Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 25
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 25 terested in his way of life and some of them did not conceal their hostility towards him and their contempt for the tenor of his life. He did not let any of this disturb his serenity and accepted whatever came in a spirit of cheerful resignation, deeming it a trial which he had been called upon by God to endure. About that time the activities of the Arya Samaj, which had been founded by Swami Dayanand and had spread very rapidly in the Punjab began to be directed towards a harsh and even abusive criticism of Islam, its doctrines and teach- ings. In its polemics even the person of the Holy Prophet of Islam was not spared and his character was scandalously misrepresented in the vilest terms. Another quarter from which Islam was under constant attack were the. Christian missionary organizations, whose fierce assault against Islam was couched in most offensive terms. In this situation the Muslims found themselves utterly helpless and exhibited extreme listlessness. Those of them who were alive to the perils to which Islam and the Muslims were exposed could not think of any effective means of meeting and overcoming them. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad proved to be the one great exception. His study of the Holy Quran, his deep reflection over the eternal verities, his complete reliance upon the grace and bounty of God, and his experience of communion with Him had already equipped him with the qualities of an effective champion of Islam. Under a divinely inspired urge he was moved to embark on a project which would not only help to safeguard Islam against hostile attacks, but would clearly and demonstrably establish its superiority over all other faiths. He resolved to set forth the excellences of Islam in a monumental work which he designated Braheen Ahma- diyya. By May 1879 he had made enough progress with the composition of his great work to make a public announce- ment concerning its scope and purpose. The principal diffi- culty in his way was lack of funds for its publication. He made an appeal that those who could easily afford it should