Truth Prevails — Page ix
( iii ) 20, 1886). In short, the Section which came to be known as the Lahore Section began to feel very soon that the Second Khilafat has struck firm root in the Ahmadiyya Movement. To review their position in the light of this conclusion, they called a meeting of their thinking people to chalk out a policy and a programme with this all important factor in mind. After a good deal of deliberation it was decided that a deputation should be sent to Qadian to put a proposal before Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad that they were prepared to accept him as Amir provided he agreed that the old Ahmadies, i. e. the standing membership of the Movement at the time when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I passed away, need not yield a fresh pledge of bai’at to him; and he would not interfere with the overall supreme authority of the Anjuman, in any way or any connection. Both points, evidently, could not be acceptable for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II or the large body of membership of the Movement which by this time had flocked to him since no such condition was stipulated when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I was elected to this office, by unanimous vote, with an overall supreme authority and control. This decision, on the part of the Lahore Section, was a clear indication that, the questions of Prophethood of the Promised Messiah, and kufr or Islam of those who did not accept him, were not held to be of such supreme importance as later on they came to be held by those people in rejecting the Khilafat of the Khalifatul Masih II together with the institution of Khilafat itself and these questions began to develop in an ever widening gulf. Because by rejecting the institution of Khilafat they rejected the Prophethood of the Promised Messiah too. The following resolutions were passed by the Lahore Section on this occasion: (1) Since, in conformity with the last Will and Testament of the Promised Messiah, with the unanimous vote of only forty righteous members of the Movement, Elders could be elected to accept the bai’at of fresh converts wishing to join the Movement; and since it is our considered view that in places with a solid membership of the Movement, it is desirable that such Elders be elected for the purpose so that an increase in the numerical strength of the Movement be facilitated and converts enabled to enter the fold without let or hindrance. These Elders would be authorised to accept the initiation pledges of the fresh converts. (2) Election of the Sahibzada is held to be valid, to this extent that he be taken to be duly authorised to accept pledges of bai’at from new comers in the fold, i. e. to accept them into the general membership of the Movement. But he would not have the authority to call the already existing membership to take fresh bai’at, at his hand, there being no discernible need for anything of this kind to be done. We are ready to accept him as our Amir in this capacity. We are not prepared to accept him as Amir, authorised to insist on a fresh bai’at , on the part of the already existing membership, since there is no need for such a bai’at. Nor would he be considered entitled to