1

2

Excerpts from Kashti-e-Nuh [Noah’s Ark] by
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi(as)

Verbal Pledge Amounts to Nothing, Unless Practiced With Full, Heartfelt Resolve

Let it be clear that to affirm the covenant of bai’at with the tongue alone amounts to nothing unless it is practiced with full, heartfelt resolve. Thus, whosoever fully acts upon my teachings enters that house of mine, concerning which God Almighty has promised in His Word:

That is, I shall protect everyone who is within the four walls of your home. This should not be taken to mean only such people who dwell in my house made of brick and mortar; rather, this also refers to all those who follow me completely and dwell in my spiritual home. To follow me, it is necessary for them to believe that they have an Omnipotent, Self-Sustaining God, who is the Creator of all things, and whose attributes are eternal, everlasting and unchangeable. He has no father and no son. He is above suffering, being crucified and killed. He is such that despite being far, He is near; and despite being near, He is far. Despite being One, His manifestations are diverse. For a person who brings about a change in himself, He becomes a new God for him and deals with him by means of a new manifestation. Thus, such a person experiences a change in God according to the change in himself. Yet no change takes place in God, for He is eternally unchangeable and possesses complete perfection, but when a person undergoes a transformation and begins to move towards virtue, God manifests Himself to such a person in a new way. At the time of every improved condition that manifests itself in a person, the manifestation of God Almighty’s power also reveals itself to a greater extent. He manifests His might in an extraordinary way only when an extraordinary change takes place in a person. This is the root of all extraordinary happenings and miracles. The God so described is the fundamental bedrock of my community. Believe in Him and give precedence to Him over your own souls and comforts and over all your relationships; show sincerity and loyalty in His cause by exhibiting courage in your practice. Worldly people do not prefer Him over their means, and their kith and kin, but you ought to, so that you may be counted in heaven as belonging to His community.

It has been the practice of God since the remotest ages to manifest signs of His mercy, but you can partake of it only when nothing separates you from Him, His will becomes your will, His desire becomes your desire, and you remain prostrate at His threshold at all times and in all conditions—whether of success or failure—so that He may do whatever He wills. If you do so, then God, who has for so long kept His countenance hidden, will manifest Himself in you. Is there anyone from among you who will implement this and seek His pleasure, without being dissatisfied by His will and decree? So when you encounter misfortune, you should step forth even more eagerly, for this is the means of your success. Exert all your power to spread the Oneness of God on earth. Show mercy to His servants and do not wrong them by your tongue or your hand or by any other means, and strive for the welfare of God’s creation. Behave not arrogantly towards anyone even if he is your subordinate, and revile not anyone even if he should revile you. Become humble, tolerant, well-intentioned and compassionate towards God’s creation so that you may be accepted by God.

There are many who show meekness, but they are wolves from within. There are many who outwardly appear clean, but from within they are serpents. You, therefore, cannot be accepted by God unless you are the same inside and out. If you are above others, have mercy on the lowly and do not look down upon them. If you are learned, counsel the ignorant and do not degrade them with disdain. If you are wealthy, serve the poor, and do not treat them with arrogance and self-conceit.

Dread the ways of ruin and always be fearful of God. Adopt righteousness and worship not His creation. Cut asunder from everything to turn to your Master. Turn your hearts away from the world and become wholly His; live for Him alone and, for His sake, hate every impiety and sin, for He is Holy. Let every morning bear witness that you have spent the night in righteousness, and let every evening bear witness that you have spent the day with the fear of God.