Bright Lights of the Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 23
BRIGHT LIGHTS OF 1HE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT 23 wanted them to see the truth of Islam and his claim to prophethood. He wrote that God had a sign to show to the American people. If Dowie should enter the prayer-duel, both would pray that the false one would be destroyed by God. The sign was that God would cause Dowie to die in great pain and misery. But Dowie just laughed at this claim of the Promised Messiah and said that the Pro- mised Messiah was as unimportant as a gnat or fly whom he could easily step on and crush. Then in 1903 Dowie said that an angel had told him that he would be victorious over his enemies. By saying this he had accepted the prayer-duel. Now, the Promised Messiah waited for God to punish Dowie. First Dowie's feet, the very feet that he said would trample down the Messiah of God, became paralysed. Dowie had lied and had attacked the beloved Messiah of God and the anger of God followed him. Dowie' s followers began to doubt him. They found out he was not a good man, that he used to drink, that he stole the town's money and that he did other evil things. His followers began to leave him. He was paralysed and had to be carried from room to room by ser- vants. he bacame almost insane and could barely talk and make sense. His last followers left and he finally died- penniless and in great pain and misery!!! See how Allah showed the truth of Islam and the Promised Messiah? Even the newspapers in America had to declare that the Promised Messiah had won the prayer contest. On the next page is a small part of one of those articles that appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1907. What a great sign for all Ahmadi Muslims and for American Ahmadi Muslims in particular! QUESTIONS: 1. Where did Alexander Dowie live? 2. What did Dowie say about Islam? 3. What did the Promised Messiah want Dowie to do? 4. What happened to Alexander Dowie?