This week, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community once again celebrates Masih-e-Maud Day; it has been 135 years since Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdias laid the foundation of this Jamaat on 23 March 1889 when he took the pledge of allegiance from 40 individuals, which formed a nascent Community.
When Hazrat Ahmadas was divinely instructed to take bai‘at and start a Jamaat, he published an announcement, stating:
“Another message that I wish to convey to the people at large, and to my Muslim brothers in particular, is that I have been commanded to take an oath of allegiance [bai‘at] from seekers of truth who wish to acquire true faith and purity; who yearn to find the path to Allah’s love; who want to give up their foul, slothful and false existence.
“Whosoever finds in themselves the willingness to do this must come to me. I will be their comforter and will do my best to ease their burden. God will bless them through my prayers and my attention, provided they are ready with heart and soul to abide by His conditions. This is a divine command, which I have hereby conveyed.” (Majmua-e-Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, p. 205)
Many people joined him and gave their lives to this divine call, and thus this Community quickly grew from strength to strength. In contrast, many others tried to slow down or halt its progress. And as some made it their mission to propagate this divine call to the whole world, others made it their mission to rid the world of Ahmadiyyat.
Yet, regardless of how hard they try, the Jamaat is undeterred in its mission.
But what is its mission? The ten conditions of bai‘at [pledge of allegiance], which were born alongside the birth of this Jamaat tell us in clear terms what our objectives are, and where we seek to go. The Promised Messiahas laid out these conditions two months prior to taking bai‘at, on 12 January 1889.
These conditions were recently elucidated by His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa on the occasion of Jalsa Salana Ghana. They are the lifeline of an Ahmadi Muslim; they are our code of conduct and our path to victory over ourselves and over the evils of this world.
Thus, it should be clear that we do not merely celebrate this day to gather and make merry over our achievements. Rather, we hold events all over the world in every chapter and remind ourselves of our responsibilities, and seek to better ourselves so that we may meet the expectations with which the Promised Messiahas started this Jamaat and embody the spirit that must come with pledging allegiance to him and his Khalifa.
In this regard, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa states:
“Thus, each year, this day ought to serve as a reminder for us that the purpose of the Promised Messiah’sas advent, which is in line with the prophecies of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa, was to revive the faith and to re-establish the true teachings of Islam in the world.
“Furthermore, we are the ones who profess to have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas. Therefore, in order to fulfil this significant mission, we must play our role according to our respective capabilities and ensure that we re-establish the relationship between mankind and God Almighty, for mankind has lost its way. We must also draw people’s attention towards fulfilling the rights they owe to mankind. Undoubtedly, in order to achieve this, we must first reform ourselves.” (Friday Sermon, 26 March 2021; Al Hakam 23 April 2021, Issue 162, p. 25)
Today, it is the Khalifa of the Promised Messiahas who guides us to our goals. In an increasingly Godless society, it is Khilafat, a divine promise to the believers that was bestowed upon us as a blessing, that constantly steers us back to God. The Promised Messiahas, in his parting will, gave his followers this glad tiding:
“I came from God as a Manifestation of Divine Providence and I am a personification of His Power. And after I am gone there will be some other persons who will be the manifestation of the second Power [of God]. So, while waiting for the second Manifestation of His Power, you all together keep yourselves busy praying. And let a Jamaat of righteous people, one and all, in every country keep themselves busy in prayers so that the second Manifestation may descend from the Heaven and show you that your God is such Mighty God. Consider your death to be close at hand for you never know when that hour will strike.” (The Will, p. 8)
Prayers have always been the secret to the success of this Jamaat. Even today, when our opponents are still trying their hardest to eradicate us, it is only our prayers – with the shield of Khilafat before us – that can protect us against the onslaughts of the world.
As we are in the blessed month of Ramadan, it is particularly important, then, to pray – not just for the success of this Jamaat, but also for our continued reformation. Of course, our prayers can never end there. As Ahmadi Muslims who have pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas, we must carry the burden of praying for all our Muslim brethren, so that they may come to accept the message of the servant of the Holy Prophetsa.
As the war rages on in Gaza, our prayers must also extend to the innocent Palestinians. More than that, all innocent people who continue to suffer in this unjust world must be in our prayers. Thus, Ramadan presents us with a unique opportunity to gather up the countless blessings promised by Allah for His believers during this month. As the first ‘ashrah quickly draws to an end, we must not lose this opportunity granted to us by Allah the Almighty.
Masih-e-Maud Day is also particularly special for Al Hakam, since this newspaper – the oldest in the history of the Jamaat – was relaunched by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih Vaa on 23 March 2018 – six years ago. Since its relaunch, Al Hakam has, by the grace of Allah, progressed under the continuous guidance of Khilafat. And while many milestones have been achieved, we will, insha-Allah continue to work towards achieving greater heights. For this, we also humbly request that you, our readers, remember us in your prayers.
May Allah the Almighty enable us all to play our roles and discharge our responsibilities for the continued progress of Islam Ahmadiyyat. Amin.