Life of Ahmad — Page 144
AT HOSHIARPUR as 144 was broadcast by means of a leaflet issued on February 20th, 1886. MURL I DHAR’S CONTROVERSY At the end of these days of communion with God, Ahmad as saw a great number of people there and accepted many invitations of friends and acquaintances. In those days a religious controversy also took place there between him and Murl i dhar, an account of which is to be found in his book entitled Surma Chashm A rya. Murl i dhar was a leading A rya Sam a jist of Hoshiarpur. He was a teacher of drawing in a local school. He came one day to Ahmad as in March 1886, and wanted to ask him a few questions about Islam. Though the A rya was not a seeker after truth but merely wanted to hold a controversy, Ahmad as accepted the challenge. Murl i dhar began, on the evening of March 11th, 1886, at the house of Ahmad as , with an attack on the miracle known as Shaqqul Qamar (the rending of the moon). The debate was to be carried on in writing by an exchange of two papers from each side. The papers were to be written there and then and read out in a public meeting. But Murl i dhar did not wait to hear the final reply from Ahmad as. He left the meeting on the lame excuse that it had become too late for him to stay there. One of the audience, Shatru Ghan, repeatedly asked Murl i dhar to wait, but he would not listen. The