A Verdict Required — Page xii
xii A VERDICT REQUIRED was searching the house of His Holiness, he said to me, “You truly oppose me this way, but your descendants will enter the fold of my followers"" (Register Riwāyāt-e-Şahābah, vol. 13, p. 13). Two of his three sons-Niaz Muhammad and Atta Muhammad-later joined the Ahmadiyya Jamāʻat, although Atta Muhammad subse- quently recanted. Further, Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala and his fellow maulawis had made assertions claiming the Promised Messiah's prophecy turned out to be false. They disingenuously asserted that the murder of Lekh Ram was a coincidental event that just happened to take place within the predicted six years. Given this backdrop of denial, deflection, and deception, the Promised Messiahas wrote Istiftā'—a petition to scholars to evaluate the evi- dence, and openly and courageously issue a fatwa, as they carry the heavy burden of guiding the Ummah. This English translation of Istiftā' was initially performed by Wakālat-e-Taşnīf. From the English Translation Section of Additional Wakālat-e-Tașnīf, the review and finalization process was led by Waseem Ahmad Sayed and Naser-ud-Din Shams, with valuable contributions from Bushra Shahid, Asifah Wahab Mirza, and Mirza Abdul-Wahab. It was the Promised Messiah's desire to eventually translate this work into English so that the people of Europe may investigate the facts for themselves and take a stand for truth. This English translation opens the door to fulfil that wish. May it be a source of great inspiration to English-speaking audiences and stand as a testimony of the truth of Islam and the unshakeable faith of the Promised Messiahas. Amin. al-Hāj Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wakīlut-Taşnīf, July 2025