CoB.book Page 7 Tuesday, June 6, 2006 9:46 AM
Introduction
Mother of the faithful, Hadrat ‘Aishahra relates that, ‘The Holy Prophetsa used to take the pledge from the women in accordance with the verse of the Holy Qur’an:3
‘O Prophet! when believing women come to thee, taking the oath of allegiance at thy hands that they will not associate anything with Allah, and that they will not steal, and will not commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring forth a scandalous charge which they themselves have deliberately forged, nor disobey thee in what is right, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’
Hadrat ‘Aishahra continues that: At the time of taking the pledge, the hand of the Holy Prophetsa never touched the hand of any woman except those who belonged to his household. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ulAhkami, Babu Bai‘atin Nisa’i)
Even before the Promised Messiahas started taking bai‘at, some pious Muslims were troubled by the conditions which had fallen upon Islam and felt that the only person who could save the ark of Islam from drowning and who had true sympathy for Islam was Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadianias, and that he was the al-Imam and al-Mahdi. Therefore, people used 3. (al-Mumtahinah, 60:13) 7