Life of Ahmad — Page 371
371 CHAPTER 35 MUB A HALA WITH ABDUL H AQ Ahmad as did not really want to fight with his own co- religionists. He wanted to defend Islam against its enemies and was really too busy for anything else. But the Scribes and Pharisees of the age would not leave him in peace and were, as is customary, eager to abuse and persecute him. Though they would not enter into a decisive discussion with him on the real subject under dispute, yet fatwas were published all over the country excommunicating him and declaring him to be an infidel. He was called Dajj a l, Mul h id, Zind i q, Makk a r, Mal‘ u n, etc. His marriage as well as the marriages of his followers were declared annulled; anybody was free to enter into the marriage relationship with any woman joined in wedlock to any of his followers. Ahmad as tried to explain his position but the greater his efforts the worse became the situation. At last, on December 10th, 1892, he declared that God had permitted him to accept the challenge of the orthodox Muslim priests for Mub a hala. He wished to