Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 120
120 for war and the Turks will be defeated in Asia Minor, but would recover a portion of their lost territory. ' It was also said that 'signs of this calamity would appear in advance,' but that 'God will delay it for a time. ' That in any case, 'it would overtake the world within sixteen years of the publication of the prophecy, but not during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah as '. 58 How clearly and powerfully has this prophecy been fulfilled! How terrible was the earthquake which had been foretold and how was the earth shaken by it! As I have already said the word did not mean an actual earthquake for the same word had been used in the Holy Quran, and in the Bible to signify war. 59 Every detail of this prophecy was clearly fulfilled. The war broke out suddenly and the whole world was affected by it. The prophecy was first published in 1904, and the war broke out in 1914, after the death of the Promised Messiah as , which took place in 1908. It affected not only those powers and Governments which joined in it, but also other powers and countries. It brought such terrible sufferings upon travellers which one would not like even to imagine. People who were travelling in foreign countries at the time when the war broke out have long and painful tales to tell of weary journeys, midnight escapes, captivity and starvation. Many of them were unable for years to communicate with those near and dear to them and no exchange of news was possible. Mountains were blown up as if they were no more than 58 Br a h i n-e-Ahmadiyya Part V and H aq i qatul Wa hi. 59 I Samuel 14:15