Hazrat Ahmad — Page 29
HADHRAT AHMAD 29. Holy Quran, was alive and had not died and that if within one year of his statement on oath no divine punishment should overtake him, then the Promised Messiah would be proved false and would burn all his publications. He also fixed a date for the statement. . The disciples of Maulvi Nazir Hussain were much perturbed at the proposal and began to put forward all sorts of objections to it. . But the people at large were insistent. What harm was there, they asked, if Maulvi Nazir Hussain should hear the proposition of the. Promised Messiah and should state on oath that it was false? A great crowd assembled in the Juma Mosque on the day named. . People advised the Promised Messiah not to go to the mosque as there was likelihood of a serious riot. Nevertheless he went there, accompanied, as in the case of Jesus, by twelve of his disciples. . The spacious edifice of the Juma Mosque was full of men both inside and out, and even the steps were crowded. Through this sea of men who were mad with rage and looked at him with bloodshot eyes, the Promised Messiah and his little band made their way to the Mehrab and took their seats. For the preservation of order the. Superintendent of Police with other police officers and nearly one hundred constables were present. Many in the crowd had collected stones and were prepared at the slightest hint to cast them at him and his party. . Thus would the Second Messiah have been a prey to the wickedness of the Pharisees and Scribes like unto his prototype of. Nazareth. Instead of crucifying him the people were bent upon stoning the Second Messiah. They failed to carry their point in the verbal discussion which then ensued. They did not agree to discuss the question of the death of Jesus. None of them were prepared to take the proposed oath, nor would they permit Maulvi Nazir. Hussain to do so. Khawaja Muhammad Yousuff, a Pleader of. Aligarh, got from the Promised Messiah a written statement of the articles of his faith, and proposed to read it out. But since the. Maulvis had falsely given out to the public that he neither believed in the Quran nor in the angels, nor in the Holy Prophet, they apprehended that the recital of his articles would expose their falsehood. They, therefore, again incited the people who created an uproar and Khawaja Muhammad Yousuff was prevented from reading the statement.