Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 108
Khilafat Centenary speaking countries and received encouraging reviews from eminent sources such as Count Leo Tolstoy, Review of Reviews (London), and the Editor of the Encyclopedia of Islam. Hadhrat Ahmad as proclaimed that the West had not gone without witnessing the signs of God concerning the Second Coming of the Messiah. Earthquakes, showers of shooting meteorites, and the eclipses of the sun and the moon in the month of Ramadan were Divine signs fulfilling old prophecies, but the West had yet to witness a magnificent sign in the form of a prayer duel. Dr. Alexander Dowie, a man with a spectacular career as a faith-healer, founding father of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church and establisher of the city of Zion in Illinois USA ' ' had threatened the Muslims of the world with destruction if they did not accept Jesus as their Savior. He had claimed to be the Third Manifestation of Elijah, the forerunner for the Second Coming of Jesus - who would, according to Dr. Dowie's claim, descend in Zion. He also engaged in using abusive language insulting the Holy Prophet of Islam saw. In 1902, he prayed for the annihilation of Islam. Only one voice of concern was raised from the Muslim world, indeed from the East. In responding, Hadhrat Ahmad as wrote to Dr. Dowie beseeching reason and restraint, urging him to stop proclaiming for the destruction of millions of Muslims. But Dr. Dowie heightened his expression of animosity and insulted Hadhrat Ahmad as by declaring: "Do you think, I shall reply to these gnats and flies? If I put my foot on them, I would crush out their lives. " When reasoning was of no avail, Hadhrat Ahmad as offered an easy way to prove the truthfulness of his claims: Dr. Dowie should simply pray only for one man's death and destruction - that of Hadhrat Ahmad as himself. It was a challenge for a mubahila (prayer duel) stating that whosoever of the two was a liar should die a miserable death during the lifetime of the other. It was 1902; Hadhrat Ahn;ad as was 12 yea rs older than Dr. Dowie at the time and not in good health, whereas Dr. Dowie was in robust health and enjoyed great prosperity and popularity. This challenge, involving the question of which opponent's prayers would be answered, was absolutely unique to the Western mind, and the American news media picked up on it immediately. In mid-1903, more than thirty newspapers and periodicals, including the Chicago Interpreter, Literary Digest, New York Mail and Express, Rochester Herald, Boston Advertiser, Washington Pathfinder, Chicago Inter- Ocean, Baltimore American, Houston Chronicle, and Morning Telegraph reported it. In fact, the news swept through the West instantaneously. Gigantic Success and Tragic Failure On February 20, 1907, Hadhrat Ahmad as published a prophecy that he had received from Allah entitled 'A Prophecy of a New Sign. ' He wrote: God says that He will show a new Sign which will contain a glorious victory. It will be a Sign for the whole world, and it will be by God's own hands and from the heaven. Let everyone wait for it because God shall show it very soon, so that He may make it evident that this humble person who is being abused by all nations is from Him. Blessed are those who may derive benefit from it. Qadian kay Arya aur hum, p. 2 Less than two weeks after the publication of the above prophecy, on March 9, 1907, Dr. John Alexander Dowie died a pathetic death. Once again, the news of Hadhrat Ahmad's as astonishing victory in the prayer duel spread like lightning coming from the East into the West. The Chicago Evening American summarized Dr. Dowie's life-story in the following words: Gigantic success and tragic failure punctuated his life. Here are some remarkable works and reversals that marked Dowie's career: He built a creed; he was ex- communicated. He built a city; he was expelled from it. He amassed a fortune of millions; he was reduced to virtual poverty. He elevated Voliva to great power; Voliva ruined him. He drew about him thousands who worshipped him; he died deserted by all save a hand/ ul of the faith/ ul. The Sunday Herald of Boston wrote a detailed article onjune 23, 1907 under the heading: Great Is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Messiah: FORETOLD PATHETIC END OF DOWIE AND NOW PREDICTS PLAGUE, FLOOD AND EARTHQUAKE. Calling him a seer, the paper stated: The Indian gentleman has been well known in the eastern pastures of the world for many years.