Arba'in — Page 85
Number Three 85 farewell to camels [as a means of transport] yet they derive no benefit from this Sign. It was also stated in the a ha d i th that the Star Dhus-Sin i n [i. e. Comet] would appear during the time of the Promised Messiah 1. Now you can confirm from the British that that star had appeared a long time ago. It was also in the a ha d i th that the plague would spread, and travel to the Hajj would be obstructed during the time of the Messiah 2. Thus, all these Signs have come to pass. Now, for exam- ple, if the eclipse of the moon and the sun did not take place in the sky for me, then produce some other Mahdi who claims on the basis of revelation from God that it happened for him. Pity be upon the predicament of these people! They showed no reverence for the words of God and His Messenger. Moreover, seventeen years have passed into the century, but their Mujjadid [Reformer] is still sitting hiding in some cave till now! Why are they so narrow-minded concerning me? If God had not desired, I would not have come. Sometimes the thought had even crossed my mind that I might petition God to relieve me of this office, and honour some- one else to perform this service, but at the same time the notion was instilled within my heart that there would be no greater sin than me showing cowardice in carrying out the service assigned to 1. Bi ha rul-Anw a r al-J a mi’ah lil Durari Akhb a ril-A’immatil A t h a r, B a b ‘Al a m a t- Z uh u rih i ‘alaihis-Sall a m, minas Sufiyān i wad-Dajjāl , vol. 52, p. 268, D a rul-I h y a ’il-Tur a thil-‘Arabī, Beirut , Lebanon [Publisher] 2. S a hih al-Bukh a r i , Kit a bul- H ajj, B a b Qaulill a h Ta‘ a l a : (J a‘ alall a hu al- Ka‘bah al-Baitul- H ar a ma Qiy a man lin-N a s ) , Hadith 1593 [Publisher]