Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V — Page 388
B AR Ā H Ī N-E-A H M ADIY YA — PART F IV E 388 and you appeared in the courts as a witness to prove such charges; you had edicts of apostasy written against me and tried to dissuade people from me. This was when there were only a few people with me, but after your antagonistic endeavours, many hundreds of thou- sands joined me. Had I not been from God, there would have been no need for your efforts to destroy me; I would have perished by my own imposture and the consequences of my actions. Sound reason cannot accept that an impostor should be given a respite so long as to surpass the time of the ministry of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. In such a case there would be no security, and no distinction would remain between the truthful and the impostor. Can you reply to this: How is it that ever since I have made this claim, so many criminal cases have been brought against me and efforts were exerted to apprehend me—you leaving no stone unturned in the support of such litigation—yet did you or your ilk ever succeed in any of them? Had I not been true, why would God keep helping the ‘liar’ in every instance and at every occasion; and why would those who were called ‘truthful’ humiliated in every conflict? Their noses were worn down from prostrations invoking malediction upon me, but God con- tinued to support me day after day and none of their prayers against me was accepted. It has been your wont up till now that you wish to incite the British Government and to make them think evil of me by repeatedly publishing reports in your periodicals and newspapers con- cerning me that are contrary to the facts, but what can be achieved by such cunning? Bear in mind that you will always remain frustrated in such schemes; nothing can transpire on earth until decreed in heaven. And, in my heart, I harbour no ill-will towards this benevolent government. I was young and now I have grown old. For a long time, I have repeatedly published in many of my books that we are indebted to this government that under its protection we fulfil our duty of prop- agation with freedom. You are aware that in terms of apparent means there are other countries where you can live. If you were to leave this