The Sign of the Mosque of the Grand Victory in Zion will Bring About a Significant Change in the Lives of our Progeny
Part – 2
By. Mohiuddin Abbasi, London
In May, 1901, the condition of the wife of Deacon Judd, one of his prominent disciples, suddenly turned for the worse during her labour pains. In accordance with the customs of Dowie’s Church, medical help from the doctors was not sought, and the patient died in the same painful situation. The matter was taken to the Court of law where Dr Dowie gave a statement that there was no need of physicians for the treatment of patients. The Jury held Dowie and the patient’s husband responsible for the death of the patient. The judge released them on a bail of 10,000 dollars each. But the Grand Jury, acquitted both of them. In June,1902 Dr Dowie announced that Zion would purchase Jerusalem for its King and would establish many Zion cities. If we mobilize one million dollars a year, we can buy the Turks, Muslims and Jews, he stated. On 2nd June, 1902, Dowie suddenly proclaimed in an auditorium before an audience of five thousand: “I am the Prophet Elia who at first appeared in this world as Elia and the next time he appeared in the form of John, the Baptist. I have come to restore all things. Elia was a prophet and John was a messenger. But I am blessed with the characteristics of a prophet and also a messenger. Without any fear, I declare that I am the perfect spiritual and physical reflection of Elia. Prophet Malachi and Peter had made a prophecy regarding my third advent on the earth. Prophet Moses had also made a similar prophecy three thousand years ago. Those who believe in me should stand up.” Immediately about 3000 persons stood up and declared that they believed in his prophethood. On 14th May, 1902, just a few months after his claim to prophethood, Dr Dowie’s only daughter Esther Dowie, who was a student of Chicago University, was doing her hair in her home when her clothes caught fire from a nearby lamp. She was completely burnt. At that time Dowie was in Zion with his wife. As soon as he heard about the incident, he rushed to his daughter’s house and engaged himself in prayer. But her condition deteriorated drastically and she died a very painful death. As it was Dowie’s principle belief that patients should be treated through spiritual healing, no medical help was sought for his daughter. An excerpt from the diary of the Promised MessiahAS, dated 6th August, 1902 Mufti Mohammad Sadiq SahibRA used to read out the contents of the paper of Dowie, the famous imposter and liar of America who also falsely claimed to be Eliah. Dowie had made a prophecy that all his opponent nations, kings and kingdoms would be destroyed. At this , the religious jealousy and passion of the Promised MessiahAS was roused, so he declared: “This fabricator is a dangerous enemy of Islam. It would be best to publish and send an open letter to him and invite him to a challenge. Besides Islam, there is no truthful religion in the world, and blessings and signs are manifested only in favour of Islam. The time has now come that God Almighty will punish him for his forgery.”
Therefore, in September, 1902, the Promised MessiahAS invited him to a ‘mubahala’ (prayer duel) and said: “We entreat Mr Dowie that he should choose me as his opponent and pray to God that between the two of us whoever is the liar may perish first.”
(Majmua Ishtiharat, Vol 2, pp.568-570)
This challenge was published in the Review of Religions (English) in September, 1902, and it was widely publicized. It also reached America. In December, 1902, Dr Dowie ridiculed the challenge of the Promised MessiahAS and criticised him for his claims that Jesus miraculously escaped death from the cross and was buried in Srinagar,India. In a congregation, Dr Dowie said: “There is one foolish man in India, a Mohammedan Messiah, who persists in writing to me saying that the body of the Christ is buried at Cashmir in India, and can be found there. He never says he has seen it, but the poor, fanatical and ignorant creature keeps on raving that the Christ died in India. The Christ reascended into the heavens at Bethany and he is there in his celestial body. I can tell with certainty the time of his reappearance, but I will not mention any day, or any week or any year.”
Even after a year had passed since the challenge was given by the Promised Messiah AS, Dr Dowie did not utter a single word about it. He neither accepted the challenge nor rejected it.” (Tarikh e Ahmadiyyat, Vol.2 , p. 244)
Dr Dowie said: “People sometimes say to me why do you not reply to this challenge. Reply! Do you think that I shall reply to these gnats and flies? If I put my foot on them, I would crush out their lives. I give them a chance to fly away and live. The idea of bothering about these little things! Zion has no time to stop its wheels to answer them. It is like a mouse looking at the buzz saw and saying, ‘You stop or I will bite you.’ Let it bite the buzz saw and that is the end of it.” On 23rd August, 1903, the Promised MessiahAS published a second poster in English inviting Dr Dowie to a ‘mubahala’, which said: “If Mr Dowie accepts my challenge and puts himself in opposition to me clearly or implicitly, he will depart from this world with great pain and misery during my lifetime… I, therefore, grant him a time for seven months from today, 23rd August, 1903. If during this period, he comes forth in opposition to me and makes an announcement in his paper that he accepts fully the plan that I have put forward, the world shall soon witness the end of the contest. I am about seventy years of age and Dowie, according to his own statement, is a young man of fifty years.”
