Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 41
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 41 and the practice of the Holy Prophet the guiding principles of his life; Seventhly, that he shall discard pride and haughtiness and shall pass his days in humility, lowliness, courtesy and meekness; Eighthly J that he shall hold his religion and the dignity and welfare of Islam dearer than his life, wealth and children and everything else; Ninethly, that he shall, for the sake of Allah, have sympathy for Allah's creatures and shall, to the best of his ability, devote his natural talents towards the promotion of their welfare; and Tenthly, that he shall establish a relationship of brotherhood with me on condition of obeying me in all good things and adhere to it till the day of his death and that this relationship shall be of such high order that the like of it shall not be found in any worldly relationship either of family or between master and servant. In March 1889 Hazrat Ahmad went to Ludhiana, and on the 4th of that month he issued a leaflet in which he stated: God desires to found a community of the faithful to manifest His Glory and Power. He will make the Community grow and prosper, to establish the love of God, righteousness, purity, piety, peace and goodwill among men. This shall be a group of persons devoted to God. He shall strengthen them with His own spirit, and bless them and purify them. He shall multiply them exceedingly as He has promised. Thousands of truthful people shall join His ranks. He shall Himself look after them and shall make the Community grow~ so much so that its numbers and progress shall amaze the world. The Community shall be a lighthouse so high as to illumine the four corners of the world. The members thereof shall serve as models of Islamic blessings. My true followers shall excel every other people. There shall always rise among them, till the Judg- ment Day, personages who will be the chosen ones of God in every respect. So has the Almighty decreed. He does as He wills. The formal initiation started on 23 March 1889. Hazrat Maulvi Nurud-din Sahib had the honour of being the first to be invited to make the covenant, which was as follows: I repent today, at the hand of Ahmad, of all the sins and evil habits to which I was addicted; and most truly and solemnly promise that