Truth Prevails — Page viii
( ii ) The general body of the membership of the Movement, however, ignored this leaflet, with the exception of only a few in the immediate circle of Maulvi Mohammad Ali’s own friends. The rest, by far the larger body of Ahmadies, assembled at Qadian on the occasion and took bai’at at the hands of Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, as Khalifatul Masih II. This was the first victory gained by the Truth, that Maulvi Mohammad Ali failed to uproot the institution of Khilafat from the subsequent history of the Ahmadiyya Movement. A short time later, Maulvi Mohammad Ali moved out of Qadian and fulfilling an earlier Ilham of the Promised Messiah (Revelation received in direct communication from Allah), namely, Inni ma’aka, wa ma’a ahlika. “I am with you, and with those who are of your family,” was fulfilled. Because with the help of God, Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, whom his opponents ironically called ‘a mere child’ dominated these ‘elders’ in their efforts. 2. At the early commencement of the struggle between the two sections of the movement, which now ensued the Lahori Section wrote in the Paigham-i- Sulha , a weekly in their hands: “By this time, hardly one twentieth part of the membership of the Movement has accepted him (Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad) as Khalifa. ” ( Paigham-i-Sulha , May 5, 1914, Page 5, Column 3) In fact they went so far as to write, in the same Weekly of April 19, 1914, “With regret one notes it is being said that two thousand disciples of the Promised Messiah have accepted his Khilafat. But the number of people, with any awareness of the context prevailing in Qadian, on the question of the Khilafat, who have come out in support of Khilafat, is so low that not to speak of forty supporters, the number hardly runs to a poor, insignificant ten”. But only a few days afterwards, as Ahmadies in places outside Qadian also took Bai’at at the hands of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, the Asr-i-Jadid wrote: “The group, agreeing with Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din, which desires to work hand in hand with the general Muslims outside the Movement and which includes many Ahmadies in Lahore, has failed in its attempt; the Section accepting Mirza Mahmud Ahmad as Khalifa has defeated the opposition group in most places. ” ( Al-Haq , Delhi, May 22, 1914, page 2, Column 1) As this position began to emerge clearly, however, those who had taken up a position in denial of the need for a Khalifa, now came out with a view that numerical majority over a question of this kind, had little value ( Paigham-i-Sulha , January 24, 1945), even though the due weight of this majority lies recognised in prohecies of the Promised Messiah himself that God would steadily increase the numerical strength of his sincere and devoted followers, and that He would bless this emerging majority (Ishtihar, February