Conditions of Bai'at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi — Page 108
C ONDITIONS OF B AI ‘ AT AND R ESPONSIBILITIES OF AN A H MAD I 108 matters of religion. He was very concerned about it. A h ad i th relates that he said, ‘I am terrified at the thought of you falling prey to these innovations and lustful inclinations. I am afraid that this may cause great harm to the religion and may lead you astray!’ These days, you are living in Western societies that have many customs and rituals of their own which can create distance between you and your religion and that can diminish the beauty of Islamic teachings for you. The lustre of worldli- ness is far more attractive; therefore, there is need for great caution at every step. Instead of adopting their wrong customs, we must present the beautiful teachings of Islam. Each Ahmad i should possess such a strong character that Western culture should have no effect on him/her whatso- ever. For instance, women are enjoined to observe purdah [the veil] according to Islamic teachings. It is in the interest of a woman’s integrity that she attains a prominent status in society due to the fact that she observes Islamic purdah. When a woman observes purdah willingly and she herself tells others the benefits of this Islamic injunction, it will have a far greater impact on others as compared to men who propagate the advantage of purdah in this society. Those women who observe purdah acquire many more chances to perform tabl i gh due to their unique prominence in society. This matter requires great attention. There exist many other social evils in Western society. To adopt them merely because we live in this society and we feel compelled to do so is, indeed, a worrisome situation. For instance, it is wrong on your part to befriend someone who consumes alcohol and to accompany him to a restaurant or a