Hazrat Ahmad — Page 53
HADHRAT AHMAD 53 themselves upon the dais and to commit an assault. Thereupon the inspector of police requested the Promised Messiah to retire into apartment, and sent a constable to fetch a carriage. Meanwhile, the police restrained the people from entering the apartment. The carriage was brought up to a side door of the apartment and the. Promised Messiah proceeded to occupy it. As he was going to seat himself, this became known to the people and such of them as were standing outside the lecture hall advanced towards him and one of them struck at him with a thick heavy staff. One of his disciples who was nearby at once placed himself between the. Promised Messiah and the assailant to ward off the blow. . Fortunately the carriage door was opened and the staff struck against it and the gentleman escaped with only a slight injury. . As soon as the Promised Messiah had taken his seat the carriage started. The mob rained a shower of stones at it. The window shutters were up, but as the stones struck against them they repeatedly came down. We who were inside the carriage put them up but they as often came down again. We had to hold them to their places but the stones fell with such force that the shutters repeatedly dropped down. Through the grace of God none of us was injured. Only one stone passed through the window and struck my younger brother on his hand. Several of them struck the policemen who were surrounding the carriage. Upon this they struck at the mob and dispersed them from the proximity of the carriage. The police placed themselves both before and behind the carriage and some of them took their seats on its roof and in this manner the carriage was driven quickly to the residence of the. Promised Messiah. The people were so excited that in spite of the beating they received from the police they pursued the carriage for a long distance. The following day the Promised Messiah left for. Qadian. . The Sadar Anjuman. In December 1905 he received a revelation that his end was near. Thereupon he wrote a brochure called Alwasiyat (The. Testament) and distributed it among his followers. In this brochure he informed them of the revelation concerning his death and sought to offer them consolation. He also announced the foundation of a cemetery under Divine direction and for people who desired to be interred in it he laid it down as a condition, among others, that they