Claims and Teachings - Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 259
found in every Muslim country. They prebend to be the religious leaders of the people and expositors of the doctrines of their religion. They call themselves Moulvis and assume saintly airs so that they may pass for godly men. Their deeds, however, reveal their true character. They do not like that true righteous- ness and true sympathy be spread in the world, for they consider that a loss to themselves. In short, the way of Islam is blocked with numerous difficulties. The souls are dead and do not respond to the call of virtue. The golden mean which Islam taught as the guiding rule of life has been given up, and Muslims have gone to extremes. There are those among them that prostrate them- selves before tombs and make circuits around them. They regard the departed-souls of their spiritual guides as having full control from God over the affairs of humanity. Every religious order has a tomb in connection with it which is worshipped by the disciples at the instance of the head. (Vol. I. R. E. 1902. ) "Bear well in mind that the time of religious wars is now gone. The battles fought by the Holy Prophet were not meant to compel people to accept the religion of Islam, but they were fought in self-defence. When the Muslims were very severely persecuted and turned out of Mecca and many had been killed, then it was that Almighty God commanded the Muslims to take the sword in self r defence. But such is not the case now. We are living in peace and security. . Islam is now attacked with the pen and not with the sword, and therefore it is the pen which the Muslims should now take in hand to meet their opponents' attacks. For, Almighty God says in the Holy Quran that we should make preparations for defence similar to those which our opponents make for attack. Now the unbelievers are not muster- ing forces to crush Islam, but they are writing books against it,