Life of Ahmad — Page 93
as HE STAKES HIS ALL FOR ISLAM 93 all published. The first four parts, which are printed, contain only one of the original 300 arguments. The author was unable to publish the whole of his manuscript because the events of his life took a different turn altogether comissioned him in March 1882, as a Reformer of this age; He said: i. e. , 'Say, I have been commissioned and that I am the first to believe'. Actually he undertook the work formally much later. This was certainly a far better way of vindicating Islam. Not only were the prophecies made in the book fulfilled, but God also gave Ahmad as better proofs of the superiority of Islam; and therefore, the old arguments were no longer required. It is said that the unpublished portion of the manuscript was afterwards accidentally burnt and destroyed in spite of the fact that Ahmad as took good care of it and kept it in a special box. Ahmad’s as opponents tried to make a fuss over the price of the book. What Ahmad as had originally promised in April 1879 was to give the subscribers ten parts, when ready, of 15 Juz each (one Juz equalled four pages of large size) for Rs. 5 paid in advance. He had at that time expected liberal donations from well- to-do Muslims; but when he found that the response was not what he had expected and the actual cost of printing also worked out to Rs. 25 he raised the price to Rs. 10 for Muslims and Rs. 25 for non-Muslims. His effort was to popularise the publication in the interest and service of religion. He sent out many