Bay'ah (Ahmadiyya)
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Bai'at or Bay'ah (Arabic: بَيْعَة) is an Islamic practice which is literally translated with the meaning to sell. In a religious context it means oath of allegiance. whereby an individual or group declares itself in allegiance to a particular leader, cause or community. In an Islamic religious sense, this oath is the standard procedure of pledging allegiance to an Imam, a spiritual leader, or to sell ones self in exchange of the spiritual guidance given by an Imam or spiritual leader. A large Bai'at ceremony of initiation for entering the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is held every year during the annual gathering of the community in the United Kingdom. This ceremony is called the International Bay'ah. The ceremony is led by the head of the community, the Khalifatul Masih, at whose hand the new converts take the oath of initiation.
Bay'ah (Ahmadiyya)
The concept of bay'ah is considered very important to Ahmadi Muslims. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, after claiming to be divinely appointed as the promised messiah and Mahdi, took the first bay'ah in 1889 at Ludhiana. After this, many of his converts travelled long distances to Qadian to be initiated in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The tradition was carried on during the Khalifatul Masih or Ahmadiyya caliphate.
The tradition was originally started by the Islamic prophet Muhammad and continued by the 4 Caliphs after him.
International Bay'at
In 1993 Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth Ahmadiyya Caliph, internationalised the Bay'ah through Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International (MTA) by which people from all over the world are now able to partake in this pledge which is simultaneously translated into 12 different languages. This international oath of allegiance takes place every year at the annual gatherings in UK, except for one year (2001) when it took place in Germany.
Distinctive features
Since the first International Bay'ah, some acts have become part of the tradition during the ceremony. Foremost, the Caliph wears a green coat of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad at the ceremony. This coat was lent to the fourth caliph for this ceremony by his sister. However, the coat was given to the caliphate at the request of the fifth caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad.
The members of the community form five or seven lines in front of the caliph at the ceremony to represent the five/seven continents of the world. Officials of the community organisation and other people who have worked for the community or are otherwise selected for this ceremony are present in these lines. The lines proceed to some extent in an orderly manner after which other members are present. Members of the community all over the world join the ceremony live through TV coverage by the community's own satellite channel MTA. The members and those who want to become members place their hands on the back of the person in their front, as is known from the tradition of the early Muslims at the time of Muhammad, and so form chains of physical contact with the caliph. This physical contact is seen necessary only for those present at the ceremony.
The oath of allegiance or Bay'ah is taken by the caliph in the following way: first he reads a sentence or a part of a sentence from the oath in English or in Urdu language, which the members of the community repeat after him. Then the same sentence or part of the sentence is repeated by translators in many languages of the world simultaneously and repeated by the members of the community.
After having gone through the whole text of the oath of allegiance in this manner, the caliph leads the members in silent prayers.
At the end the congregation, which includes all members around the world prostrate themselves. This prostration is not directed in any particular direction, but it is led by the caliph, but in whichever direction they find suitable. The tradition of this prostration goes back to Mirza Tahir Ahmad, who started it as an act of gratitude to God.[1]
Number of converts
The year by year count of converts worldwide, in accordance with the reports announced by the Caliph at the occasion of the International Bai'at and printed officially by the community are as follows:
| Year | Number of Converts |
|---|---|
| 2013[2] | 540,782 |
| 2012[3] | 512,352 |
| 2011[4] | 480,822 |
| 2010[5] | 458,760 |
| 2009[6] | 416,010 |
| 2008[7] | 354,638 |
| 2007[8] | 261,969 |
| 2006[9] | 293,881 |
| 2005[10] | 209,799 |
| 2004[10] | 304,910 |
| 2003[10] | 892,403 |
| 2002[10] | 20,654,000 |
| 2001[10] | 81,006,721 |
| 2000[10] | 41,308,975 |
| 1999[10] | 11,820,226 |
| 1998[10] | 5,004,591 |
| 1997[10] | 3,004,585 |
| 1996[10] | 1,602,721 |
| 1995[10] | 847,725 |
| 1994[10] | 421,753 |
| 1993[10] | 204,308 |
| Total | 169,601,931 |
References
- ↑ Khilafat Centenary Jalsa UK - International Ba'it 2008
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 5. September 2013
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 11. September 2012
- ↑
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 3. August 2010
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 28. July 2009
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 30. July 2008
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 1. Aug. 2007
- ↑ Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 2. Aug. 2006
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 10.10 10.11 10.12 Daily Alfazl, Pakistan, 3. Aug. 2005
See also
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