Life of Ahmad — Page 760
JIHAD as 760 to kill the unbelievers if they refuse to become Muslims 174. In keeping with such ideas they also expected the advent of a Warrior Mahdi who would continue to wage a holy war against the unbelievers until the whole world accepted Islam. It was these un- Islamic and mischievous ideas which pained Ahmad as. He deplored the mentality and the ignorance of the mullahs who preached such dangerous doctrines and applauded such horrible crimes. He, therefore, wrote a booklet which was entitled Jihad. It was printed at the D iy a ’-ul-lslam Press Qadian, and published on May 22nd, 1900. It was also translated into English and printed at the Caxton Printing Works, Lahore, in June 1900. On June 7th, 1900, Ahmad as issued a leaflet in which he published a poem of 55 lines in Urdu declaring that jihad was prohibited. Along with it was a letter in Arabic to the same effect. In these publications the Promised Messiah as made it clear that the doctrine of jihad as preached by the mullahs was quite wrong. Early Muslims were persecuted to the extreme on account of their religion. They were turned out of their homes. The inhuman persecution was carried on persistently for a period of no less than 13 years. 'Many new converts were 174 Holy Quran says: 'There must be no compulsion in religion' (Al- Baqarah 2:257), Sir Thomas Arnold says, 'The very existence of so many Christian sects and communities in countries that have been for centuries under Muhammadan rule is an abiding testimony to the toleration they have enjoyed. ' The Preaching of Islam , London, 1913, p. 420).