Thirteenth Paper

[DEBATE] 5 JUNE 1893 CE

(PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING)

Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad] Sahib started dictating the reply at 6:10 and finished at 7:10, and it was read out loud to the gathering.

It was mutually agreed that the debate should finally end today and today should be considered the last day.

Mr. Abdullah Atham started to dictate his answer at 7:55 and finished at 8:55 when it was read out loud.

Mirza Sahib began at 9:23 and completed at 10:33.

Respected Khawaja Yousaf, Honorary Magistrate Amritsar, stood up and gave a short speech offering thanks on behalf of the audience to both Presidents and especially to Dr. Henry Martyn Clark for his pleasant morals and excellent arrangements due to which this fifteen day event was able to be conducted in a pleasant and pleasing manner; and if any differences occurred they were amicably resolved by the agreement of both Presidents, and for maintaining amity among the parties by being completely just. After this, both Presidents signed the written documents and the meeting was adjourned—June 5, 1893.

By

HAZRAT MIRZA [GHULAM AHMAD] SAHIB

The questions and answers between Deputy [Abdullah Atham] Sahib and myself are indicated below by the letters A and G; that is to say, [Deputy] Sahib is indicated by the letter ‘A’ and I am meant by the letter ‘G.’

A—It is written in the Quran 1 meaning continue to kill until religion is wholly for Allah and there remains no disbelief on the earth.

G—If, in fact, the Quran has dealt with all religions in this way—that is to say, either believe or be killed—then you are true in taking such meanings. Otherwise, you can see what the reality is.

A—If there was no compulsion in religion then why was this condition imposed on the Arabs that they should either believe or be killed?

G—This order for the Arabs was because of the bloodshed and the killing of poor and defenceless Muslims that they indulged in before the Muslims were permitted to fight. To be granted freedom upon believing was a concession that is not against Divine attributes. Look how many times the Jews were spared from the wrath of God Almighty by repentance and by intercession as well.

A—You were not able to prove protection being afforded on condition of belief in the case of the battles of Moses(as).

G—You have already seen the offer of safety and security in return for the payment of Jizyah [tax], see Judges 1:28–35. You have also heard the offer of peace. If there was wrath, then why the offer of peace? See Deuteronomy 20:10, one who desires peace gets nearer to the faith, and then who can stop him from believing?

A—Killing innocent children is like death by epidemics.

G—If killing little, suckling children in front of their mothers with swords and bayonets—not one or two, but hundreds of thousands—is by a commandment of God Almighty, then why are these Quranic jihads considered to be so objectionable? Are these the attributes of God and those not?

A—Moses(as) was commanded to eliminate these seven nations.

G—Where were these nations destroyed? Peace was arrived at, and they were released upon payment of a Jizyah. The women were left alive.

A—Force was used to convert people to Islam.

G—The one who said 2, agreed to peace, gave security upon receiving payment of the Jizyah—who can call that person a tyrant?

A—The teaching of the Holy Quran is that one can rob a person by way of deceptive slander. This is what I understood from the statement of Deputy [Abdullah Atham] Sahib.

G—If this is indeed the teaching, please present the verse from the Holy Quran. However, those who killed with swords, verily died by swords; those who unjustly robbed the poor, were themselves robbed; as they sowed, so did they reap. On the contrary, they were treated rather leniently, for which much objection is raised these days as to why they were treated that way. They should all have been killed.

A—The Quran gives permission to hide your faith in a state of fear.

G—If this is the teaching of the Holy Quran, then why does the Quran state:

—(Surah at-Taubah, Ruku‘ 3)3

And:

—[Pt.] 28/94

And that:

—[Pt.] 22/25

The fact is that there are grades of believers, as Allah the Almighty states:

—[Pt.] 22/166

Meaning that, there are some from among the Muslims who are overwhelmed by their carnal passions and some who are in a middling state, while some are those who have advanced to the highest perfection of faith. Thus, if Allah the Exalted—conceding that the group of Muslims who are weak, cowardly, and defective in faith—said that if such people, fearing for their lives, were to deny their faith verbally while remaining firm at heart, then such individuals are deemed excusable. Notwithstanding, along with this, it was additionally stated that there are also such believers who bravely lay down their lives for the sake of their faith and do not fear anyone.

