Hazrat Ahmad — Page 24
24. HADHRAT AHMAD regarding future events which were fulfilled in due course and strengthened his faith. His friends among whom were several. Hindus and Sikhs, witnessed these events with great surprise and wonder. . The Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya. He was now no longer content with contributing articles to the newspapers in deference of Islam. He observed with dismay that the enemies of Islam were getting bolder in their attacks and that the Muslims, unable to withstand their assaults, were daily losing ground. His zeal for Islam was fired and, under Divine revelation, he resolved to write a book expounding the truth of Islam in a manner that would leave its opponents helpless, and stop them from ever after venturing into the field against Islam and, in case any did so, to furnish every Muslim with arguments sufficient to overwhelm such a one. With this resolve he started compiling that mighty work now well-known by the name of Barahin-iAhmadiyya, which stands peerless among human productions. . When one volume of the book was completed he appealed for help towards its publication, and it was published with the help of such contributions as were received from people who from the articles which had already appeared from the pen of the author had come to recognize his high merits. This first part was only a challenge. . The criteria laid down in it for the demonstration of truth were such as to convince every reader of the grandeur of the projected work. In this notice the author announced that if the follower of any rival faith should succeed in proving the existence in his own faith of the numerous excellences of Islam which he would describe in the book or even of half or of a quarter thereof, then the author would make a present to him of all his properties which he valued at ten thousand rupees. . This was the only occasion when he sought to derive some advantage from his properties. He offered them up as prize, so that the advocates of rival faiths might be persuaded to enter the lists against Islam and the victory of Islam be fully established. The first volume of the work was published in 1880, the second volume followed in 1881, the third in 1882 and the fourth in 1884. Then the plan, along which the work was projected had to be laid aside, because while the work was in progress, it was revealed to him that