The Descent of the Messiah — Page 49
HADRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMADAS short, the Holy Quran is full of countless truths and verities. It is in this sense that the Holy Quran says that two kinds of creatures of the earth will appear in the Latter Days: (1) The religious scholars, who do not practice [their faith], whose hearts will be attached to the earth and who will seek its fame. (2) The microbe causing the plague that shall appear as a punishment. In this age, both of these have appeared. In fact, it is to these two that the Ahādīth also refer. It is clearly stated in a Hadith in Şahih Muslim that the plague will break out in the land during the time of the Promised Messiah. The plague is also mentioned in the Shiite books of Hadith. It is also mentioned that, at such time, most of the religious scholars will have adopted Jewish traits, meaning that they will become no more than the worms of the earth. Observe how both these meanings, that are derived from the Holy Quran, are also confirmed by the Aḥādīth. Some ignorant Shiites who have taken the worship of Hussain to be the essence of Islam have spewed much venom after reading my book Dāfi ul-Balā'. Using all sorts of invectives, they have objected as to how I can be more distinguished than Imam Hussain. In their zeal, they have gone so far as to write that the status of Imam Hussain is such that all the Prophets appealed to him to intercede on their behalf whenever they were in trouble, and it was through him that their tribulations were removed. Similarly, they say that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, too was beholden to Imam Hussain¹ in times of tribulation, and it was through his intercession that they were overcome. Alas, these people do not see that the Holy Quran does not give Imam Hussain even the rank of sonship [to the Holy Prophetsas]; in fact, even his name is not mentioned in it. 1 The footnote given here by the author, along with its sub-footnotes, has been given at the end of the book as Footnote 2 on page 303. [Publisher] 49