The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page xxix
Introduction xxix. At the time of the revelation, he was not widely known even in his own hometown and he lacked altogether all normal means of publicity and propaganda. At that time,. Qādiān had not yet found a place on the maps and did not even possess a telegraph office, was not connected with the railway system of the province, and could not be reached by a metalled road. The nearest railway station and telegraph office were at a distance of 11 miles, a journey to which occupied the better part of three hours. . Despite all this lack of normal facilities, the Aḥmadiyya. Muslim Community has, during the last hundred years, spread to the farthest corners of the earth and the prophecy just mentioned has been, and continues to be, fulfilled in an astonishing manner. . The main thrust of the opposition to the claim of Ḥadrat. Mirzā Ghulām Aḥmad has been, and continues to be, that he claimed to be a Prophet in contradiction of the Holy. Prophet [peace and blessings of Allāh be on him] being the Seal of the Prophets as mentioned in the Holy. Qur'ān. This objection derives from deliberate misrepresentation of his claim. His opponents first wrongly defined Prophethood as confined to law-bearing Prophets and then turned around and condemned him on the ground that he virtually claimed to be such a Prophet, and this in the face of his repeated and emphatic denial of such a claim. Innumerable times he affirmed that he believed that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of. Allāh be on him] was the Seal of the Prophets in its highest and widest meaning and that his own claim of. Prophethood meant only that he was favoured with frequent converse with God; that he had brought no new 1 al-Ahzab, 33:41 [Publisher]