(Poster regarding prophecies about Pigott and Dowie, Majmua Ishtiharat, Vol.2, pp 606-607) . Only a fews days had passed since the Promised Messiah AS issued the mubahala challenge, its signs began to appear and as a result Dowie had to suffer many failures and losses . During his discourses, he began to utter such sentences that the audience began to doubt his mental condition. In February 1905, news began to appear that Dr Dowie, his family members and high officials of his organisation were being afflicted with many kinds of diseases. On 1st October, 1905 Dowie suffered an attack of paralysis. Then again on 19th December, when stood up to deliver his lecture at Shiloh Tabernacle in Zion, he collapsed. Then he had to finish his discourse sitting in a chair. His voice was very dim and trembling. Later he suffered a second stroke of paralysis. Then all his followers left him and even his wife and children abandoned him. His condition became so miserable that he could barely walk a few steps. On 1st April, 1906 there was a revolt against Dowie which was led by his own appointed trustee Voliva, who in an open gathering declared Dowie to be a hypocrite and liar .His wife and children were also present in that gathering. Among many other allegations leveled against Dowie, one was that he advocated polygamy. At that time Dowie was not in Zion. He had gone to Jamaica. During this period, all his business ventures and his paper Leaves of healing suffered financial losses. His own health deteriorated and he had lost his mental balance. His wife and children abandoned him and moved to another place.
The Promised MessiahAS says: “I received a revelation on 9th February, 1907 that ‘ You shall indeed be victorious’ and the same day I received yet another revelation that ‘You shall be bestowed another sign that shall cause happiness.’ Allah says: I shall manifest a sign which will contact a great victory. It will be a sign for the whole world and it will be wrought by the hands of God and will be from the heavens. Let every eye wait for it, for God will manifest it soon.’”
(Haqeeqat ul Wahi, pp.509-510)
The Promised Messiah AS says: “On 9th March, 1907, I received a news through a telegram from London ,which was published in the Civil paper, that Dowie ,who had claimed to be a prophet, about whom I made a prophecy that he was false in his claim and God would not spare him, had died in a state of paralysis. All praise be to Allah. A great sign appeared.”
(Haqeeqat ul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain Vol 22 , footnote page 492)
As soon as the Promised MessiahAS gave a challenge of ‘mubahala, Dowie began to experience a taste of turmoil and disgrace that he was destined to suffer for the rest of his life. He began to utter meaningless sentences in his discourse, his voice trembled, and his followers and audience began to doubt his mental condition. Consequently, his admirers and followers left him. He suffered multiple strokes of paralysis. He was rendered invalid. People began calling him a thief, liar, insane and mad. Besides, he was also found guilty of various offences by the courts of law. In short, he suffered great ignominy as his black deeds were published in newspapers. In his paper Leaves of Healing issued on 19th December, 1902, Dr Dowie wrote that: “My part is to bring out the people from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South, and settle them in this and other Zion cities until the time shall come when religion of Mohammad is obliterated from the face of the earth.” (Haqeeqat ul Wahi, Ruhani Khazain Vol 22, p.509).
The details of this grand sign have been included in a special exhibition room at the front of the new Mosque which was curated by Anwer Mahmood Khan sahib (Head of Fundraising for Zion Mosque Project) and his team. The exhibition was an integral part of the Mosque’s design and has been beautifully designed to enlighten all visitors. Guests are taken on a tour of Islam’s basic teachings, the claims of the Promised MessiahAS and the details of the Mubahala with Dr Dowie. Through animations displayed on large TV screens, articles displayed on digital frames and also a touchscreen interactive kiosk, guests are led through each stage of this historic chapter in our history. It was an honour to visit the exhibition, which also includes original historic artifacts from Dr Dowie, the city of Zion and original print newspapers from the time. I urge all readers to visit the Mosque and benefit from the exhibition which is truly faith inspiring. Dr Dowie claimed to be the second coming of Elijah who would herald in the second-coming of Jesus Christ. However he did not realise that his claims would bring the public’s attention to the real second coming of JesusAS who appeared in Qadian, India. See this man who rose to obliterate the faith brought by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and used to say to his followers about the Promised MessiahAS that : ‘Do you think that I shall reply to these gnats and flies? If I put my foot on them, I would crush out their lives.’ Instead of crushing the true prophet of God, Allah Almighty paralyzed that very foot of Dowie and rendered it utterly useless. He was planning to establish his cities all over the world, but Allah’s destiny prevailed. Dowie was accursed. This imposter and liar departed from the world in a state of despair, pain and sorrow. The prophecy of the Promised MessiahAS that Allah would inflict Dowie with a humiliating and severe punishment and disgrace him on account of his false claims, was fulfilled. Dr Dowie had lost his recognition in Zion. But the religion of Hadhrat Mohammad, peace be upon him, will be established in Zion, and the sapling in the form the Mosque of Grand Victory planted by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his helper, will continue to flourish and prosper and the whole world will draw benefit from it. Insha’Allah.
‘It is not sensible to dare him who is a man of God,
Don’t lay your hand on lions, O frail and feeble fox!’.
(Durr e Sameen)