Fulfilment of a Grand Prophecy - Hazrat Ahmad’s Challenge to John Alexander Dowie — Page 53
Fulfillment of a Grand Prophecy 55 . . BALTIMORE AMERICAN, Thursday, June 25, 1903 "Dowie Versus Ghulam". There is trouble in faquirdom. Comes now the pot and challenges the kettle to a contest in blackness. In other words, comes Mirza Ghulam. Ahmad of Quidian, Punjaub, India, defying the notorious Alexander Dowie of Chicago to a test of genuineness of the respective afflati that move the two. Ghulam grows orientally picturesque in wording hid defi and says: "Come thou, O self-styled prophet; let us kneel on our knees in the dust of the earth, you and I together and petition the Almighty that of us two whoever is the liar shall perish first. ". It is up to Dowie. The puissant Ghuly claims. to be the promised Messiah, that he fulfils exactly the scriptural requirements as to date, pedigree etc. , and he also claims to have one hundred thousand followers "rapidly growing", Mirza entrusted with the reformation of the world. . Tough job, Mirza, tough job. The world has a terrific start of you. Delaware has just had a mob,. New York's prisons are filling up with millionaires and the postal scandal isn't half through. Besides, there's Serbia and Russia and Turkey and the rest of those outbroken sinners in you nearer vicinity. . O Mirza, aren't you "up against it good"? And, even when you should have pacified the state of addicts, set the New York money aristocrats straight and civilized the European provinces would not there be still Kentucky and St. Louis to say nothing of Chicago's automobile burglars?. And then think what a task you are setting for the avenging angel in asking a quick decision as to which Mirza Ghulam Ahmad or Alexander. Dowie- is THE liar! —. And that when the two of them were kneeling together "on their knees in the dust of the earth," and furnishing such a tempting target for a forked bolt of lightning!. No, Mirza, you ask too much. You have placed Mr. Dowie in a position that would result undoubtedly in the death of both of you, or in you both being ignored by the Almighty, whom you presumptuously and ignorantly blaspheme. No doubt the latter course would be adopted, as there are too many sane, earnest people in the world for the Director of the Universe to waste and time on either you or Dowie. . Scat, Ghulam!. PRESS KNICKERBOCKER EXPRESS. ALBANY, NEW YORK, JUNE 25,1903 "Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of India, who claims to be the only real Messiah has challenged John. Alexander Dowie, who claims to be Elijah III, to a duel of prayer. His proposition is that both of them pray until one of them falls dead. We suggest an amendment that they pray until both of them fall dead. "