A superficial oath of allegiance to a spiritual guide brings no benefit and it is difficult to derive any gain from such an oath of allegiance. A person shall truly reap benefit only when they abandon their ego and attach themselves to this person with abiding love and sincerity. Since the hypocrites did not possess a true relationship with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his progeny, ultimately, they remained bereft of faith; they were left devoid of pure love and sincerity. And so, the mere proclamation لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) was of no avail to them. Thus, it is very important to forge these bonds. If a follower does not strengthen these ties and fails to make an effort in this cause, any expression of grief or regret would be unwarranted. One should nurture a relationship of love and sincerity with one’s spiritual guide and insofar as possible, adjust the hue of one’s disposition to that of one’s master, both in terms of action and belief. The inner self of man promises him a long life, but this is deception. There is no telling how long a person will live. One should hasten to adopt piety and worship, and introspect on one’s condition from morning to evening.
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp 4-5)