Truth About the Split — Page 372
372 my Bai‘at. The Paigham-e-Sulh and its correspondent between them furnished a refutation of the false report made by Mirza Ya‘qub Baig. For, the Paigham stated that the congregation consisted either of the Ansarullah or of rustics who were thrilling with eagerness to enter into Bai‘at and so they did. The question what the congregation consisted of—the Ansarullah or rustics or what—is not my present concern. Whoever they were, they—according to the Paigham-e-Sulh not only swore the Bai‘at but were thrilling with eagerness for it. It was, therefore, a misstatement, nay, a case of clear falsehood on the part of Dr. Mirza Ya‘qub Baig to say that of the assembled people the majority did not even know who had been elected Khalifa. The misstatement of the Paigham that the majority of those who pledged their Bai‘at were members of the Anjuman Ansarullah is sufficiently refuted by the fact that the total strength of this Anjuman was less than 175 and of these not all were present at Qadian at the time. And yet, according to its own report, some 2500 men were present at Qadian on the occasion.