The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 646
WORTHY OF THE ATTENTION OF THE READERS To understand the fact that man cannot halt the work of God Almighty through his own contrivances, this case is amply satisfying in that dur- ing the previous year when the fatwa of disbelief from Miyāń Batālawi was not yet ready nor had he made any great effort for declaring this humble one a kafir [disbeliever], only 75 friends and sincere ones had come to attend the Jalsa [Convention] in Qadian. However, now that the fatwa has been prepared and Batālawī Ṣāḥib has exerted himself to his utmost, traversing all around with tremendous effort and bear- ing the hardships of travel, and has gotten the seals affixed upon this fatwa from the ulema of his own ilk, and he and the ulema of his ilk have boasted with great pride and pleasure as if they have now placed insurmountable obstacles in the way of the progress of this Divine institution, during this Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention], three hundred and twenty-seven friends have joined the Jalsa, instead of 75. Such gentlemen also came and attended who, hav- ing repented, have performed the Bai'at [Pledge of Allegiance]. Now, one should reflect: Is this not one of the Signs of God Almighty's magnificent powers, that the outcome was the opposite of what all the efforts of Batālawi Ṣāḥib and the ulema of his ilk had desired and all those efforts went to waste? Is this not the act of God Almighty that Miyan Batālawi Ṣāḥib's roaming and travelling around in Punjab and India, was to an extent to literally wear down his feet and yet, in the end, Almighty God has shown him how His designs prevail over man's designs.