The Descent of the Messiah — Page 37
HADRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS has never before befallen Islam. The time and age undoubtedly call for a Reformer who can withstand the Christian onslaught; and this was indeed expected to occur at the turn of the centu- ry-and now a fifth of the century has already passed. All this is true-but how can we accept this person when his beliefs are at odds with those of our scholars? Had he been in accord with them, we could have accepted him”. Just observe the insanity of their thinking! When they are themselves convinced that the scholars are incorrect in their be- lief about Jesus, son of Mary, being alive and about his physical descent, how can they expect the Messenger sent by God to ac- cept this error? Moreover, when the Promised Messiah has been named Hakam [the Arbiter], it is necessary for him to decide between the seventy-two sects of Islam and reject certain doc- trines while acknowledging [the truth of] others. How could it be that the one who has been called Hakam ought to just ac- cept your entire collection of the good as well as the bad? What then would be the purpose of his coming and why would he have been named Hakam? It was essential that he reject some of your collections of good and bad and affirm others. If he were to accept everything, there would be no point in his being an arbiter. For example, one sect among you believes that Jesus son of Mary shall return from heaven but, contrarily, the Mu'tazila and some Sufis believe that it is wrong to believe in his return, that the Messiah son of Mary is dead, and that the one who is to appear will be from this very Ummah. Tell me now, what is it that I have added to Islam or in what way have I opposed it? All I have done is that, after receiving revelation from God, I have rejected one of the two opposing doctrines held by the Muslims and declared it to be against the Quran and the consen- sus of the Companions, and acknowledged the other doctrine and demonstrated how it applied to myself. Was it necessary for 37