Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 229
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 229 established very clearly that the entire responsibility for the split lay on Ma~lvi Muhammad Ali Sahib and some of his close associates. The pattern that developed and continued over a number of years without interruption was that progressively the number and strength of the Community continued to grow visibly and perceptibly, and a visible decline set in on the side of the dissident group till their activities were reduced to insignificance. Right in the middle of the acute period of the controversy, immediately after the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I, the second Khalifa received the revelation (Arabic): 'He will shatter them. ' This prophecy has been strikingly fulfilled over the years. Fairly early they presented the spectacle:' 'Thou think est them to be united but their hearts are divided; that is because they are a people without sense' (59: I 5). Sharp differences manifested themselves between Maulvi Muham- mad Ali Sahib and other leading figures in the group, and the tensions thereby generated became so acute that in his will Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib specified by name those of the group whose hostility and rancour towards him had embit- tered his life, and gave the direction that not a single one of them should take any part in his obsequies. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II: 'He will shatter them. ' Several persons of note and a large number out of the bulk of their group had, even in the lifetime of Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib, left the group and sworn allegiance to Khalifatul Masih II. On the other hand large numbers of them gradually became indifferent and merged into the orthodox body of Muslims. The second generation of the group, with a few exceptions, lost all interest in religion and ceased to attach any importance to higher moral qualities and spiritual values. Even the first few years of his Khilafat, in which differ- ences with the dissident group continued acute and their activities claimed a sizeable portion of the time and attention of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, his efforts were primarily