Invitation to Ahmadiyyat — Page 108
108 people do not have to go a long way to find a place where they can buy alcohol. Dining cars on railway trains are stocked with wine. Waiting rooms make sure to stock it, whether or not they have food. In places like London, wine and water are sometimes sold at the same price. I am reminded here of the experience of one of our missionaries in England. This missionary had made a very favourable impression on his landlord by his courteous and upright manner. One day the landlord said to him, ‘Remember my advice, it will help you remain healthy: never drink water at all while you are in this country. My father drank water only once in his life and he died soon afterwards. I have not touched water to this day. ’ When the missionary told him that he had never tasted wine in his life and only drank water, the landlord could barely believe it. Another moral transformation described by the Holy Prophet s as is that gambling would be widespread. 27 It has been reported by Hadrat ‘Al i ra that one of the signs of Doomsday would be excessive gambling as a sport. 28 This change is so apparent that it needs no description. Gambling is not merely a pastime for people of Europe and America, it has become a part and parcel of their civilisation. It was common enough to play for stakes after dinner parties but now lotteries have become so widespread that it would not be wrong to say that about a quarter of all trade is being wasted on gambling. People of all classes indulge in this practice daily and gambling clubs are wealthier than any other. In Monte Carlo, millions of rupees leave one hand and go to another through gambling. So widespread is the evil of gambling that it would not be inaccurate to say that if it were taken out of modern civilisation, it would be difficult to fill the gap this would create. It can be said without fear of contradiction