Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 199
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 199 between themselves and which by some chance came to the notice of the Khalifatul Masih. On the occasion of the Festi- val of the breaking of the Fast in 0 eto ber 1909, the Khalifatul Masih in delivering his address stressed the importance of unity and of obedience to the Khalifatul Masih. In the course of his address he stated: I affirm it emphatically, calling God to witness, that I shall never put aside the robe with which God has invested me. If the whole world, including all of you, were to stand up in opposition to me it would not affect me in the least. You should fulfil your covenant and you will then see how fast you will go forward and what success you will achieve. I have to say these things in view of certain circumstances that have arisen. I have God's promise that He would lend me His support. I have no need to call upon you to enter into a fresh covenant of Ba'iat. You should carry out your original covenant lest you should be involved in hypocrisy. If you perceive that I am in error in respect of something you should try through prayers that I might be shown the right path; but do not imagine that you can teach me the true meaning of some verse of the Holy Quran or of some hadees or of some statement of the Promised Messiah. If you consider that I am foul, supplicate God that he might remove me from the world. then you will see on whom the supplication recoils. Another mistake is that it is said that the covenant is only to obey me in that which is right (ma'roof) and that you are not bound to obey me in that which you do not consider right. This expression (ma'roof) has also been used with reference to the obedience due to the Holy Prophet in verse 13 of chapter 60 of the Holy Quran. Then have you drawn up a list of the shortcomings of the Holy Prophet? The Promised Messiah also used that expression in the conditions of Ba'iat. I do not think ill of any of you. I have made this exposition lest you should continue to suffer from some misunderstanding. Then it is said that I meet people too freely. It is a sufficient answer for me to point out that you who are my disciples have no authority over me. Instead you are subject to my authority. . . . It is easy to give utterance to a sentiment but it is very difficult to eat the words afterwards. Some of you say that you have no apprehension