Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God — Page 2
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 2 proposed. Hence, as there are people who resort to even drinking the urine of certain animals and making recourse to other abhor - rent treatments as a cure for their ills, what harm is there for them to adopt this wholesome remedy to save their lives. Even if they choose otherwise, one day they shall come to know in the course of this rivalry [between different faiths] which faith from among the religions of the world can be established as the intercessor, and be given the honourable title of ‘saviour. ’ All people long for the true saviour and possess great love for him. Hence, the days have now come for the identity of the true saviour to be established. No doubt, I consider the Mas ih ibn Maryam [Messiah, son of Mary] to be a righteous person, who was better than most ✩ of the ✩ Let it be known that when I state that Hadrat ‘ I s a [Jesus], peace be upon him, was better than most of the people of his generation, this is a state - ment by way of goodwill. Otherwise, it is possible that in the time of Hadrat ‘ I s a , peace be upon him, there were other righteous ones on God Almighty’s earth who, in their piety and relationship with Allah, were greater and loftier than Hadrat ‘ I s a , peace be upon him. For Allah the Exalted has said in regards to him: اًهْيِجَو يِف اَيْنُّدلا َو ِةَرِخٰاْلا َو َنِم َنْيِبَّرَقُمْلا۠ [ s u rah A l- e-‘Imr a n, 3:46]. Meaning that, he too was one from among those who were granted nearness to God during his time. This does not prove that he was greater than all those who had been granted nearness to God; rather, it raises the possibility that others in his time were greater than him in this regard. It is evident that he came only for the Sheep of Israel, and had no relation to any other country or people. Hence, it is possible—and even likely—that some Prophets, who are included among ْمَل ْصُصْقَن [i. e. those not mentioned by Allah in the Holy Quran, s u rah al-Mu’min, 40:79] may be better and more exalted than him. In the time of Hadrat M u s a [Moses], a man emerged about whom God said: ُهٰنْمَّلَع ْنِم اَّنُدَّل اًمْلِع [‘Whom We had taught knowledge from Ourself,’ s u rah al-Kahf, 18:66]. Now ‘ I s a was lesser in rank than M u s a , and was a follower of his Law. How then