Responsibilities of an Ahmadi Muslim

The members of my Jama’at, wherever they might be, should listen with attention. The purpose of their joining this Movement and establishing the mutual relationship of spiritual preceptor and disciple with me is that they should achieve a high degree of good conduct, good behaviour and righteousness. No wrongdoing, mischief, or misconduct should even approach them. They should perform the five daily Prayers regularly, should not utter a falsehood and should not hurt anyone with their speech. They should be guilty of no vice and should not let even a thought of any mischief, or wrong, or disorderliness, or turmoil pass through their minds. They should shun every type of sin, offence, undesirable action, passion, and unmannerly behaviour. They should become pure-hearted and meek servants of God Almighty, and no poisonous germ should flourish in their beings…Sympathy with mankind should be their principle and they should fear God Almighty. They should safeguard their tongues and their hands and their thoughts against every kind of impurity, disorderliness and dishonesty. They should join the five daily Prayer services without fail. They should refrain from every kind of wrong, transgression, dishonesty, bribery, trespass, and partiality. They should not participate in any evil company. If it should be proved that one who frequents their company does not obey God’s commandments…or is not mindful of the rights of people, or is cruel or mischievous, or is ill-behaved, or is seeking to deceive the servants of God Almighty by speaking ill or abusively of them, or is guilty of imposture towards the persons with whom they have entered into a covenant of bai‘at, it should be their duty to repel him and to keep away from such a dangerous one. They should not design harm against the followers of any religion or the members of any tribe or group. Be true well-wishers of everyone, and take care that no mischievous, vicious, disorderly, or ill-behaved person, should be ever of your company, or should dwell among you; for such a person could at any time be the cause of your stumbling.

These are matters and conditions that I have been urging from the beginning, and it is the duty of every member of my Jama’at to act upon them. You should indulge in no impurity, mockery or derision. Walk upon the earth with good hearts, pure tempers, and pure thoughts. Not every evil is worth fighting, so cultivate the habit of forgiveness and overlooking defaults, and behave with steadfastness and meekness. Do not attack anyone improperly, and keep your passions under complete control. If you take part in a discussion, or in an exchange of views on a religious subject, express yourself gently and be courteous. If anyone misbehaves towards you, withdraw from such company with a greeting of peace. If you are persecuted or reviled, be mindful that you should not meet stupidity with stupidity, for otherwise you will be counted in the same category as your opponents. God Almighty desires that you should become a Jama’at that should set an example of goodness and truthfulness for the whole world. Hasten to exclude everyone from your company who sets an example of evil, mischief, provocation and ill-behaviour. He who cannot dwell among us in meekness, goodness and piety, using gentle words and comporting himself in ways of good conduct, should depart from us quickly, for God does not desire that such a one should dwell among us. He will die miserably, for he did not adopt the way of goodness. Therefore, be alert, and be truly good-hearted, gentle and righteous. You will be recognised by your regular attendance at Prayer services and your high moral qualities. He who has the seed of evil embedded in him will not be able to conform to this admonition.^[1]

A man should not be conceited, nor indecent, nor ill-mannered towards the fellow beings. He should act with love and goodness and should not bear ill-will towards anyone for personal reasons. He should behave firmly or gently in accordance with the occasions or conditions.^[2]

Endnotes

1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as, Ishtihar (The Announcement), May 29, 1898. Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, Vol. 3, pp. 46-48, Eng. Translation: Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^aba, Conditions of Bai’at and Responsiblities of an Ahmadi (Tilford, Surry: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2006), 85-87.
2. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as, Malfuzat, new edition, Vol. 5, p. 609, Eng. Translation: Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^aba, Conditions of Bai’at and Responsiblities of an Ahmadi (Tilford, Surry: Islam International Publications Ltd., 2006), 87.