Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V — Page 248
B AR Ā H Ī N-E-A H M ADIY YA — PART F IV E 248 would not be a new objection either. Rather, it is the same objection that was raised by the accursed Ab u Jahl and the accursed Ab u Lahab 1,300 years ago when—criticising the Holy Quran—they had said: 1 ْوَل اَل َلِّزُن ِهْيَلَع ُنٰاْرُقْلا ًةَلْمُج ًةَدِحاَّو Thus, such an objection falls under the category of تَشابَھَت ِ الْقُلُوب [similar- ity of mindset] and a Muslim should refrain from it. His Statement— You have also not specified what is meant by ‘earth- quake’ in this revelation. My Answer— The explicit wording in the divine revelation is the earthquake, but an earthquake that would be reminiscent of Doomsday. Indeed, it would be a cataclysmic earthquake and thousands of build- ings would collapse therefrom—many a town being wiped off—no parallel of it would be found in earlier times; thousands would be killed instantaneously, and it would be such an event as no eye had witnessed heretofore. Thus, the collapse of buildings in this way, the sudden death of thousands of people, and the appearance of something extraordi- nary, is the real import of the prophecy. Moreover, although from the apparent words of the prophecy, ‘earthquake’ is undoubtedly taken to mean an earthquake, the defer- ence to the Word of God Almighty does indeed require that we bear in mind the true import, which is an extraordinary phenomenon and a miracle; not conjecture about the particulars of the earthquake as to what form and shape it would take. Though the apparent words of the prophecy indicate that it would indeed be an earthquake, it is possible that it might be some other terrible calamity the like of 1. Why was not the Quran revealed to him all at once? ( S u rah al-Furq a n, 25:33) [Publisher]