The account of St. Paul is not hidden from anybody when he said that, ‘I am a Jew among the Jews, and I am a Gentile among the Gentiles.’ Moreover, St. Peter even denied [Jesus] three times, fearing the enemies; nay rather, on one occasion—imitating blasphemy and alleging blasphemy—he hurled a curse upon the Holy Messiah(as)! I have also heard from reliable sources that some Englishmen in Muslim countries, for the sake of expediency, try to show themselves as Muslims.

A—It is written in the Quran that Dhul-Qarnain saw the sun setting in murky water.

G—This is only a description of the ecstatic state of Dhul-Qarnain. If you happen to be travelling on a ship, then you will also see that the sun rises from the sea and also sets in the sea. The Holy Quran has not stated this according to the science of Astronomy. Hundreds of similes and metaphors are used in everyday conversations. For instance, if you said that you had a plate of rice today, should we understand that you ate the plate? Or if you say that some person is a lion, should we understand that his hands are like the claws of a lion and there is, of necessity, also a tail? It is written in the Bible that ‘they came from the end of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon,’ whereas the earth is round so what is meant by ‘end of the earth’? Then, in Isaiah 14:7 is this verse, ‘The whole earth is at rest and is quiet,’ whereas the movement of the earth has been proven.

A—How should one fast in places where the sun does not come out for six months?

G—If we must speculate on the capabilities of people based on their strength, then we will have to illustrate in relation to the period of human gestation, which is the root of all human faculties. Thus, if it is required to abide by our reckoning, then the period of gestation in these countries should last only a day and a half; but if their reckoning is to be employed, then the child has to remain in the womb for 266 years, and the burden of this proof lies upon you. The gestation period lasts only a day and a half, but in the case of it lasting 266 years, it would not be beyond belief to think that they could also hold a fast for up to six months because this is the duration of their day and their faculties are also commensurate with that.

A—Mercy is after justice but goodness, meaning kindness, is before it.

G—Kindness is not an attribute but a consequence of the attribute of Mercy. For instance, a person can say that he felt merciful towards someone, but we cannot say that he felt kindness towards anyone. We feel merciful towards the sick, the weak, the young. If we feel merciful towards a scoundrel or one deserving punishment, then it would only be when he adopts the ways of the weak and the helpless; so in such case, the real cause of drawing our mercy would be weakness and helplessness or would it be something else?

A—Man is free to act as he wishes.

G—If by this is meant that to the extent that he has been bestowed the powers and abilities, then to that extent he has the freedom to use them as he wishes, then the teachings of the Holy Quran are not against this. Allah, the Lord of Glory, says:

—16/117

Meaning, our Lord is He Who gave unto everything its appropriate powers and limbs and then gave them the ability to put these to use. Similarly, He says:

—15/98

Meaning that everyone is given the ability to act according to his own powers and manner. If you mean something else, then may they be a delight for you.

A—Can God, under cover of His attribute of Master, permit improper actions?

G—Do not say unworthy. Whatever God has done or is doing is proper and worthy. Look at the book of nature and what He is doing with millions of birds, beasts, and other animals. What do we observe concerning His practice regarding animals? If you look carefully, you will have to agree that the world has been designed in such a way that God Almighty has made every animal for man and his benefit.

A—The Word became flesh!

G—This means that the body of the Messiah(as) was also God. Instead of one we now have two.

A—The components of Trinity mean certain established Beings. So these are three separate persons, but their Essence is One. Thus, the Father—who exists in His own right—and the Son and the Holy Spirit are necessary and indispensable from it.

G—Since these three persons are all three perfect, and in all three exists the trait of exercising independent will—the Father exercising His own will, the Son exercising his will, and the Holy Spirit exercising its will—then please explain to us how there can be a unified essence in spite of this actual separation? The example of limitlessness and incomparability is not applicable to this scenario because the actual separation was not made admissible there.

A—No miracle—great or small—has been proven for the Prophet of Islam.

