Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 257
257 a number of my followers had assembled together and the con- versation was upon a religious subject. The traveller stood apart from the assembly and was addressed in polite words. It appear- ed that he had been to Arabia and other Muslim countries, and that he came here with the object of taking my and my followers' photographs. Asa guest, he. was asked to stay for a few days, but it appeared that he was apprehensive. He stated that he had seen many Muhammadans who had committed atrocious deeds of murder against Christians. He mentioned several specific in- stances in which such cruelty had been 'shown. It was then explained to him that this, the Ahrnadiyya sect of Islam, abhorred such doctrines and hated their adherents. It had set before ^ itself the noble object of uprooting the evil. Upon this he felt satisfied and stayed here -for one night. There is a lesson in this story for the pro-Jehad Maulvis. The growth of such horrible doctrines among the Muslims has done lasting injury to the cause^of Islam, and created and abhor- rence for it in the hearts of other nations. They have no confidence in their sympathy so long as the dangerous doctrine of Jehad finds favour with them. They cannot form a favourable opinion expect of such of them as do not lead strictly religious lives and are not very scrupulous about their relious beliefs. For all these misunderstandings none but the Muslims themsel- ves are responsible. The blame of depriving a whole world of the recognition of Islamic truths lies at the door of the Maulvis who taught doctrines repulsive to the nature of man. How could the religion be from God, whose- teachings needed the flash of the sword to get an entrance into the human heart ? Such considera- tions were enough to keep back people from the acceptance of truth. The true religion is that which on account of its inherent property and power and its convincing arguments is more powerful