Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 60
60 AHMADIYY AT In the case of Ahmad, as has been mentioned, the receipt of Divine revelation continued over a period well beyond thirty years. The revelation vouchsafed to him carried within itself numberless proofs of its genuineness and truth. It was replete with grand prophecies, spiritual insights, knowledge of things divine, glad tidings and warnings for friend and foe and spiritual guidance at the highest level. It comprised shining and convincing proofs of its own truth, to some of which we shall draw attention later by way of illustration. Not only did Ahmad enjoy complete immunity from Divine chastisement, which is appointed as the portion of an impostor, he marched from triumph to triumph throughout his life and was obviously one who was greatly favoured by God within the meaning of the final verse of Sura Fatiha. Far from being exposed to Divine wrath for his daring impos- ture, as was imagined and alleged by his opponents, he had been bestowed a Divine guarantee of security in the same words in which the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, had been guaranteed security. These words were: '0 Messenger, pro- claim widely that which has been sent down to thee from thy Lord; for if thou do it not, thou will not have conveyed His Message at all. Allah will safeguaf(~ thee against harm by people. Allah guides not the disbelieving people' (5:68). Ahmad had also received the same assurance in exactly the same words: 'Allah will safeguard thee against harm by people'; and this guarantee was as completely fulfilled in his case as it had been fulfilled in the case of his master the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. He had been condemned as an infidel, an apostate from Islam. Leading Muslim divines had declared that his assassina- tion would be a highly meritorious act and that whoever brought about his death would prove himself deserving of paradise. His life was exposed to every hazard. Qadian, where he resided permanently, was. a small town which boasted no police station, where not a single police constable was posted, nor was there any military guard. Ahmad did not seek any