Life of Ahmad — Page 260
THE PHARISEE OF BATALA as 260 In this reply Ahmad as told Muhammad Husain that defeat and victory were in the hands of God. He who is granted victory in the heavens, the same will get it on the earth, though it be after some time. Then he drew Muhammad Husain’s attention to the facts. Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra had gone to Lahore at the request of Hafiz Muhammad Yusuf and returned to Ludhiana when he and his friends, Munshi Abdul H aq, Munshi Il a h i Bakhsh, Munshi Am i r D i n and Mirza Am a nullah were all satisfied. They had asked Maulaw i Sahib questions, they had heard Muhammad Husain’s talk and formed their opinion. One thing is certain. They did not like the long-winded way of Muhammad Husain and openly said that he would take perhaps years to finish his technical questions and that neither Maulaw i Sahib nor anyone else could possibly stay there for so long. Ahmad as further wrote that if Muhammad Husain was so anxious to hold a debate as his telegram indicated he was prepared to accept the challenge, but the debate should not be verbal. There should be two written papers, one from each side. The papers should be written on the spot and read out in the meeting and a signed copy of each paper should be handed over to the opposite party. Muhammad Husain should write the first paper. It was a simple matter. Ahmad’s as claim was well known and he based it on the word of God which he received. Muhammad Husain should have shown that such a claim was in direct contravention of Muslim scriptures and then Ahmad as could have said what he