Some Prophecies of Hazrat Ahmad - A Critical Study — Page 31
CHAPTER FOUR. PROPHECY CONCERNING. PADRE ABDULLAH ATHIM. Historical records of pre partition India reveal that during the latter part of the 19th Century CE, Christianity had begun to register heavy gains in the subcontinent. Evidence suggests that whereas in 1851 CE, the. Church claimed a following of 91,092 faithful, it boasted a membership of 417,372 by the year 1881 CE. . This colossal increase registered by the Church in India was a matter of grave concern to a large majority of sincere Muslims who began to attend. Christian meetings and defend Islam to the best of their ability. However, their defence of Islam, except in a few cases, left a lot to be desired and hence, the Church leadership began to predict a total conversion of the subcontinent's population to Christianity. . In early 1893 CE, a Christian missionary, Rev. Henry Martin Clark wrote a letter to a Muslim leader of Jandiala, Muhammed Baksh Phanda, suggesting that some decisive action be taken to arrange a public debate between the representatives of Christianity and Islam so that a ‘final decision could be taken on the relative merits of the two faiths and it might be determined which of them was true. '. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian had, by this time, already routed many a Christian challenge to Islam and he had been publicly acknowledged the 'champion of the faith. ' A non Ahmadiyya Muslim newspaper, Riyaz Hind of Amritsar stated in relation to Hadhrat. Ahmad'sas excellent defence of Islam: 'The excellent merits and high spiritual accomplishment of Mirza Saheb are too great for our humble observations. The cogent reasons and brilliant arguments he has brought forth in support of Islam and Truth in so beautiful a manner show beyond a shadow of doubt that he has 31