Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 100
100 AHMADIYY AT man of more than sixty-six years of age. I suffer from diabetes, dysentery, migraine, and deficiency of blood. I realize, however, that my life depends not upon the condition of my health but upon the command of my God. If the false god of Mr Dowie possesses any power he will certainly permit him to come forth against me. If instead of the destruction of all the Muslims Mr Dowie's purpose can be served by my death alone, he will hav. e established a great sign, in consequence of which millions of people will acknowledge the son of Mary as god and will also believe in Dowie ashis apostle. I affirm it truly that if the disgust that the Muslims of the world feel towards the god of the Christians were to be placed on one side of the scale and the disgust that I feel towards him were to be placed on the other side of the scale my disgust would be found to be heavier than the disgust of all the Muslims of the world. The truth is that Jesus son of Mary is from me and I am from God. Blessed is he who recognizes me and most unfortunate is he from whose eyes I am hidden [Review of Religions, Urdu, Vol. I, NO. 9, pp. 342-8]. The challenge of the Promised Messiah was given great publicity in the American Press, in some organs of which its substance was published almost verbatim, among them the Literary Digest of 20 June 1903, the Burlington Free Press of 27 June 1903, the New York Commercial Advertiser of 26 October 1903. The Argonaut of San Francisco, In its issue of I December 1902, gave an account of the challenge under the caption, 'English versus Arabic Prayer Contest', and concluded as follows: 'In brief the Mirza has written to Dowie: You are the leader of a community. I too have several followers. The decision as to who is from God can be easily sought. Each of us should pray that whoever is false God should take him away in the lifetime of the other~ The one whose prayer is heard shall be considered from the true God. ' The paper commented: 'This indeed is a most reasonable and just position. ' Dowie gave no reply to Ahmad's challenge but announced in the Leaves of Healing of 14 February 1903: 'I pray to God that Islam should soon disappear from the world. 0 God, accept this prayer of mine. 0 God destroy Islam. '