Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) addressed an issue to do with love for Khilafat and Shirk (associating partners with Allah) and said:
Someone said to me that people give such a high status to Khilafat and the Khalifa of the time, to the extent that they have reached this stage of Shirk. It should be clear that the Promised Messiah(as) came in servitude to the Holy Prophet(sa) in order to eradicate Shirk from the world. Hence, it is impossible that his true Khilafat could increase or encourage any form of Shirk.
The fundamental task of Khilafat is to eradicate Shirk, establish the unity of God and to fulfil and complete the mission for which the Promised Messiah(as) was commissioned. If a person forms this opinion having seen another person meet the Khalifa with honour and respect, then instead of judging, they ought to reflect over the fact whether or not he is thinking ill of another person. Therefore, if this is in fact the case, then those who think ill of others should refrain from doing so. However, if someone has truly reached the stage where he is giving others the impression that he is, God forbid, elevating the status of the Khalifa to a form of Shirk, then he should do Istighfar and also be cautious.
I never desire for this and nor have I ever done so. In the same way, no past Khalifa, neither any Khalifa in the future – God Willing – will ever desire for their own personality to be given importance. Indeed, it is the responsibility of the Khalifa of the time to establish the respect and honour for Khilafat. As it is his duty, he will continue to do so. Moreover, he will do so because according to the promises of Allah the Exalted and the prophecy of the Holy Prophet(sa), the unity of God was to be spread throughout the world through Khilafat and at the same time, Shirk was to be eradicated from the world through Khilafat.
Thus, some weak-minded people, who develop these thoughts as a result of a lack of tarbiyat [moral and spiritual training], should erase these thoughts from their minds.
(Friday Sermon 2nd November 2018)