Should family members who want to join the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat do so now?

Whoever is fully convinced at heart should not delay, because no one knows how much time they have. Whoever still has doubts should first keep looking into it calmly, so that their faith stands on firm ground.

Faith is not a membership one takes up out of politeness or to please the family. It is a decision of the heart. So the answer applies to each family member individually, and it depends on how firm their conviction already is.

Whoever is completely certain at heart should not wait. Sometimes this certainty comes through long reflection, sometimes through a dream or clear guidance that God grants a person. Someone who is convinced in this way has no good reason left to put the step off. No one can say how long they will live. The first verse above urges people to vie with one another in good rather than leave it for later.

Whoever still has open questions, on the other hand, does well to settle them first. That is not a lack of faith but care. Joining is often followed by opposition, from friends and acquaintances and sometimes from one’s own relatives. Then others will want to hear reasons. One should be able to explain why one chose this path and what sets it apart from other views.

The second verse speaks of calling to God on sure knowledge. The third is a reminder that God tests faith. A faith that rests on firm knowledge stands up to such tests. A faith born only of enthusiasm is easily shaken. So it is good to open one’s heart wide, examine honestly, and prepare inwardly for headwinds.

For a family this means that no one should be pushed, and no one who is convinced should be held back. Each person takes the step when their heart is ready.