Life of Ahmad — Page 423
as PROPHECY ABOUT A THIM 423 to the qualifying words of the prophecy and declaring that A thim had turned towards the truth. It is no doubt a fact that A thim had kept unusually quiet; he had made no speech against Islam and had written no article or book during all these months. He was already frightened at the very moment when the prophecy was announced. Thereafter he had remained overpowered by fear and was so much terrified at heart that he dared not even reiterate his own beliefs in public or preach against Islam as he was wont to do. Not only was he tongue-tied but he felt also uneasy and restless. From Amritsar he would move to Ludhiana and thence to Ferozepur and from there to some other place. He became a victim to illusions and hallucinations. He was harassed, he said, by a trained reptile that wanted to kill him. He was afraid of dogs. Strange men armed with lances and horrible spirits haunted him everywhere. He was scared to death. His sons-in-law (one at Ludhiana and the other at Ferozepur) were influential Government officials; he himself had been an E. A. C. , and there were relations, friends and servants all round him; the whole of the police force was at his service to protect him. But nothing seemed to be of any avail. In fact, there was nothing of a physical nature that could rob him of the peace of his mind. His own imagination tortured him. He had no tranquillity and his very faith seemed to have left him. His colleagues and supporters had also suffered in one way or another. The Rev. Mr. Wright, a leading