Life of Ahmad — Page 11
as AHMAD’S as FOREFATHERS 11 Attracted by his righteousness and the encouragement he gave to learning, he was surrounded by about 400 men given to the pursuit of knowledge and virtue. His purity and piety, his courage and determination, his sympathy and generosity are still well-known in the neighbourhood. He was wise, sagacious and firm. It is said that he fought single-handed against 1,000, and routed them all. He was a brave soldier in the day, and a pious devotee in the night. In those days Qadian, because of its religious atmosphere, was often spoken of as 'Mecca'. It is said that Ghiy a thud Daula, a minister of the Imperial Government, once visited Qadian and, seeing the dignity of Mirza Gul Muhammad and his little court, was deeply impressed and remarked, with tears in his eyes, that if he had known that such a great and noble member of the Mughal dynasty was living in this jungle he would have tried to save the Muslim Empire by putting him on the throne at Delhi. This would have been by no means impossible in those days. At first Ranjit Singh owned only nine villages, but in a very short time he actually became the ruler of the whole of the Punjab. Muslims, however, were passing through evil times, and their empire could not be saved. During the last illness of Mirza Gul Muhammad, a physician prescribed brandy as a medicine, but he resolutely refused it and preferred to die rather than find himself placed in a situation where he might appear to violate the Quranic injunction against