Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 115
Lecture Ludhiana 115 allows every religious person to discharge their religious duties with freedom. Since Allah the Exalted has willed that my message should spread everywhere, He caused me to be born in this Empire. In the same manner that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was proud of the reign of Noshirwan, 1 I, too, am proud of this Government. It is a mat- ter of principle that since an Appointee of God brings justice and righteousness, justice and righteousness begin to be imple- mented before he comes as an Appointed One from God. I maintain the belief that this Empire is far more dignified and superior than the Roman Empire during the days of Jesus, peace be on him. Although their laws are somewhat similar, in all fairness, it must be said that the laws of this Government are subservient to none. Comparing the laws of the two Governments would certainly reveal an element of brutality in the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, it was cowardice that Jesus, the innocent and elect servant of God, was taken into custody out of fear of the Jews. A similar case was filed against me also with the difference that while the case against Jesus, peace be on him, was brought up by the Jews, in my case it was a respected clergyman and doctor—namely, Dr [Henry] Martyn Clark—who accused me of attempted murder. The evidence he mustered seemed thor- ough, so much so that even Maulaw i Ab u Sa‘eed Muhammad Husain of Batala, an arch-enemy of this [Ahmadiyya] Movement, appeared in court to give testimony. And to the extent he was able, he testified against me and expended every 1. Noshirwan, a famous Sasanian king of Persia who ruled from 531 to 579 AD, is widely viewed as a wise and just ruler. He was known for his wisdom, jus- tice, and military conquests and is considered one of the greatest rulers of the Sasanian Empire. [Publisher]