Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 2
2 hands of the invaders. In both cases, the first calamity that overtook the two peoples, affected in a large measure, the headquarters of their respective States. Nebuchadnezar sacked the city of Jerusalem taking away with him all the valuable things he found there and forced the Jews into exile. The disaster that befell the Muslims, likewise, resulted in a great measure, in the desolation of the centre of the Muslim State. Another feature common to both consists in point of period. The time that intervened between the terms of the early glory and the first destruction of Jerusalem approximated the time that intervened between the Abbasside ascendancy and the fall of Baghdad. . The Jewish Kingdom could not survive the second disaster that befell the Jews in the time of Titus; they had to flee the country. Some, therefore, sought refuge in Iran and some in Egypt. A similar second disaster was destined for the Muslims. As the first national catastrophe that befell the Jews began some time before the advent of the Messiah, and extended to quite some time after his period, so it fared with the Muslims. The general decline of Muslims had set in through the manoeuvrings of the Christian powers which had taken the place of the Roman Empire, some time before his the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) announced claim. They became weak everywhere, their States fell apart and Islam suffered a severe setback, and Islamic rule was wiped out from the face of the earth. This decline continued during the term of the life of the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) and even afterwards. But, as prophecies say, it is ordained that this decadence of Muslims must change into prosperity after a certain time and that they must once again become dominant in the world.