Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 99
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 99 ment reaches me I too will pray accordingly and shall append to my prayer the testimony of a thousand persons, if God so wills. I am sure that through the adoption of this course a way shall be opened for Mr Dowie and all the Christians for the recognition of the truth. I have not been the first to propose such a prayer. It is Mr Dowie who, through his announcements, has put himself in that position. Observing this, God, Who is jealous, has urged me towards this confrontation. It should be remembered that I am not just an average citizen of this country. I am the Promised Messiah, who is being awaited by Mr Dowie. The only difference is that Mr Dowie says that the Promised Messiah will appear within twenty-five years, and I proclaim that he has appeared already and that I am that person. Hundreds of Signs have appeared in my support in the earth and from heaven. My Community numbers approximately a hundred thousand and is rapidly increasing. Mr Dowie boasts that he has healed thousands of sufferers through his attention. We retort: Why then was he not able to heal his own daughter and let her die, and still mourns her loss? Why was he not able to hear the wife of his follower who was in extremity in childbirth and Mr Dowie was summoned to her side and she died? It is noteworthy that hundreds of people in this country practise the art of healing and many of them become experts in it and yet no one acknowledges that they possess spiritual merit. It is surprising how the simple people of America are trapped by Mr Dowie. Were they not carrying the burden of unduly deifying Jesus that they took over this second burden also? If Mr Dowie is true in his claim and Jesus is indeed god, this matter can be determined by the death of only one person; there is no need of destroying the Muslims of all countries. But if Mr Dowie does not respond to this notice and offers a prayer according to his boasts and then is removed from this world before my death, this would be a sign for all the people of America. The only condition is that the death of either of us should not be compassed by human hands but should be brought about by illness or by lightning, or snakebite or by the attack of a wild beast, I grant Mr Dowie a period of three months to make up his mind to comply with my request and I pray that God be with those who are true. The method I propose is that Mr Dowie should come into the field against me with the permission of his false god. I am an old