Life of Ahmad — Page 797
as MIRACLE OF THE MESSIAH as 797 Ibn-e-Jar i r. Mihr Ali Shah replied that it was Maulaw i Muhammad Gh a z i who had compiled the book and, as he was not available at that time, it was not possible to supply the required information. This answer was very disappointing and exposed the ignorance of Mihr Ali Shah. There was disquiet among his own followers. Maulaw i Abdul Kar i m ra wrote a crushing rejoinder in the Al- H akam , dated April 24th, 1900, and pressed Mihr Ali Shah in vain for an answer to the eleven questions put to him. On July 20th, 1900, Ahmad as issued an Ishtih a r in which he invited Mihr Ali Shah to a contest. On page 81 of Shamsul Hid a ya , Mihr Ali Shah had insinuated that Ahmad as did not know the Quran, so he suggested that a meeting be held at Lahore and forty verses of the Quran should be selected by casting lots. Ahmad as and Mihr Ali Shah should then pray that God might enable the truthful of the two to write in fluent Arabic a commentary of the verses in that very meeting with the help of the Holy Spirit. The commentary should be not less than 43 pages. The parties should have no book with them, nor should there be any assistant. Seven hours should be given for this purpose. The parties should then sign the papers which would be read out to three learned men selected by Mihr Ali Shah. They should neither be the followers of Ahmad as nor of Mihr Ali Shah. These three men should then give their decision under oath as to which of the papers was superior in language as well as in commentary. Ahmad as also said he was prepared to