Life of Ahmad — Page 324
FIRST AHMADIYYA CONFERENCE as 324 May 7th, pointing out that the Sufi should openly come forward and declare his name. Instead of disclosing the name, ‘Abb a s Ali wrote to say that Ahmad as should fix a date and a place for the heavenly contest and that the Sufi would be brought there by Muhammad Husain. The whole thing was ridiculous. Ahmad as was most serious, as his proposals abundantly make clear, but the mullah was trying to befool the public and drag Ahmad as into a meaningless show. It was only a trick. Therefore Ahmad as declared on May 9th once for all that if the unknown and hidden Sufi really existed and actually wanted to show his spiritual powers against Ahmad as , he should come forward for the purpose; otherwise he could no longer waste his time in attending to annonymous and meaningless communications. These letters were published in the supplement of the Punjab Gazette , Sialkot, dated May 14th, 1892; and the matter was closed. Anyhow, the first Conference of the Community held on December 27th, 1891, was a great success. So Ahmad as proclaimed on December 30th of that year that an annual gathering of the Community should be held for three days during Christmas week. Accordingly the annual gathering of the Community has taken place at Qadian ever since without a break. The object of this gathering is thus laid down: 'All friends should make it a point to reach (Qadian) on this date (December 27th) for the sake of God to listen to his words and to