The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 421
Repeated Challenges 421 do it? Because he is a liar. To those who say that he might be afraid that dying within a year is a possibility, we reply: Who will cause him to die? His god Jesus or someone else? This is a contest between two gods; the. True God Who is our God, and the false god set up by the Christians. If Mr. Ātham believes in the divinity and power of Jesus, and has personal experience of it, he should pray to Jesus to keep him alive during this period. . Man is mortal; Mr. Ātham is now sixty-four and I am about sixty. We are equally subject to the law of nature. . If I were called upon to make an affirmation on oath in order to test the truth, I would affirm not just that I will survive for one year but even ten years; this is because of my certainty that God Almighty will help me in a contest about religion. . . . This is a contest between two gods. Only. He, who is the True God, will now be victorious. I affirm that the Might of our God will surely be manifested in this manner, and I shall not die within the appointed period of one year; but if Mr. Ātham makes a false affirmation on oath, he will certainly die within that period. The question is: what will befall Mr. Ātham's god, if that god is not able to save him. Will he resign from his function as the redeemer? There is no way of escape for Mr. . Atham. He should either stop calling Jesus, 'God Almighty' or should make the required affirmation on oath. . What is more, if he acknowledges publicly that his Messiah, the son of God, does not have the power to keep him alive for a year but does have the power to keep him alive for four months or even three days, I shall, after his confession to this effect, agree to a period of four months or even three days. [Majmu'ah Ishtihārāt, vol. 2, pp. 57-63]. From the servant of the One God, Ahmad, may Allah