Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page 62
Malf uza t - English translation of Urdu Volume 9 62 A Peaceful Period of Rule Now consider how blessed is the presence of the British, and how many advances have taken place upon their coming. Just look at how books are being published. A person named Kamme Shah stated that his mentor was always in search of S a hih al-Bukh a r i and during his five daily Prayers would sup- plicate to obtain it, and sometimes he would begin to cry in despair and weep to the extent he would sob uncontrollably, but now the situation is that S a hih al-Bukh a r i can be bought for three or four rupees. However, the situation back then was that if a mullah even had a book, they were limited to Kanz, Qud u r i or K a fiyah. Now so many treasures have been brought forth that no one can even count them. In summary, I say truly that the Government’s advance was after the manner of a forerunner for the [Ahmadiyya] Movement. A forerunner is the manifestation of signs before the appearance of the actual thing. 1 Ponder and discern how clear and manifest these Signs are. Treasure troves of books have been uncovered; all kinds of conveniences have become available to print and publish them. There is no hindrance or opposition in carrying out religious tenets. No one can stop us from raising the Call to Prayer, or offering Prayer whereas there was a time when people were killed by way of revenge over a cow. I know that seven thousand people were killed during the time of the Sikhs merely over an animal. There is a well-known incident from Batala. It was the rule of Bhindaris who are the chiefs there. A Sayyid entered the city gate in the evening, there was a large herd of buffaloes and cows there. He nudged a cow with the end of a sword that caused 1. From Badr : ‘Before an incident takes place, its prelude and preamble appears first. The advent of the British is the prelude to the progress of Islam. ’ ( Badr, vol. 6, no. 3, p. 10, dated 17 January 1907)