Life of Ahmad — Page 692
ADDRESSES RULERS AND THE RULED as 692 used in some of his writings against Christian missionaries was really a public service. The Christian campaign of vilification against the Holy Founder sa of Islam was a serious provocation to Muslims and would certainly have caused disturbances throughout the country if he had not pacified the excited passions of Muslims by his reasoned, strong and forceful writings. Then he drew the attention of the Government to the state of unrest which existed in the world of religion. The mullahs were issuing fatwa after fatwa that Ahmad as was an impostor worthy to be killed and there was a great turmoil in the hearts of the people. He claimed that he was the Promised Messiah with whom God spoke just as He spoke with the Prophets of old. He requested the Government to take the matter in their own hands and decide it once for all. He suggested that the Government should organise a religious conference in which the leaders and the learned advocates of each and every religion of the world should be called upon to prove and demonstrate the truth of their respective faiths in two ways: (1) Each advocate should put forward the teachings of his own faith and show that they are best fitted for all the requirements of man. (2) Each advocate should demonstrate practically that his faith still possessed the spiritual power with which it was characterised originally. He should show such signs or make such prophecies (to be fulfilled within a period of 12 months) as would prove beyond the shadow of