The American Mission Press, Ludhiana, recently published a disparaging advertisement about me on behalf of Dr. Henry Martyn Clarke M.D. the medical missionary of Amritsar on 12 May, 1893. This announcement was, in a sense, also an expression of gratitude to the renowned Maulawi Shaikh Muhammad Hussain of Batala. The Christians were indeed beholden to him for the following reason: Dr. Clarke had agreed to meet me in a debate in order to inquire into Islam and Christianity and distinguish truth from falsehood. But after ruminating over his decision he was greatly perturbed. This was perhaps hardly surprising; in truth, when a doctrine like the one of taking a mortal for a God is closely scrutinised, its adherents always experience convulsions. God is God and man is man. What likeness do dust and ash have with the Holy and Omnipotent Lord? Thus the clergy were disquieted, lest the falsity of their faith be exposed by the perfect teaching of Islam. It was better for them to postpone our contest and have this poisoned chalice dashed from their lips. So, in the hour of their despair they were ably assisted by Shaikh Sahib. One may assume that he himself approached them surreptitiously. I have drawn this inference on the basis of a letter sent to me by Dr. Clarke in which he has reproduced arguments from Isha‘atus-Sunnah and his discourse bears a striking resemblance to that of Shaikh Sahib’s. I am confident that, if asked to swear an oath, Shaikh Sahib would not deny his involvement. This assumption is given further credence by [the aforementioned] advertisement issued in the Nur Afshań of 12 May 1893 in the form of a supplement which I too have a copy of. It is as follows:
You (the residents of Jandiala) have chosen as your representative for the debate an individual (i.e., myself) who can scarcely be considered a Muhammadan. How could you have made such a grave error? Have you not read the edicts issued against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian by the Muslim ulema of India and the Punjab (here Dr. Clarke reproduces these edicts): "All the answers we have given the questioner and all that we have decreed with regards to the Qadiani is correct and can be verified by the Quran, the practice of the Prophet and the sayings of the ulema. It is incumbent on all the Muslims to shun this Dajjal and impostor and not to engage him in any religious practices that are common among the Muslims. They must not seek his companionship, extend to him the greeting of peace, invite him or accept his invitation to traditional Islamic ceremonies, pray behind him or observe his funeral prayer. He is like a virus that afflicts the faith. He is a Dajjal, an impostor, accursed, a heretic, outside the pale of Islam, a disbeliever, nay the most foul disbeliever, wily, deceived by Satan and the deceiver of others, banished from the Sunnah and the Muslim community, the greatest Dajjal and one who uses religion to feed his material appetite." For a full account one can procure a copy of Isha‘atus-Sunnah by Maulawi Abu Sa‘id Muhammad Hussain Sahib at a cost of 1 rupee and 50 paisas from Lahore. That you have overlooked this tract is indeed mystifying. Bravo! You and the people of Jandiala have committed a grave affront by choosing as your religious leader one whose funeral prayer cannot even be observed. How could you have been so deceived?
It would be worthwhile to consider how the cleric may have profited from Batalwi Sahib and his Isha‘atus-Sunnah and indeed how my other opponents may also have benefitted from this affair. [But before turning to this, I would like] to express my satisfaction at the fact that when the devoted people of Jandiala read this pernicious letter their resolve did not falter and Miań Muhammad Bukhsh Sahib gave the Christians a stirring riposte arguing that no faith, including Christianity, was free from internecine disputes. He further retorted that he regarded as mischief makers those maulawis who denounce a champion of Islam as a disbeliever.
1 In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. We praise Allah and invoke His blessings upon His noble Messenger(sa). [Publishers]