Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 40
40 AHMADIYY AT Approximately a year earlier Hazrat Ahmad had been directed through revelation to lay the foundation of a Com- munity of his followers by inviting them to enter into a convenant of spiritual allegiance to him. He waited for some time before making an announcement that he had been authorized to invite people to enter into a convenant of spiritual allegiance to him. Eventually he made such an announcement on I December 1888, and on 12January 1889 he announced conditions of initiation into the Movement. These conditions were: A person who desires to make the covenant should make up his mind firmly: First, that up to the date of his death he shall abstain altogether from associating anything with Allah in his worship; Secondly, that he shall keep away altogether from falsehood, adultery, gazing at women outside the prohibited degrees, cruelty, dishonesty, disorder, rebellion and every kind of evil; and shall not allow himself to be carried away by his passions, however strong they may be; Thirdly, that he shall perform the five daily acts of worship, according to the divine command and the directions of the Holy Prophet, and shall try to the best of his a?i1ity to offer the late night voluntary prayers to invoke the blessings of Allah upon the Holy Prophet, to ask forgiveness for his own sins and for supplicating Allah for His help; and that reminding himself of Allah's bounties, shall praise Him continuously; Fourthly, that he shall in no way do harm to any of Allah's creatures in general and to Muslims in particular by giving way to his passions, neither with his hands, nor with his tongue, nor by any other means;. Fifthly, that in every state whether of joy or of sorrow, of prosperity or adversity, he shall prove himself faithful to Allah and shall be ready to endure every kind of insult and pain, and that in the hour of misfortune he shall not turn away from God but shall rather draw closer to Him; Sixthly, that he shall not follow vulgar customs and shall guard against all evil inclinations, and shall submit himself completely ~o the authority of the Holy Quran and shall make the Word of Allah