Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam — Page 18
18 the Islamic law would be disregarded, gambling would increase; large police forces would be required; women would dress like men; working classes would come into power; the rich would grudge charity to the poor; Is- lamic governments would be destroyed; religious condi- tion of Arabia would become deplorable; inanimate objects would speak (this refers to the invention of the gramophone, radio, television, etc. ); new modes of conveyance would be invented (this refers to airplanes, etc. ). It was written that land lying between two seas, on one side of which there was coral and on the other pearls, would be cut, and thus the seas would be joined and a large number of vessels would pass through the opening. This refers clearly to the Suez and the Panama canals. Again it was written, that books and newspapers would be published in large numbers; several discover- ies would be made in astronomy; irrigation canals would be cut out of rivers which would consequently run dry; mountains would be blown up; travelling would increase; in some countries the aboriginal inhabitants would be wiped out; immolation of widows and similar other ancient customs would be abolished by the state. It was foretold that the promised one would suffer from two maladies, one in the upper part of his body and the other in the lower, that the hair of his head would be straight, that he would be wheat-coloured, that he would suffer from a slight stammer in his speech, that he would belong to a family of farmers, that, while talking, he would occasionally strike his hand against his thigh, that he would appear in a village called Kada, and that he would combine in himself the office of the Messiah