Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 69
CHAPTER FIVE In his pamphlet designated Asmani Paislah (Heavenly Deci- sion), Ahmad invited his opponents to agree upon some method whereby the truth or falsehood of his claim might be decisively determined. One of the four criteria that he sug-. gested for the purpose was the acceptance of prayer. He proposed that an association might be established in Lahore, the members of which should be selected by agreement between the parties, and the association might be charged with announcing their decision in accordance with the proce- dure proposed by him. The decision could be unanimous or by a majority. He proposed that the association should call for the names and particulars of peopk who might be sorely afflicted with any kind of calamity or misfortune. A person professing any religion could send in his name and particulars if he found himself in the grip of a severe calamity or affliction. A list of such afflicted persons would be prepared by the association, entries into which would continue to be inscribed for a period of one month or any longer period that the association might consider appropriate. At the end of this period copies , of this list, together with all the particulars, should be drawn up and on a date to be appointed these lists should be placed before each of the participants in this trial, and the afflicted persons would be asked to appear in person so that the participants in the trial may be able to check tip on them, and thereafter lots would be drawn whereby the sufferers would be distributed among the participants in the'trial. Each par- ticipant would be provided with a list of the persons allotted to him by drawing lots, and copies of these lists would be preserved in the office of the association. Ahmad offered to bear the cost of all the announcements that might have to be made for the purpose of inviting sufferers to send in names 69