Conditions of Bai'at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi — Page 244
C ONDITIONS OF B AI ‘ AT AND R ESPONSIBILITIES OF AN A H MAD I 244 fathers bring their children saying that now they belong to the Jam a ‘at and the Jam a ‘at appoint them anywhere it wishes. Children are offering themselves on their own saying that they too are ready like Hadrat Ism a‘i l as to offer their lives! Such marvelous displays existed in the past and they still exist today. I will give you an example: In 1923 when the Hindus started the Shudh i campaign (to win the Muslim converts back to Hinduism), to counter it the Ahmad i children did not remain behind the elders in offering their services. Even five years old children were ready to go to Malk a n a and vicinity. A twelve years old boy wrote to his father that to serve the true religion was not only for the grown-ups, it was also for the young ones! He asked his father to take him along when he was going for preaching, and even if he was not going, he must send him! (From T a r i kh-e-Ahmadiyyat, vol. 5, p. 336, published in 1964) These incidents are not merely stories of the past. As I said, even now we see such displays of sacrifices. When the W a qf i n-e-Nau children come to see me and I ask them what they would like to become on growing up, their response is that they would become whatever I tell them and let the Jam a ‘at tell them what it wants them to become! This is the enthusiasm of Ahmad i child. As long as this passion remains, (and insh a ’Allah it shall remain to the Last Day), no one can hurt the Jam a ‘at in the least! The Promised Messiah as says: Now I have a large number in my Jam a ‘at who have given preference to the religion over the world by themselves and have become dervishes [hermits]. They have left their home-