Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 282
282 AHMADIYY AT adopted and raised for the first time. On the occasion of the raising of the standard all those present in the Conference made the following covenant: I promise that I shall continue to strive, to the last moment of my life, to the utmost of my strength and understanding for the strengthening of Islam and Ahmadiyyat and for their widest propagation. With the help of God Almighty: I shall make every sacrifice for the achievement of this purpose so that Ahmadiyyat, that is to say, the true Islam, should prevail over all other faiths and dispensations and its Standard should never be lowered and should fly above all other standards. In reply to the addresses presented to the Khalifatul Masih, he made a speech in the course of which he stated: Ever since the celebration was projected I have been troubled by the feeling that it might become a precedent for birthdays and other similar celebrations. I ~as afraid lest in consequence of this celebration the Community might get involved in such cere- monies as it is the purpose of Ahmadiyyat to wipe out. Our success and victory consist in reviving the faith and restoring it to the condition in which the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, had established it. We should establish it in such manner that Satan may not be able to mount an assault upon it, and no door or window or ventilator may be left open for him. I have been reflecting lest by such celebrations we might open a ventilator for the entry of Satan. I have, therefore, felt a constraint, why did I give permission for this celebration? The first feeling of reassurance was generated in my mind by the appreciation of one aspect mentioned by Maulvi Jalalud Din Shams in one of his articles that this is an occasion of celebration also because the Movement has completed 50 years of its life. Thus, I realized that this celebration can be attributed to the Movement rather than to an individual and that I can myself join in this joyous event. The second reassurance was generated in my mind when the poem of the Promised Messiah, peace be on him, named Ameen was being recited and I felt that this celebration is an occasion of proclaiming the fulfilment of a prophecy of the Pro- mised Messiah. I, therefore, felt that my participation in it is not improper. . . . Thus, the constraint that I had felt was removed and I looked up from this meeting'to God Almighty and was filled