G—The Holy Quran is replete with miracles. In fact, it is itself a miracle; look with care. And the prophecies are flowing through it like an ocean: News of the victory of Islam was given at the time when Islam was weak; news of the victory of the Roman Empire was given when at first they had been defeated; the miracle of the ‘splitting of the moon’ is found there as well. If this raises doubts in your mind thinking it to be against the established system of nature, then you should look at the example of Joshua, the son of Nun and the Prophet Isaiah, but we can find no trace of the miracles of the Messiah. The pool of Bethesda has taken away all glitter of any such. His prophecies seem to be mere conjectures, and one experiences even greater sorrow that some were not even fulfilled. For instance, when and at what time was this prophecy fulfilled that, ‘Some amongst you will not have yet died when I will come down from the heaven.’ When was the kingdom bestowed for which swords had been bought? The twelve disciples were promised heavenly thrones; where did Judas Iscariot get his throne?

A—The Quran has not made any claim for eloquence and fluency.

G—I shall show that in my next submission.

A—Can God not speak in a pillar?

G—Why not? Moreover, He can address from a pillar and yet remain detached from the pillar and the pillar will not be called the ‘Son of God’ but will remain a pillar as it was before. In fact, speaking from one pillar cannot prevent Him from speaking simultaneously from another pillar. In fact, He can speak from millions of pillars at the same time, but your principle is not in accordance with this.

A—About which Prophet has it been written that ‘he is like Me?’

G—Sir, when some Prophets were called ‘god’, what part of ‘like Me’ is left behind? Indeed, by being called ‘god’, the attributes like the Omnipotent and all others become included.

A—There are many prophecies in the Bible for Christ being the manifestation of Allah.

G—For 1400 years before the advent of the Messiah, scholars had been reading these books of the Jews, and these books passed before the eyes of tens of millions of scholars. Did it not cross the mind of anyone of them that a ‘God’ was about to appear? Did the Jews not know the language; did they not possess books, were they not the disciples of Prophets? Furthermore, there is the difference of opinion about this within the house of Christianity itself, and the fact that some Christian scholars agree with the Jews also supports this view.

A—The signs of Mosaic Law were beautiful? What did the Quran bring?

G—The Holy Quran gave new life to the dead, and it erased false ideologies.

A—In the Christian religion, there is no teaching of the Divine decree of compulsion.

G—It is found in the Gospel that satans are compelled to commit evil and are unholy spirits. If this is not true, please prove which Satan received the good news of salvation from the Messiah. Indeed, he [Jesus] says that he [satan] was a murderer from the very beginning and the devils do not possess truthfulness. Was the Messiah(as) a source of salvation for the satans or not, and what is the proof for this? On the other hand, the Holy Quran mentions the reformation of the Jinns.

A—Christ is the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

G—The question was, ‘What did the Messiah create when he came into this world as the manifestation of God?’ The answer we get is that everything is indeed created by Jesus Christ.

A—He refused to say that he was ‘good’ because he [the questioner] did not believe that Christ was God.

G—Give us proof of this from the Gospel. It is, in fact, clearly written in Mark that he went down on his knees and the Messiah(as) did not mention anything about his Divinity. He, in fact, said, ‘If you want to become perfect, then give away all your possessions to the poor.’

A—Do you accept the fatherless birth of Christ?

G—In my opinion, the birth of the Messiah without a father is not some astonishing event. Adam(as) did not have a father or a mother. The rainy season is now near; you must go outside and see how a vast number of insects and worms are born without mother or father. Thus, to deduce Divinity for the Messiah from this is a mistake pure and simple.

A—How can sins be forgiven by only repenting without payment of reparations?

G—No one’s sin causes any damage to God. And sin does not exist before the advent of the Law. Allah the Exalted says,

—15/29

Meaning that, We never punish upon sins until We have sent a Messenger. And when the Messenger comes and shows the ways of good and evil, only then—according to the promises and warnings in those Laws—will action be taken. Going in search of atonement is a joke. Can atonement break Divine promises? A promise can be changed only by another promise and not by some other contrivance, as Allah the Exalted states,

—7/1210

And to say that good deeds are by way of repayment of a loan is a misunderstanding. It would have been correct to talk of a loan if there had been a claim for rights. Now, since sin is born of breaking the Divine law and not by way of abdication of any right, and worship is simply the name given to obeying the commandments contained in holy scripture, so salvation or absence of salvation rests only on the promises and warnings given in the law.

