Obligations of an Ahmadi

Obligations of an Ahmadi (Sayyed Hasamuddin Ahmad) The word Ahmadi is a very wide term embracing within it the qualifications of a man with which he is born and he is expected by his Creator to manifest them by actions from his cradle to the grave. According to the Islamic teachings, every child that is born on this earth is born as a Muslim but no sooner does he touch this planet with his frame of flesh and blood than the environments of his life to which he plunges suddenly let him dive deep into it and every hour, every minute of his earthly existence begins to create new impressions on him socially, and intellectually in shaping his future career. An Ahmadi may call himself as such as one in the truest sense of the term when he attains the position of realising the very object of his creation to fulfil which God has sent him on earth and chalks out a definite and unselfish programme of life for himself and follows it to the last moment of his existence. An Ahmadi in the broadest sense of the term means one who calls himself a Muslim living a life consecrated quite in keeping with the sacred teachings of the Holy Quran supported by the edicts of the Holy Traditions as evinced by the life and work of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (may peace of God be upon him). He dedicates his life entirely to the service of God and man. His mission of life is shaped according to the teachings of the Holy Quran given in the verse: “Verily my Prayers, my worship, my existence and my death are all meant for the Sustainer of the universe,” (6:163) , v, The first and foremost duty of an Ahmadi either born or embracing the fold of Ahmadiyyat during the intervening period of his life, is to accept and follow the teachings of Islam as inculcated in the Holy Quran and translated into action by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and subsequently preached and practised by the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian in this age. Volumes have been written and spoken on the duties and obligations of an Ahmadi from the press and the platform. But I shall attempt through this OBLIGATIONS OF AN AHMADI 27 short article to give in a nutshell some of the main and principal duties of an Ahmadi that are primarily expected of him. An Ahmadi is expected to be an embodiment of the teachings of Islam. The moment he begins to realise he is within the fold of Islam, his duty begins. His duties are multifarious but they may broadly be classified as social, moral and spiritual. As a man he owes certain duties to his fellow beings, no matter to whatever class, creed or colour they may belong. All his efforts in the performance of his duties should be concentrated towards creating a brotherly spirit and helping to cement the bond of eternal relation between the Creator and the created. The social duties of an Ahmadi may briefly be defined as follows: He has to look upon all mankind as his own kith and kin irrespective of caste, creed and colour. He has to share pleasures and pains in every sphere of life as far as possible according to his own limited circle. He must always be taking account of his own activities done overtly or covertly and see that his actions and speech do not in any way place anyone else’s welfare, whether temporal or spiritual, at a discount. He should be making constant endeavours to live for others. Sacrifice for personal interests for the sake of doing good to society should be the motto and summum bonum of his life. Service to mankind always means service to God. He should always try by his own example to reform and set right all sorts of undesirable things that might be found existing in his society. The moral duties may be summarised as follows: Truth, the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth should permeate his words and deeds. Abhorrence towards untruth should be prominently expressed in whatever he does or speaks. An Ahmadi must fight for the truth and its cause even at the cost of his own life and property, without caring for the loss that might occur to the interests of his dearest and nearest kith and kin thereby. He should always harbour catholic ideas. Sympathy for others and a strong sense of fellow-feeling in every field of action should characterise his career. An Ahmadi should always keep in view the good of mankind proving himself as the only proof and support of the entire structure of the creation with a conviction that by the least jerking on his part it may crumble down to pieces. The moral duties are extremely onerous but he is expected by God to bear them. He has to infuse the spirit of perfect submission to the will of God into all human beings illustrating it first in himself, then in his own family and lastly among his neighbours and countrymen. Not a word, not a syllable should escape his lips against the decisions of God. 28 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS Spiritual duties are manifold. They should be given the first preference in all his dealings. Man, unfortunately, more often than not neglects this aspect of his life and does not give adequate attention towards its development. Whatever an Ahmadi does, whenever he thinks of anything, he must keep in mind that everything happens on heaven and earth according to the decision of God predestined by Him. Nothing done by him should savour of the slightest scent of displeasure at the decisions of God in every sphere of his life. He should realise with a confirmed belief that whatever is done by God is all for the good of mankind here and hereafter. His life-long work should be aimed not in the hope of attaining for himself the bliss of heaven or saving from the torments or perdition of hell, but it should be directed towards merging his own individuality in attaining Divine love. The most important part of an Ahmadi’s life is his Prayer which he should observe in the daily routine of his life whether at home or abroad. Prayer observed in congregation or individually should precede all his actions in order to invoke the grace and blessings of God for their success. Prayer and nothing but prayer performed formally or informally is the only means whereby one can lead a successful spiritual life here on earth. An Ahmadi has to take shelter in the haven of prayers from all sorts of tempests and turmoils that often make his life miserable and not worth living. An Ahmadi has to take into account daily his words and deeds while retiring to bed and satisfy himself whether the day he spent was engaged throughout in service done in accordance with the will of God and if he detects any flaw he should try to amend for it. Last but not the least the duty for an Ahmadi is to keep himself always ready for the sacrifice of his wealth, movable and immovable, for the sake of the propagation of Islam and for the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. May the Almighty God grant us all power and strength enough to discharge the duties enjoined upon Ahmadies to His entire satisfaction. Amen!