Life of Ahmad — Page 804
MIRACLE OF THE MESSIAH as as 804 Ahmad as had addressed a large number of mullahs, living in different parts of India, by name, but it will be very much regretted by an increasing number of persons in the world, that the mullahs and the priests could not, singly or collectively, pluck up courage to come forward for the contest proposed by Ahmad as. The only reply 179 that was given by Mihr Ali Shah or on his behalf was that Ahmad as should first hold a debate as to whether he was the Promised Messiah or not and that Maulaw i Muhammad Husain and Abdullah Taunk i should be the judges. If the verdict was against Ahmad as he should at once take Bai‘at at the hand of Mihr Ali Shah! The contest should take place after the Bai‘at ! Everybody knew that Muhammad Husain was the avowed and bitter enemy of Ahmad as. He had wielded his pen, tongue and every mischievous device with the sole intention of destroying Ahmad as , and yet he was so innocently proposed to sit in judgment upon the very basic claim of Ahmad as. Abdullah Taunk i was a friend of Muhammad Husain and an open enemy of Ahmad as. It was indeed an open admission of defeat and complete spiritual bankruptcy of the entire priesthood of India. Mihr Ali Shah came to Lahore and his friends gave out that Ahmad as was afraid and did not come to Lahore. But Ahmad as consulted his disciples in the Masjid Mub a rak and it was decided that there was no 179 Muhammad Hasan Fai di said that Arabic composition could not be the criterion of a reformer or Prophet. ( Sir a jul Akhb a r dated August 13th, 1900).