A—The Quranic oaths are just a laughing matter.

G—You do not know the reality of this. This is a special terminology by which Allah, the Lord of Glory, presents a manifest fact to provide an observable proof, in the form of oaths; or states an indisputable matter for the purpose of gaining acceptance of something not yet acknowledged; and the thing that is sworn by, in fact, stands in the place of the witness. I have explained this in detail regarding the verse:

11

Should you wish to see further details, refer to A’inah Kamalat-e-Islam.12

A—Suffering is of three kinds.

G—The thing that you have to prove is why millions of animals are slaughtered without any charge of wrongdoing. If that is not because of Mastery then why are they slaughtered, and in which Paradise will they be given repose after their death? (The rest, later.)

By

DEPUTY ABDULLAH ATHAM

Sir, you stated that the order to kill was only for those who had committed atrocities against Muslims. My reply is that in Surah at-Taubah, Ruku‘ 4, this is not the reason that has been cited. It is stated there, rather, that anyone who does not believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement and does not accept as impermissible what God and His Messenger have forbidden, should be killed. And the only exemption from this is for the People of the Book, that if they do not want to believe and do not want to be killed, they should be permitted to live a life of misery by paying the Jizyah [tax]. There are also other similar verses that I have referred to, in which this very same intent is found. And although making security conditional upon believing is a concession, this further establishes the use of coercion in faith, for those intercessions and pardons which were given as a worldly reprieve are not examples of your coercion in faith, because they decide the fate till the Hereafter.

2. The particular jihad that has been mentioned was against seven nations whose names have also been included; the Hivites, the Jebusites, etc. Besides that, there were many other nations between Abraham and the Promised Land about whom no injunction for their killing was issued except that it would be sufficient if they became obedient. This strengthens our argument that those seven nations mentioned were under such wrath of God as the coming of the wrath of God in the time of Noah and Lot, destroying everyone; therefore, the command was given for these nations to be destroyed by the sword of Israel. The objection that you have about the innocent children that they died in the wars of Moses, it should be remembered that such is common in every epidemic. You have to accept that either Moses was acting under the commandment of God or, discarding this aside, say that the Torah is not the Word of God. You cannot simply hang in the middle.

3. The reason for this objection to your religion is because the condition of protection depends on faith. There was no appeasement with these seven nations; this statement of yours is wrong, and all their women were not kept, though occasionally the Children of Israel were permitted to save some and only those who had no one to protect them. And if they had not been permitted to be saved, this would not have been worse than their having been killed.

4. You have agreed that one who has permission to make peace, if he does it for the sake of faith, then some coercion would have to be acknowledged as being permitted. However, permission to make peace with these seven nations of the Philistines was never given nor was the payment of a Jizyah accepted from them, and they were put to the sword like unto an epidemic. So you cannot compare the teaching of the Quran with them and cannot say there was any similarity between the two.

5. You said that I implied that the Quranic teaching is to cheat and rob the innocent gentlefolk. My answer is that I never said any such thing and you must have misunderstood me. I certainly said that in the words 13 coercion that is referred to, could be thought to be of the type which some Muslims, seeing a gentleman who greets them with the greeting of peace, say to him that you only say this to deceive us, you are not a Muslim, and saying so they would kill him and rob him. This verse could be for such people: Do not perpetrate this kind of coercion in relation to faith. The reference here is not to the coercion to make people believe for which we have presented many verses from the Quran itself, that speak loudly to this.

6. It is a Quranic teaching that, if under any compulsion, someone denies God although his heart is content with the truth, then, because of the denial and remaining content at heart, he will be spared from the wrath of Allah. Our objection to this was that this is adoration of the fear of falsehood that the All-Powerful Holy God teaches, and this should not happen. You can confirm this teaching in this verse of Surah an-Nahl, where it is written: 14.

