Life of Ahmad — Page 173
as CHRISTIANS TAKE UP ARMS 173 fact he had already a wife and children. In a letter addressed to Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra , dated 20-6-1886, he says that the true state of his mind was that since the time he had received the Divine indication to marry, he was 'anxious and undecided and there is no escape from the Divine command. But I am reluctant by nature. Every time I wished in the beginning that this Divine decree might remain inoperative, but continuous revelations and visions indicate that this decree is unavoidable. Anyhow, I have made up my mind that however seriously such an occasion arises I will eschew it unless and until I am forced to it by an express command from God; because the burdens and the disagreeable responsibilities of polygamy are too many and there are a lot of evils in it and only those can guard agaist them who are commissioned to bear the heavy burden by God with His special decree for a special purpose of His through His special communication and revelation. ' It is clear therefore that he had made the proposal only in obedience to Divine commands and the real object behind it all was to show a heavenly sign to his cousins and relations, who had insistently demanded such a sign. 'It is purely a matter of a sign,' wrote Ahmad as , 'so that it may serve as a manifestation of Divine power for those relations who disbelieve