Conditions of Bai'at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi — Page 249
The Spiritual Revolution 249 for a while and complain about the local people, then he is mistaken in that he considers the ailing to be healthy and thus tests them. The friendship and connection here, the coming here and leaving here, the living and residing here, all should be for L a il a h a illAll a h [There is none worthy of worship except Allah]. Otherwise if you come for bread and bedding, listen! most of you have better bread at home, what is the point of coming here? You can do full justice to your pledge only if you come here solely for the sake of God. (Friday Sermon, January 22, 1904, Khutab a t-e-N u r, p. 160, new edition) The Promised Messiah as writes about Hadrat Sahibz a dah Sayyed ‘Abdul-La ti f Shah i d ra : One most enviable quality that this esteemed departed soul had was that he really gave precedence to faith over worldly matters. He was in fact among the righteous who, with fear of God, take their taqwa and obedience to Allah the Almighty to its pinnacle. To please God and to seek His pleasure they are prepared to give up their life, honour and wealth as if these were all worthless. His strength of faith was so developed that if I compare him with a great big mountain, I am afraid my similitude might remain flawed. Most people despite making bai‘at and attesting to my claim still cannot completely get rid of the toxic seed of giving precedence to this world over faith, rather some residue remains in them. A latent stinginess — be it about life, be it about honour, be it about wealth, be it about moral conditions —is found in their deficient souls. This is the reason why I am always concerned about them. At the time of asking for any service for faith, I am afraid lest they