Ahmadiyya Movement — Page vii
tion and ten parts of the former have already been published. Several other books have been published on Islam in various European languages making Islamic literature readily available to Europeans. Similarly the Movement has now its Missions in America, Fiji Islands, Indonesian archipelago, Singapore, Malaya, Ceylon, Burma, Mauritius and many other parts of the world. Any person who looks into the condition of Islam 60 years ago will be struck with its helplessness and decrepitude at that time. Christian Missionaries were confident of its imminent death and were openly announcing that its end was near. At that time of despair, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Move- ment, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed that he had been raised for the rejuvenation of Islam and prophesied that it would again emerge triumphant and rule over the hearts of mankind. The prophecy has veritably come true. The tide has now visibly turned in favour of Islam. At one time the target of Christian onslaughts, Islam, has now taken the lead and Christianity is retreating before it. Christian writers openly admit the triumph of Islam. As an illu- stration we give below an extract from a Mentor Book entitled ‘The Religions of Man’ by Houston Smith. In the end of the chapter on Islam the author observes: “Of some of the religions considered in this book, we had to admit that they may be dying and on their way out. Not so with Islam. Youngest of the major religions of the world, it is again stiring with some of the strength and vigour of youth. From Morocco, opposing Gibralter on the Atlantic, eastward by way of Egypt through the entire Middle East, Pakistan and Indonesia to the Philippines in the Pacific, Islam is a vital force in the contemporary world. Numbering in the vicinity of 350,000,000,