Malfuzat - Volume IV — Page 248
248 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Quran and have begun to lean on fabricated narrations. As a result of this, Islam became the target of attack from all fronts. The term dabba-tul-ard (worm of the earth) actually refers to a termite which is devoid of all good; it devours wood, dust, etc. It is characterised by the nature to consume and desires to expunge all that is good. It possesses a fiery nature. Now what this means is that the worms of the earth are the scholars of the age, who misrepresent the truth and make false allegations against Islam. For example, there are those who revere Jesus, peace be upon him, in a manner that is beyond reasonable bounds, and they attribute to him the attributes of God Almighty. They believe that Jesus as gives life, he is the healer, he is the knower of the unseen and unchangeable, etc. Moreover, these people raise the false allegation against Islam that it was spread with the sword. A certain Mulla Bashir from Bhopal has called me the Antichrist, even though these people are themselves the greatest of antichrists, because they conceal the truth and dishonour Islam. Therefore, the staff of Islam, which stood for the grandeur and awe of Islam, and which brought with it peace and security, has been reduced to the ground by this worm of the earth. Therefore, like the worm of the earth or dabba-tul-ard 1 at that time, there are worms of the earth at present also, but only worse. The previous one only caused disorder in the land, but these ones have caused disorder in religion, and over 100,000 people have become apostates. There was a time when if even a single person became an apostate, it would seem like the end of the world. But now, over 100,000 people have reneged from the Faith and no one cares. Many millions of books have been written against Islam and to insult and mock the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but no one has any idea whatsoever as to what is taking place. Everyone is busy with their own luxu - ries and enjoyments of life, and religion has been labelled in such a way that it is regarded as a sin to even mention it in a civilised society. It is for this reason that these people are unable to respond and are forced to remain silent when allegations are made against Islam from the perspective of natural philosophy. 1 One meaning of dabba-tul-ard (worm of the earth) is also the plague, as is evident from the following verse of the Holy Quran: * َُْوَْن ْن ِ ُق ُْوْ ُي َا ْل َا ْن ِ ُت ٰ ُي ٰ ا ِ َب ُْوْا َّن َ َكَا ٍس َا ْلْن َ ا َن َ ا ْ ُم ُ َھ ُ َم ِ ُل َُكَـ َّت ِِْض ُر َ ا َ اْلْ ُن ِ َم ً ِة َ َب َدَٓا ْ ُم ُ َھ َ ْل َا ْن َْْرَْج َخ َ ا ْ ُم ِ َھ ْ ْي َ ُل َ ِع ُ َل َْوْ ْق ْلْ ََعَ ا ُق َوَ َا ْذ ِ ا َوَ Meaning, when the argument is clinched against the people, we shall bring forth for them a germ out of the earth, which shall bite them because they did not believe in the signs of God Almighty. The Arabic tukallimu-hum is clearly defined in Aqrab-ul-Mawarid as ‘biting. ’ (Editor) * an-Naml , 27:83 p. 514 ُ ِتقِرَب َْنَ َو ُ َر ِٰفِ ُك ْْل َ ٗہ ِ َر َ ُك َْْو ْل ََو ٖ ٗہ ِ ُر ُْوْ َّن ُ ُم ِ ُت ُ َم ُ ُهلل َوَ