole sense:

"I will hold religion above the world."

Obviously the work of defence and propagation of Islam could not be carried on without the formation of a strong organisation and this naturally could not be achieved without an adequate pledge, which was made by giving one’s hand into the hand of the Fonder. So this is the principal significance of bai`at in the Ahmadiyya Movement. At this announcement many Muslims entered his bai’at.

The Claim of Messiahship

Hardly a year and half had passed before a third period of his life started when he announced that it was disclosed to him that Jesus Christ was dead and the Messiah whose advent was promised to Muslims would be a mujaddid of this nation and that the prophecies relating to the advent of the Messiah were fulfilled in his own person.

He further made it known that the reports relating to the appearance of a Mahdi also referred to the coming of the Messiah who would spread Islam in the world, not by the sword as was commonly believed but by arguments and reasoning relating to the spiritual force which underlay the truth of Islam. The coming of Mahdi who would propagate Islam at the point of the sword, he said, was against the express teachings of the Quran.

He was neither desirous of fame nor fortune

What were the reasons that led him to make these new claims? Did he seek cheap popularity, or was it monetary gain that he aimed at? Both these are evidently out of the question. After the lapse of so many years it is these very claims that are a stumbling block in the way of Muslims acknowledging his great merits. Who can deny the service which Mirza Ghulam Ahmad had rendered to the cause of Islam? Muslims on the whole were absolutely indifferent to the propagation of Islam and it was only he who stirred them up to activity for this noble task. But many persons would stop here to question, why did he put forward such claims then? Let every one do the thinking for himself. Did he crave reputation that he put forth such a claim? As a religious leader he enjoyed the highest reputation. He was loved for his righteousness and piety, he was honoured for his learning and scholarship, he was renowned for his strong defence against the opponents of Islam. Such a claim did actually ruin his fame and he knew that a storm of opposition would rise against him, as the world was not easily going to accept such claims. And a storm of opposition did rise. He knew that hatred would take the place of love. And so it happened. The man who was thought to be the champion of Islam a few days before came to be regarded as its worst enemy. He whose talks were listened to with great respect and delight became straightaway an object of curses and accusations. It can also be very well realised that, if he had any intention of gaining wealth, all these methods were not in any way conducive to this end. Different is the technique of acquiring fame and fortune. Such a person should never excite the hostility of men around him but always try his level best to maintain good relations with them even if were to act like a hypocrite.

Nor was he mad

Had he become mad, then? This is the question. The forceful arguments he advanced in favour of Islam simply nullify this charge. If there were any truth in this allegation during his life, nobody should at least assert it now. The success of his mission shows that he possessed a very strong will and this is sufficient to give the lie to the allegation that he was mad or had a diseased mind. The opposition which he had to face was the severest that any man has ever met with in this age. All communities --- Christians, Hindus and Muslims --- were united in their opposition against him. Yet he faced all this storm of opposition with a calmness which is granted to very few. When a mad person has to face opposition, his mental equilibrium, becomes more aggravated. But the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement never lost his calmness of mind for moment, even when he was faced with the most serious situation, In the midst of all trials and afflictions, with even the Government of the day keeping a careful watch on him owing to his claim to be the Mahdi, he was doing the work of propagation of Islam with a zeal and energy which one would in vain seek elsewhere.