Life of Ahmad — Page 165
as CHRISTIANS TAKE UP ARMS 165 that there was created a spirit of antagonism towards him among the Christian community in general. In May 1888 Ahmad as was staying at Batala (he had gone there on account of the illness of his son Bashir I for medical treatment) at the house of Nab i Bakhsh Dhaild a r, when on the 18th, which was a Friday, a Christian missionary named Fate h Mas ih came to him and in a public meeting of over 50 Muslims and Hindus told him that he also claimed, like Ahmad as , that his prayers were answered by God and that he also received the Word of God which contained prophecies about the future. He challenged Ahmad as to compete with him in this respect and he suggested that both should publish their prophecies in the N u r Afsh a Ĕ , a Christian paper issued from Ludhiana. The following Monday, May 21st, 1888, was therefore fixed for this purpose. The time arranged for the meeting was 10 a. m. A great number of Muslims and Hindus gathered at the appointed time to hear the prophecies of Ahmad as and Fate h Mas ih. But, to the astonishment of everyone, Fate h Mas ih started talking of other things. The Christian missionary was reminded of the real purpose of the meeting and the public demanded that he should proceed with his prophecies, as, already arranged. Munshi Muhammad Bakhsh Mukhtar openly testified to the fact that Fate h Mas ih had claimed powers similar to those of Ahmad as. He had also informed the Rev. Herbert Udny Weitbrecht Stanton, Ph. D. D. D. (District Missionary, Batala,