Fazl-e-Umar — Page 92
Fazle Umar 92 Anyhow, the Promised Messiah [as] died exactly according to the revelations during his journey when he was staying in Lahore at the house of Dr. Muhammad Hussain Shah sahib. Despite the above mentioned expectation, this death was sudden and unexpected for his relations and strangers alike. The news of his demise fell like a lightning bolt for his friends and followers. His Community was deeply saddened by this news. One is hard pressed to find its match in any worldly relationship. The death of mothers and fathers, sons and daughters are soul wrenching but onlookers state that the anguish portrayed by his followers at his departure, they had never seen its equal in any worldly relationship. Prominent with this sadness was anxiety and questions were arising in many minds as to what will now happen and what will become of the Community. Contrary to this there was much rejoicing in the opponents’ camp and the ordi- nary simple people, misled by the Mullahs, imagined that a great enemy of Islam has died and they thronged the streets. They clapped, chanted and danced to celebrate his death as a great festival. Their happiness just like the sadness of his friends was twofold because not only did the enemies perceive the death of the Promised Messiah [as] but also waited hopefully for the early collapse of the Community and its funeral procession within days of his death. T H E S TAT E OF T H E C OM M U n I T y A F T E R T H E d E AT H OF T H E P ROM I SE d M E S SIA H [as] v isitors to Qadian & the spread of Ahmadiyyat What was the state of the Community at this stage of its short history? The Com- munity was established at Ludhiana, in March 1889 when only forty people took the