Faiza Mirza, Gillingham
‘I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is One and has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His servant and His Messenger.
I affirm that I shall always be ready to sacrifice my life, property, time and children for the cause of faith and nation. I shall always adhere to truth and shall always be prepared to make every sacrifice for the perpetuation of the Ahmadiyya Khilafat.’ Insha’Allah.
I’ve always wondered, what if someone from outside the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community walked in one of our meetings to see a group of women repeating the above words, all in unison, of all ages and all without compulsion – what would they think? It’s not something that is the ‘norm’. With pledges and oaths of allegiances becoming phased out or used to fulfil empty rituals what is the significance and impact of these words?
To understand this, we need to recognise that taking this specific pledge, which in turn stems from a pledge of allegiance we take, is not a religious innovation in Islam but a tradition of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When people came into the fold of Islam, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would take their bai’at (pledge of allegiance). The world bai’at meaning to ‘sell oneself’. Therefore, when we Ahmadi women pledge allegiance to our faith – we need to understand the magnitude of these words.
The pledge begins with the very core tenants of Islamic belief; the Oneness of God Almighty and complete obedience to our beloved master the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). By saying these words, the soul is immediately lifted as it says in the Holy Qur’an:
‘…Aye! It is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts can find comfort;’[1]
Furthermore, it sets us up for the sacrifices that then follow. As the Promised Messiah (upon whom be peace) has explained:
‘Belief in this God, with these powers, is the foremost essential condition of our Movement. Inculcate this belief in your hearts, giving to its implications and requirements the first and top most priority over all considerations of self, over its comforts and relationships.’[2]
Only by establishing true belief can we then make the sacrifices that are needed to be a worthy member of a community that truly follows in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is why we ‘sell ourselves’ to our faith in our oath of allegiance, rather than selling our souls to worldliness.
Standing together at our meetings to declare that we are ready to sacrifice our lives, property, time and children should and does resonate deeply with us. Reminding us of the great responsibility laid on Ahmadi women. As His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood (Allah be pleased with him) said, the transformation of 50% of women would lead to the triumph of Islam. His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, our current worldwide head, expounded on this by saying:
‘Being an Ahmadi Muslim, the foremost purpose of every Ahmadi woman should be to be ready for all kinds of sacrifices and strive for the victory of Islam.’[3]
The pledge concludes with saying we will make every sacrifice to perpetuate the Ahmadiyya Khilafat. Now the institution of Khilafat is something that is described in the Holy Qur’an and is Divinely protected. However, if we don’t step up by prioritising faith over worldliness, we may be in danger of cutting ourselves off from the blessings associated with Khilafat.
So going back to my opening question, to an outsider, yes possibly, the words of the pledge could seem somewhat over-elaborate. In a world where we put ourselves first, calling for sacrifice may seem like an outdated philosophy, but this is far from the truth. Essentially, these sacrifices are for our own good and lead to the betterment of society. They benefit our now and our tomorrow. As Ahmadi Muslim women, we are the ones in whose laps the future generations are nurtured. The words of the pledge remind us of the opportunity to create a difference. They remind us of the power we have to make a change. And ultimately, they show us the true pathway to peace.
[1] Holy Qur’an (13:29)
[2] Our Teaching by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad p.2
[3] USA Annual Convention, June 21st 2008 (Address to the ladies)
Voice of British Muslim Women 
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