Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 387
38? and when he devoted his whole attention to the purifying of their hearts and cast his holy influence on them, he worked such a transformation among them in a few days that from their savage state they rose to be men and from the stage of men they advanced to the stage of civilzation and thus progressing step by step they became godly men and finally they were so annihil- ated in the love of God that they bore every pain with the utmost resignation. They were subjected to various kinds of tortures, whips were lashed at them with great cruelty, they were made to lie on burning sand, they were put in fettere, deprived of food and drink for days until they were almost at the doors of death, but they only stepped forward at every affliction. Many had their children slaughtered before their eyes, many were hanged by the neck in the presence of their children, but a contemplation of the steadfastness with which they laid down their lives draws tears from the eyes. What was it which drew them so powerfully towards Islam and worked such a change in them that they threw themselves on the threshold of a man who once walked about in the streets of Mecca, a poor, solitary and helpless man ? It was the hand of God that was controlling their hearts; it was the spiritual attraction of the Holy Prophet which raised them from the depths of degradation to the sublime heights above. The wonder is that before they embraced Islam, most of them were the mortal enemies of the Holy Prophet and were thirsty of his blood. I cannot see there could be a greater miracle than that a poor, helpless and solitary man should have thus purged their hearts from malice and should have so drawn them towards himself that cast away their costly ropes and having donned sackcloth presented themselves before him like humble servants.