Guidance for Perceiving Minds — Page xvii
Foreword After witnessing the persistent bigotry and rejection of the truth by Indian scholars, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, peace be upon him, diverted his attention towards the scholars of the Arab lands, in particular the Levant and Egypt, that perchance someone amongst them may support the truth. Therefore, the Promised Messiah as sent copies of his Arabic treatise I‘j a zul-Mas ih to some Egyptian scholars and editors of magazines, and sent a copy to Sheikh Muhammad Rashid Rida, the editor of al-Man a r [The Lighthouse] for review. The editors of Man az ir and al-Hil a l wrote complimentary reviews on I‘j a zul-Mas ih , praising its eloquence and quality of language; however, Rashid Rida, without presenting testimonies from Arabic grammarians, criticised the book’s composition, writing that its text was filled with forced fluency, and was against Arabic idiom. When this review was published in Hindustan, the Indian scholars used it to reaffirm their opposition to the Promised Messiah as. In order to reveal the truth, refute the charges and clinch the argument, the Promised Messiah as beseeched Allah the Exalted for guidance. Subsequently, it was placed in his heart to pen a treatise for this purpose and demand the like thereof from the editor of al-Man a r and all those that were ready to oppose him from these lands. Therefore, the Promised Messiah as supplicated with extreme devotion and sincerity, and this prayer was accepted. He writes,