7. The saying of Paul, ‘I am a Jew with the Jews and with other nations like one of them,’ cannot mean that Paul was faithless and duplicitous. What is meant clearly is that as far as I can agree with someone, I should not be hypocritical. Therefore, please look at this incident carefully in 1 Corinthians 9:20–22 and Peter’s clear denial is only of sin and he did not curse upon Christ, but only upon himself. I do not know what anxiety stops you from even quoting the correct reference. And why do you refer to the dishonest Englishmen? Are they the New Testament? The discussion is about the Bible and the Quran and not about the people who do evil.

I have travelled by ship and I have not seen—nor has anyone else—the sun set in any marshy water. As far as the verse that mentions that ‘he found the sun setting in a stream of marshy water,’ along with it is the confirmation of the God of the Quran who says this 15. Meaning, they ask you concerning Dhul-Qarnain, and We promise them that We shall soon tell them. Thus, here there is the confirmation of the same God, and so it is not just that Dhul-Qarnain found this to be so.

This makes it clear that you cannot rebut this objection. This is not a question of idiom, but—in fact—this is against the normal use of idiom that the sun set in a stream of marshy water, because apparently no such idiom of any language or place has ever been that the sun sets in some marshy stream. However, the general idiom is that the sun rises and the sun sets; and not the phrase that you mention. And those matters that apparently manifest themselves in some form are given expression to in that same metaphorical form. For instance, when it is said that a plate of rice was eaten, everyone understands a plate full of rice was eaten without leaving anything, or it is said that the gutters are running or that the well is sweet or bitter. These are also such idioms that are in general use. Similarly, when it is said that the Queen of Sheba came from the end of the earth, it clearly means that she came from the other end of the land which was on the other side of Palestine. What link is there to geography and geometry in this? These examples that you give, sir, will not bring into being the marshy stream for the sun to set into. The earth being still is also commonly understood and people do not take exception to it, and the Word of God is for the people.

9. What an excellent interpretation you have expressed about the days in Greenland and Iceland, and that example of pregnancy that you have applied to this is even better! It is astonishing for me how far you stray, deviating from the text. In the text of the Quran, it is written that you should fast from the white streak of the morning to the appearance of a black streak in the evening. Now, both of these streaks do not exist in these countries, and the example of pregnancy that you have cited, the period has been established by us and not in any Holy Book.

10. You, sir, say that ‘goodness’ is not an attribute; thus, when a person who is not being called to account, does not deserve any good treatment either. The definition of mercy makes it clear that the person is being called to account in some way and he is freed through mercy. It is entirely up to you to remain obstinate, but this issue is manifestly clear.

11. It is a strange impediment that a matter, which is manifestly unworthy, should not be so called. If we were to suppose that God committed an injustice or uttered a falsehood, is it then obligatory that we should not call God unworthy for such actions? We for our account will call these acts as unworthy and that imaginary ‘God’ a false god. We do indeed see that God has made it permissible in His Word, for human beings to eat the flesh of animals and some other animals like lions and eagles have become permissible by the natural disposition of man. However, due to one such visible issue, His manifest justice cannot be eliminated. There must be a reason for this to be declared to be true which we are not aware of but our not knowing this reason does not negate it.

12. To say that upon the Word becoming flesh means that the body also became a Divinity, may be your terminology; our meaning is that becoming flesh indicates to the manifestation of God.

13. Sir, how can you declare false our examples of incomparability and limitlessness which is an unyielding fact? Are these two attributes not the same in essence, because absolutely incomparable cannot be from limitlessness? Time and space for both remain the same. Please reply after thinking about it.

We shall accept it when you give us the proof that there is a miracle in the Quran or that the Quran itself is a miracle. This reminds me of someone who narrated a humorous tale to a king where seven handkerchiefs were unwrapped and spread before the king, and he was told that there was a headdress of the Divine in these that only a trueborn can see and it remains invisible to the illegitimate. Similarly, sir, you have suggested that if we cannot see those miracles, it is because of our faulty perception. We are quite prepared to accept being abused, but we are not prepared to make a false confession.

As far as the miracle of the ‘splitting of the moon’ is concerned, you may not know that the splitting of the moon is essentially associated with the approaching Judgement Day.

Furthermore, the tense [in-yarau] is a tense that contains both the present and the future. And for this miracle, there has been no instance that favours or opposes it. Therefore, sir, who are you trying to satisfy with such examples? So be it known.

