Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 3
3 These revelations show that God had appointed him for the re- generation of mankind as being the Promised Messiah, and Krishna, and the Brahma Avatar, and as one who fulfilled the prophecies of all the Prophets. He had from the very outset to encounter bitter and determined opposition from all sects and classes, but his mission went steadily forward and was attended by increasing success. The Muslims, who should have rejoiced at the advent of this Champion of Islam, were, and still continue to be, his bitterest enemies. The Ulema of Islam issued decrees against him, condemning him as an impostor and an infidel, and to read his books, or to talk to him, or even to shake hands with him, were declared to be offences heinous enough to put a man beyond the pale of Islam. The decrees went on to declare that when a man became an Ahmadi, his marriage was ipso facto dissolved, and that to beat and loot the Ahmadies was not merely lawful, but was a means of winning the pleasure of God. In several instances, these fatwas openly incited to acts, the most immodest and the most shameful, the very mention of which would not be permitted by decency. The common people who are always seeking for means to win the pleasure of God without having to make any real sacrifice were not likely to let such a glorious opportunity of earning spiritual merit to slip through their hands. They commenced to put these decrees into action the moment they were promulgated, so that for the handful of Ahmadies who had believed in the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in the beginning, life became one long series of per- secutions, and those who had been favourably impressed by the Movement were thoroughly frightened. The Christians, the Aryas and the Sikhs were not less zealous in Opposing him. The tracts and pamphlets which were issued against him were so filthy and obscene that modesty forbids any reference to or reproduction of their contents.