Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 82
82 AHMADIYY AT for the further reading of Ahmad's paper. This announce- ment was joyfully acclaimed by the audience. But even by 4. 30 the reading of the answer to the first question could not be completed and it was suggested that the session which was to be concluded at 4. 30 p. m. might be prolonged till the reading of the answer to the first question was finished. The directors of the Conference agreed to the suggestion and the reading of the paper continued until 5. 30 p. m. As a good part of the paper had still to be read out the audience requested that the sessions of the Conference might be continued through an extra day to enable the whole of the paper to be read out. Accordingly arrangements were made to extend the sessions of the Conference over 29 December. The paper was unanimously acclaimed as by far the best one read out at the Conference. In the official report of the Conference glowing tributes were paid to the paper. The Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore, in its issue of 29 December 1896, in the course ofits comments on the Confer- ence observed:. Particular interest centered in the lecture of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, a master in the apologetics of Islam. An immense gathering of all sects from far and near assembled to hear the lecture, which, as the Mirza was himself unable to attend in person, was read by one of his able scholars, Maulvi Abdul Karim of Sialkot. On the 27th the lecture lasted for about three and a half hours and was listened to with rapt attention, though so far it dealt only with the first question. The speaker promised to treat with the remaining questions if time was allowed, so the president and the executive committee resolved to extend the sitting of the Confer- ence to the 29th. An English translation of the paper published under the title The Teachings of Islam, met with a very warm reception in Europe and America. Count Leo Tolstoy wrote: 'I approved very much two articles: "How to Get Rid of Sin", and "The Life to Come". The ideas are very profound and , very true. The Theosophical Notes observed: 'The best and most