A Call to Faith — Page 10
Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad 10 the face of unbearable horrors. Conversely, the sacrifices made by the Messiah as and his disciples cannot begin to compare with those of the Holy Prophet sa. As great as they may be in their own right they hold no value against the sacrifices made by the Prophet of Islam sa. First, the ministry of the Messiah as is reported to have lasted for three years. And even during this brief period the injustices his opponents inflicted on him were limited to a few instances of verbal abuse and derision. Whereas the Holy Prophet sa spent the same length of time under siege in a confined valley. He [and his followers] were deprived of food and water and trade with them was made punishable. Their suffering was so acute the Prophet’s sa wife, Hazrat Khadija ra , fell ill and died as a result. His companions would narrate that at times, due to a shortage of food, they would survive by eating leaves and as a consequence their excrement would resemble that of goats. The lives of the Prophet sa and his followers were attacked on numerous occasions; they were stoned; strangulated; pelted with filth; there was no agony which they did not suffer. But through it all, Allah the Exalted continually instructed them to: 5 ِ صَبََ اُولُواالْعَزْم فَاصْبِْ کَمَا 5 Surah Al-Ahqaf , 46:36 [Publishers]