A Present to Kings — Page 72
( 72 ) of his own faith. Many people of wealth and influence took part in the conference and the eyes of the country were expectantly fixed to see the upshot. On this occasion, among the many papers sent by different people on behalf of Islam, there was one sent by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. He not only sent the paper, but at the same time announced by means of a public notice that his paper would come out best at the conference. Your Highness may realise how delicate a matter it was while one's paper was to be read at a conference of one's opponents, to announce beforehand that the same should carry the palm. But who could frustrate the decree of God?. The paper was read, and as the time alloted was short, the reading could not be finished. However, the effect upon the audience was such that they declared that they would either hear the paper through or leave the conference. At last the managers of the conference who included the leading members of the aristocracy and the Government Officials decided to grant additional time for the finishing of the paper, and when the same was finished, friends and foes unanimously declared that the paper had proved superior to all others, and the promoters of the conference apprehending that such opportunities might lead to a propagation of Islam discontinued holding such conferences in the future. An English translation of the essay has been published and the same has made the editors of many. English newspapers express their wonder at the novel way of presenting Islain. One paper went so far as to declare that within the last thirteen centuries no book so powerful had been written in defence of Islam. These people unfortunately are not aware that in the defence of Islam this personage has written many other books of surpassing excellence, whose arguments no opponent can ever venture to controvert. These books have not yet come to their notice. In short, this was a rare piece of miracle, in which even the opponents of Islam had to play a part, and even the adversaries had to admit that the superiority of Islam over other faiths had been amply demonstrated. This was verily the work for which the