The Holy War — Page 125
Proceedings—Debate 29 May 1893 125 given after taking into account all circumstances and particularities that may be present. Since there are false claims, it will become clear to you that there must be a true claim also. Had there been no gen- uine currency, there wouldn’t have been any counterfeit currency. Third— We have presented many prophecies to Mirza sahib, but he objects that we have presented only claims in support of claims because the prophecies that you refer to are claims in themselves and how can a claim serve as proof in support of another claim? I submit my dear Sir that this is a strange misunderstanding of yours. Divine prophecies of Allah Almighty can in no way be counted as claims for they are truths and we do not accept them to be mere claims. We accept them as pronouncements of our Master. Could any mere mortal dare to call the statement of his Creator and Provider to be a mere claim? We do not even have the right to examine and evaluate them, because if it is a prophecy, then it has to do with the future and not the present; so how can we settle issues related to a destination we never arrive at? We have the right to assess and eval- uate the Prophet and satisfy ourselves that he is indeed a Prophet of Allah. And once we come to know that, then we must accept the message he conveys to us with gratitude and respect, consider- ing it not to be his message, but rather the message of his Master and our Master. When a prophecy comes down, it is accepted, and when it is fulfilled, it comes to completion. Who, apart from Almighty Allah can distinguish between those matters that have not yet taken place? Now, my dear Sir! Look in the Old Testament. Many Prophets informed people about Allah Almighty— that from Allah Almighty we have been told that such and such things will hap- pen. The New Testament is also the Truth revealed from God and has descended from Allah Almighty. Many others write that this guidance by God, that such and such of My servants who had said at such and such an occasion, that that is being fulfilled today and at this place. My dear Sir, we have perforce to believe. Evasion is against