Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V — Page 225
APPE N DI X to B AR Ā H Ī N-E-A H M ADIY YA — PART F IV E 225 which has nothing unusual about it. If this is the case, then my proph- ecy about the earthquake will similarly be just an ordinary affair. Regarding the earthquake, the words used in my announcements are: On the first of May 1904, I received this revelation from God Almighty which I got published in Al- H akam and Al-Badr newspapers: عَفَت ِ الدِّیَار ُ مَحَلُّھَا وَمَقَامُھَا. Meaning that, a part of this country will be wiped out; those of its buildings that are used as temporary dwellings and those buildings meant as places of permanent residence, would both disappear; no trace of them would be left. The definite article ال [ al ] of the word الدّیار [ ad-diy a r —‘this coun- try’] makes the reference specific that there are places in the knowledge of God Almighty that will be visited by this devastation, and the build- ings of those places will be razed to the ground. How extraordinary is this prophecy, and how strongly it refers to the coming event of which there is no parallel in the last 1,600 years in this country! A study of the English newspapers will tell you that eminent geol- ogists have declared the earthquake to be quite extraordinary for this part of the world. Indeed, there is the published testimony of renowned European scientists affirming that such an earthquake has not occurred in the Punjab for the last 1,600 years. And all newspapers are full of articles describing the earthquake as a reminder of Doomsday. Thus, since the revelation that was vouchsafed to me from God contains the tidings of an extraordinary event that would cause build- ings to be destroyed and a part of this country to be ruined, it is regret- table indeed that this great prophecy—that speaks of the destruction of a whole land—is equated to the prophecy of the Gospel that earth- quakes will occur in a country which is the home of earthquakes. Could any prophecy be couched in more fearful words? Let every fair-minded person ponder whether it is possible to foretell the coming