However, there are many prophecies in the Quran, but prophecies are of two kinds. There are prophecies that are results of Divine knowledge, and there are those that can be made by common insight. If you can present an example which is the result of Divine knowledge, then we shall look at it. As far as the prophecy of Romans subduing Persia is concerned, that comes under the category of analytical deduction with simple wisdom.

(Was not allowed to speak further as the time was over.)

(5 JUNE 1893)

The Last Paper by

HAZRAT MIRZA [GHULAM AHMAD] SAHIB

This is my last paper which I will write today in reply to Deputy [Abdullah Atham] Sahib, but it saddens me greatly that Deputy Sahib paid no regard whatsoever to the conditions under which this debate was begun. The condition was that just as I have continued to present every claim and argument of mine with support from the reasoned arguments from the Holy Quran; similarly, Deputy Sahib would do the same, but he has not been able to fulfil this condition on any occasion. Well, the readers will now be able to judge for themselves.

In this response to the reply of the reply, it is sufficient for me to say that the verse from Surah at-Taubah that Deputy Sahib has presented and thinks that even after accepting the faith, the punishment of killing should apply, this is his misunderstanding. The reality is that this verse proves what I have already explained, that if a person, by his free will, accepts Islam, then even if he is subject to the punishment of death, he will be granted freedom. Thus, Allah the Exalted here states that those who do not benefit from this concession and do not accept the faith by their free will, they will be subject to the death penalty by way of punishment for their crimes. How does this prove that here there is coercion to believe? It is only a concession that has been left to their willingness.

The ‘seven nations’ that you mention that they were killed and no leniency was shown to them, this is against the explanation of the verse. Look in Judges 1:28–30 where it is stated that a Jizyah [tax] was permitted to be taken from the Canaanites who were one of the seven nations. See also Joshua 16:10 and Judges 1:35 that proves that the Amorites also paid Jizyah.

Then you have once again repeated that the Holy Quran teaches that faith can be kept hidden when there is a state of fear. I have already written that this is not a teaching of the Quran. The Quran has kept included in the category of believers some such people who went through this state considering them to be a lower grade of Muslims. You can understand that all are not of one level of faith and you cannot deny that sometimes the Messiah similarly avoided Jews for fear of stoning and sometimes by way of concealment of the real thing hid the truth. And in Matthew 16:20 it is written, ‘Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus, the Christ.’

Now, tell me honestly, is this the action of true believing people, and is this appropriate for those who are sent to this world as Messengers and preachers that they hide themselves? What other example could be more condemning to you than this, provided you think about it?

Then, you write that ‘the sun setting in a marsh’ does not qualify among metaphors, whereas actually means ‘black water’, and in this—even now—people witness this scene with their own eyes. And the construction of metaphors is founded upon eyewitness phenomena, just as we sometimes refer to the stars as dots and say the sky is blue and that the earth is stationary. Thus, since this is also from these genres, then why is it denied? You suggest that the phrase, ‘the Word became flesh,’ is also a metaphor, but can any person provide proof where in the world is it mentioned that such and such a person came as the fleshly embodiment of the Word?

Then, you give a very painstaking explanation of goodness. I have already stated that ‘goodness’—that is to say, ‘kindness’—is in itself not an attribute that can be included in personal characteristics. It can be said that I am overcome with mercy, but you cannot say I am overcome with kindness. However, you enquire that if—without seeing an individual in difficulty—one is treated with kindness, then what would that be called? Please remember that this action is also included in the wider meaning of mercy. A person will treat kindly someone when in the first instance some force would cause feelings of kindness to develop in his heart and move him to carry out that kindness, then it is the force of mercy that surges forth with every kind of sympathy for humanity. And until a person is not found meriting kindness and is not seen from any point of view as being deserving of mercy—but is, in fact, seen to be deserving of wrath—then who is it that can do kindness to such a one?

Then, you ask if we should presume God to be cruel by looking at animals being killed. I ask, ‘When did I call this act cruelty?’ What I say is that this act happened because of Mastery. When you have already agreed that the difference in the gradation of the rank of different creatures—that is to say, human and animals—is because of Mastery and not transmigration; then what obstacle prevents you from accepting that whatever else essentially happens to the animals, also happens because of Mastery?

