The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 400
400 Essence of Islam-III matter to its limit vis-à-vis Munshī Jīwan Dās Şahib who, from among the Āryās, appears to be a most decent and gentle person, and Lāla Murlidhar Şahib, drawing mas- ter, of Hoshiarpur, who I also believe to be one of the better type of Aryās, and Munshi Inderman Şahib of Mu- rādabad who is, as it were, the joint founder of the Arya Samāj and Mr. 'Abdullah Ātham, formerly Extra Assis- tant Commissioner from Amritsar who is a decent and gentle minded Christian, the Reverend 'Imad-ud-Din of Amritsar, and Reverend Thakar Dās Şahib, the author of Izhar-e-Iswi. I now reduce the period of one year to forty days on the condition that the gentleman who is willing to take up the challenge should stay with me throughout the period of forty days at Qādiān or at any other place where I may be residing. If, during that time, I put forward no extraordi- nary prophecy, or the prophecy proves to be wrong, or, if it is not proved wrong but the gentleman is able to match it, he will immediately be awarded five hundred rupees. But if such a prophecy is fulfilled, the gentleman making the trial would have to accept Islām. . . . If the gentleman has doubts about the prophecy, or if he thinks it is only a matter of guess work, he may himself make such a prophecy within forty days and prove that it has been ful- filled. If he fails to do so and my prophecy is fulfilled, then he will have to accept Islām. All this will be com- mitted to writing and attested to by both sides. These gentlemen are granted three months from the date of the publication of this book, i. e. , 20th September 1886, within which to respond to this invitation. If no fair response is received from any of them during this time, it will be understood that they have evaded the contest.