Conditions of Bai'at and Responsibilities of an Ahmadi — Page 18
C ONDITIONS OF B AI ‘ AT AND R ESPONSIBILITIES OF AN A H MAD I 18 idols in your heart. Anyone who gives reverence to his own plans, mischief or clever designs as he should revere God, or depends upon another person as one should depend upon God alone, or reveres his own ego as he should revere God alone, in all such conditions he is an idol-worshipper in the sight of Allah. Idols are not merely those that are made of gold, silver, copper or stones. Rather, every thing, every state- ment, or every deed, which is revered in a manner that befits Almighty Allah alone, is an idol in the sight of Allah…. Remember that the true Unity of God, which God requires us to affirm and upon which salvation depends, is to believe that God in His Being is free from every associate, whether it be an idol or a human being, or the Sun or Moon, or one’s ego, or one’s cunning or deceit; it is also to conceive of no one as possessing power in opposition to Him, nor to accept anyone as Sustainer, nor to hold anyone as bestowing honour or disgrace, nor to consider anyone as Helper or Supporter; and it is also to confine one’s love to Him and one’s worship, and one’s humility, and one’s hopes, and one’s fear to Him. No Unity can be complete without the following three types of particularisations. First, there is the Unity of Being—that is, to conceive the whole universe as nonexistent in contrast with Him and to consider it mortal and lacking reality. Secondly, the Unity of Attributes—that is that Rab u biyyat [Lordship] and Ul u hiyyat [Godhead] are confined to His Being and that all others who appear as sustainers or benefactors are only a part of the system set up by His hand. Thirdly, the Unity of love, sincerity and devotion—that is, not to consider anyone as an associate of God in the matter of love and worship and to be