Finally, I make clear to you regarding the Holy Quran, the proofs that the Holy Quran has given regarding its being the Word of Allah. Although at this time I cannot write down all these proofs in the form of a list, I wish to say this much that included in these proofs are external proofs like giving the news, ahead of time, of the coming of Prophets, which you also find to be written down in the Gospel.

Secondly, the revelation of the Holy Quran at the true time of need; in other words, its revelation at the time when the practical condition of the people throughout the world had deteriorated, and, furthermore, there had arisen many differences in the matter of beliefs, and the moral condition of the people had also developed many defects.

Thirdly, the proof of its truthfulness is in its perfect teachings; thus by its coming, it has proven that the teaching of Moses was also defective in that it emphasised only one side of things—that of punishment. And it also proved that the teaching of the Messiah(as) was also defective because it was only laying emphasis on the side of forgiveness and pardon.

It was as if these Books did not even intend to address the reformation of all the branches of the tree of humanity, but considered it sufficient to address only one branch. However, the Holy Quran brought all branches of the tree of humanity—that is to say, all faculties of the human being—under discussion and issued commandments for the training and development of all at the proper occasion and time, a proper detail of which we cannot present in this short time.

What was the teaching of the Gospel, the reliance upon which the whole system of the world would fall into disarray? Moreover, should this pardoning and forgiveness merit being called the excellent teaching, then the people of Jainism are far more advanced in that they do not wish to cause harm to all manner of insects, worms, lice, and even snakes.

Another, excellent attribute of the Holy Quran is its perfection of elucidation. That is to say, it has made use of all those paths to enable its message to be understood as can be conceived. If it is an ordinary person, then he can make use of his limited perception to benefit from its teachings. And if he is a philosopher, then he can find in it truths, in accord with his refined manner of thinking. And it has proven all principles of faith with reasoned arguments. The verse:

—3/1516

brings forward the argument conclusively against the People of the Book that Islam is that perfect religion which, if you remove the superfluous disagreeing items that are in your hands or in the hands of the world, then all that remains is Islam.

Then the third set of excellences of the Holy Quran is its effects that it has. If a just comparison is made between the Apostles of the Messiah and the Companions of the Holy Prophet(sa), then we need say nothing further because through this comparison it will become known clearly which teaching took the power of faith of its followers to its highest level, so much so that the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him—due to the love of these teachings and in utter devotion to their Prophet—left their homelands happily, and abandoned their comforts with the greatest of ease, and sacrificed their lives and shed their blood in its path. Which other teaching is there that had this effect?

When the Jews captured that Prophet—that is to say, the Messiah—the disciples could not remain firm even for a minute, each taking his own path; a certain one even sold his chosen Prophet for a paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, while another denied him three times. Open the Gospel and see that he cursed him and declared on oath that he did not know that man. If this was the situation in the beginning—so much so that the disciples did not even bother to join in the funeral or burial—what would be the state of affairs in this day and age when the Messiah is no longer present among them? There is no need for me to have written much on this as even the most eminent Christian scholars of the age have borne testimony that when they compare the state of the disciples with that of the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) they have to admit with embarrassment that the condition of the disciples in comparison to that of the Companions of the Holy Prophet was a matter worthy of shame.

Then, you deny the miracles of the Holy Quran. You do not know that the continuity and certainty with which the truth of those miracles is established is such that—in comparison to them—the mention of miracles of others is no more than mere tales. For example, the prophecy about the fulfilment of the mission of the Holy Prophet in his lifetime that is included in the Holy Quran. This prophecy was made at a time when there were no signs or prospects of success. In fact, the attestations of the disbelievers that are included in the Holy Quran show their adamant claims that now this religion will soon be destroyed and will disappear from the Earth. In those days, they were told:

17

Meaning that: These people brag with their mouths that this faith will never be successful. Our hands will destroy this faith. But God will never let this religion go to waste and will not abandon it until He perfects it.

Then, in another verse, He declares:

—18/1318

That is to say, Allah has promised that in this religion will be born Khulafa’ [Successors] after the Holy Prophet(sa) and that He will keep it established till the Day of Judgement.

