Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 90
90 death with his own death. The death of the Holy Prophet is an insult to his glory if Jesus ts-alive. As for me, it should not be imagined that I deny the excel- lence of the prophet Jesus, peace be on him. It is true that Almighty God has informed me that as the founder of the Muslim law is greater than the founder of the Mosaic law, so also the Messiah of the Muslim line, is greater than the Messiah of the Mosaic line, still I honor the son of Mary, for spiritually I am one with him, being the last of the successors of the Holy Pro- phet Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of Grod be upon him, as Jesus was the last of the successors of Moses. He was the Promised Messiah of the Mosaic line as I arn the- Promised Messiah of the Muslim line. Therefore I hold my namesake in honor, and all those who assert to the contrary and say that I do- not respect him, are mischief-makers and they, invent a lie con- cerning me. Not only do I revere Jesus, but I also/honor his four brothers, because they were all born of one mother. Nay more,- 1- regard the real sisters of Jesus as holy women, for they were all equally the issue of Mary. , And who is Mary ? She is the ; good woman who passed many days as a virgin in the service of the temple, and did not give her consent to a match until the elders of the people insisted upon it on account of her pregnancy. Some people object to her marriage as illegal according to the Mosaic law for having taken place during her pregnancy, and for being in violation of the vow which she had vowed to pass her life as a virgin, as well as for being a polygamous marriage her spouse being already a ; married man, but I say that the circumstances under which all this was done palliate the violation of the law- and it was a case of compulsion rather than of choice. Again I say to you, do not imagine that your mere outward entrance into my secc will do. An outward act is nothing if un-