Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 62
62 A study of the life of the Promised Messiah reveals the fact that he did not command any of the means mentioned as contributing towards the propagation of a religion, nor did he seek to provide himself with one. His advent took place at a time when every- body, with the exception of a few savage tribes dwelling in Africa or in some remote island, was connected with some organised religion, and if there were any persons who were not so connected their number was so small and they were so widely scattered that they could scarcely form a class or community. The second means, viz, the revolt, was equally unavailable to him, for modern culture has acquired such a hold over the minds of men, that the priests and doctors of all religions, instead of combating its influence, are anxious to mould their respective religions into conformity with it, and are being carried helplessly, even willingly, along the current of modern thought. The fol- lowers of different religions have probably never felt so satisfied with the leaders of their respective religions as they do to-day, for they find their doctors and priests offer no, or at least a very weak, resistance to the fulfillment of their desires and leave them to follow unchecked the course of life which pleases them best. In some countries there is, no doubt, a feeling of dissatisfaction with the established religion, but the country in which the Promised Messiah was born and the people (i. e. , the Sunnis) whom he had to first address had no such feeling of dissatisfac- tion owing to the absence of a regular priesthood, whose op- pression is generally the cause of such dissatisfaction. These two factor do not only advance the propagation of a false religion, they are also two of the causes which call for the re- velation of a true religion. But the Promised Messiah appeared at a time when neither of these two factors, the taking advantage of which is in itself perfectly legitimate and proper was available to him, and his task was thus rendered more difficult than that of the previous prophets, inasmuch as some of the means of which they could take advantage were non-existent in this time.