A Present to Kings — Page 4
( 4 ) continued their old animosity; in addition three new enemies, the Jews, the Christians and the Hypocrites now rose to oppose him. . To day, the Mussalmans are to be found in every corner of the earth and Islam claims its followers among all ranks of people. And though much of the former glory and power have been lost, there are still left a few ruling states which yet profess the faith. But withal it is apparent that the hearts of. Mussalmans at large are fast sinking at the thought of the future of Islam. There are thousands, nay millions of Muslims who, at the sight of the power of Europe and its daily rising tide, have already come to the conclusion that for Islam to continue in its career of Saviour of Natious, nay even to maintain its position is now a thing outside the range of possibility. Nay, many a foolish one has gone so far as to predict that within a hundred years Islam will be obliterated from the face of the earth. As a matter of fact, the way in which at the present time Islam is being assailed from all sides, and every religion is treating Islam as the one common object of its onslaught, is sufficient to shake the heart of every shallow observer. And this is why the educated section of the community, who are acquainted with the condition of the times, are in a state of utter despair, and consider it but a bootless toil to take any measure or to make any endeavour for the regeneration of Islam. Such is the condition of the generality of Musisms of the present age, when in spite of there being myriads of them, they have reached the state of such utter despair. In contrest to this we see the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) in his single person facing a whole world in opposition, at the same time full of the firmest confidence that his will be the victory against the whole world, that keys to the treasures of the Caesars and the Kesras shall come into his hands, that Islam will spread to the farthest corners of the earth, that no power on earth shall be able to stay its march, and that whoever will oppose it or thwart its progress shall be pulled up and cast away root and branch. The. Quran too, in several of its verses, makes the same prophecy,