A Gift for An-Nadwah — Page 13
13 or publicly expressed their remorse so as to let the people know that they had returned to the fold of Islam. Ha fi z Sahib states that sufficient proof of this can be found in Qa t ‘ul-Wat i n. He also writes that he does not wish to receive the 500 rupee reward. Instead he desires that at the annual gathering of the Nadwatul-Ulema be- ginning on 9 th October, 1902, in Amritsar, which will be attended by some of India’s most renowned scholars, I should promise to repent if the historical authenticity of the examples cited in Qa t ‘ul-Wat i n is accepted by the designated arbiters i. e. the Nadwatul-Ulema. That is, if they decide that my case is similar to that of other liars who claimed to have received Divine revelations, record- ed them and spread news of them throughout the world and fabricated lies against God, and yet they were not de- stroyed. On the contrary, like me, they were blessed with a community of followers. If this be how they are per- suaded I should repent before their gathering. I would happily let the Nadwatul-Ulema arbitrate be- tween Ha fi z Sahib and myself if God had blessed them with the necessary foresight, if they were just, right- eous and had sufficient time to thoroughly investigate our respective claims. But, since I am given to doubt regarding their [earnestness and judicial faculty], I have decided not to make the journey to Amritsar. In