In other words, just as He kept on sending Khulafa’ and kings in the faith of Moses(as) for a long time, He would do the same here and He would not let it disappear.

Now, the Holy Quran is here and there are memorizers of the Holy Quran present as well. Just look with what confidence the claims were made by the disbelievers that this religion would certainly disappear and that we would make it non-existent and against their claims are the prophecies present in the Holy Quran which state that this faith would never be destroyed; nay rather, it would grow into a large tree and would spread, there being kings in it, as is indicated in this verse:

—26/1219

And regarding the clarity and eloquence of language, the Holy Quran says —19/1520.

And then, it [the Holy Quran] demands its likeness, challenging man that if he has any ability whatsoever, he should present its likeness; therefore, what meaning other than fluency and eloquence can be meant by the words ? Specifically, when a man says that I am giving this speech in such a language and challenges you to put forth its equal, then what else can be understood than that it holds the highest standard of eloquence and the word means this as well.

Now, in the end, insofar as Deputy Abdullah Atham deliberately denies the miracles of the Holy Quran and also denies the prophecies contained in it, and in this very gathering I was mocked at by being presented three sick people implying that if Islam is a true religion and I am a recipient of revelation, I should make them whole, whereas I never made a claim to being the All-Powerful nor was it a demand that met the criteria of the Holy Quran. On the contrary, it is established as a sign of true faith for the Christians as documented in the Gospel that if they are true and honest in their belief, they will certainly be able to cure the lame and the blind and the deaf. Nevertheless, I kept praying for this, and last night it was made clear to me after I had prayed to Allah the Almighty with great humility and beseeched Him to give a verdict in this matter and that we are humble servants and can do nothing without His verdict. So, He gave me this Sign in the form of a glad tiding that in this debate, whichever party from among the two is deliberately adopting falsehood and abandoning the True God and is making a mere mortal into God, will be cast into Hell and utterly disgraced corresponding to the very days of this debate—in other words, taking one month for each day, meaning, within fifteen months—on the condition that he does not return to the Truth; and the one who is on the path of Truth and believes in the True God, his honour will be manifested through this; and at the time this prophecy will come to pass, some of the blind will begin to see, and some of the lame will begin to walk, and some of the deaf will begin to hear.

This very way is the manner that Allah Almighty expressed His desire. Accordingly—all praise belongs to Allah with all gratitude—if this prophecy had not been ordained, our efforts of the last fifteen days would have been wasted. It is the habit of a man who exceeds the bounds that in spite of seeing, he does not see, and in spite of hearing, he does not hear, and in spite of understanding, he does not understand. He becomes defiant and shows audacity and does not realise that God exists. However, I know now that the time for the final decision has come. I was amazed as to why I had the opportunity to be involved in this debate! Ordinary debates happen every day in which other people are involved, but now this fact has become clear that it was for this Sign.

I now declare that if this prophecy proves false; in other words, if that party, which is established on falsehood in the estimation of God Almighty, is not thrown into Hell sentenced to death within fifteen months from today’s date, I will be ready to accept every single punishment. I may be humiliated, my face may be blackened, or I may be hanged with a rope around my neck. I am prepared to accept every single thing. And I swear in the name of Allah, the Lord of Glory, that He will surely do this. He will certainly do this. He will certainly do this. The Heaven and Earth may move, but His words cannot be averted.

Now, I ask Deputy [Abdullah Atham] Sahib that if this Sign is fulfilled, would it—in accord with your principles—be accounted as being a perfect prophecy and a prophecy from God or not, and would this be accepted as an undeniable argument for the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet of Islam whom you have named the Dajjal [Antichrist] in your book Andrunay Bible?

What more can I now write than this when Allah the Exalted has Himself granted the final verdict. There is no need to laugh unnecessarily. If I am a liar, then keep the gallows ready for me and declare me more accursed than all Satans and evildoers and those accursed, but if I am true then do not make a man into God. Read the Torah and see what its basic and manifestly clear teaching is and what teaching have all Prophets been continuously giving and look to what direction the whole world has become inclined to. I take leave from you now and will say nothing further.

[And peace be upon those who follow the guidance].

THE END