It is a remarkable and gigantic work in Arabic by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) which was prompted by the devious tricks of Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah.
In his challenge issued on July 20, 1900, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) wanted to put at rest various insinuations against him about his lack of knowledge of the Arabic language. He invited all so-called scholars and Ulema’ especially Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah to demonstrate their eloquence and fluency of Arabic by participating in a seven-hour live contest of writing a commentary in high flown Arabic on 40 verses on a surah selected through drawing a lot at a public meeting in Lahore where all should gather including Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). This was an open challenge to all and none dared to pick up this challenge.
Then one day without notifying or accepting the challenge as put forward, Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah arrived in Lahore, and imposing a condition on this contest, he tried to mislead his own followers that he was in Lahore and the man who held out the challenge is not there. Not only that he and his followers trumpeted their self-styled victory and heaped abuses on Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) for running away from the field.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) was compelled to put the record straight and issued another flyer dated December 15, 1900, which is included in Arba ‘in No. 4 to expose the shallow knowledge of Arabic of Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) listed a very simple method. He invited Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah to write in Arabic on which as he claimed had complete command by adducing arguments to refute his divine claim and write a commentary on surah Fatihah in eloquent and fluent Arabic. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) on his part promised to write a commentary on surah Fatihah in the Arabic language.
Further, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) gave permission to Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah to invoke and enlist the help of any or all leading Arab scholars even professors of the Arabic language and invite them to Lahore to assist him in this venture. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) pointed out this was to be done within 70 days and not a day beyond. Three well known Arabic scholars be invited to adjudge and pass judgement on the command, eloquence and fluency of both these writings and if the pir’s entry is adjudged better, then he would give Rs. 500 in prize money and he would burn all books and take an oath of allegiance at his hand and if things happen otherwise and he could not write the commentary in 70 days then he was not interested, it would only expose how a Pir could speak such a vicious lie.
The Book I‘jazul-Masih is an elegant commentary in Arabic spread over 200 pages on the first chapter of the Holy Quran. It was posted to Pir Mehar ‘Ali Shah on February 23, 1901. This book - the product of a unilateral challenge - is a work of high literary merit, and it is a standing reproach upon the so-called learned divines whose entire scholarship was confined to declaring Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) an infidel and bereft of the knowledge of the Holy Quran.
It would be wrong to suppose that they were utterly ignorant of the Arabic language, for they had been writing leaflets and delivering lectures and speeches against Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and concocted all sorts of plans against him. They left no stone unturned in persecuting him and tried their utmost to destroy him. The only possible explanation for their silence was the fact that they were stricken dumb by God, Who wanted to give Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) a decisive victory over the forces of evil. And it was very appropriately named as I‘jazul-Masih, for what could be a greater miracle of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) than the graveyard silence gripping the Mullahs of India.
It was a unique honour conferred upon him by God in fulfilment of His promise through a revelation on September 14, 1899, that the pens of all his opponents would stand paralysed and they themselves be the witnesses of this spectacle. No wonder that such miracles were called his clear enchantments. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) writes:
"For this book I prayed that God in His Majesty make it a miracle for Muslim clergy that no writer is able to produce a comparable book, and no one is given the ability to write such a book. My prayer was accepted and God gave me the good news: 'We will stop it from heaven' and then I concluded that this is a hint that the enemy will be unable to produce a book like thereof." (I‘jazul-Masih, p. 66, Ruhani Khaza’in, v. 18, p. 68)
Review
The Egyptian paper, al-Manazir, Cairo, paid high tributes to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) for the fluency and mastery of Arabic. The editor of another Cairo daily, al-Hilal, also paid similar tributes to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). However, the editor of al-Manazir was upset on account of the teachings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) regarding Jihad. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) told the editor of al-Manazir that Egypt was not the home of Arabic and, therefore, his adverse comment did not carry much weight. (Life of Ahmad by A.R. Dard (ra), edition of 2008, p. 807 footnote).
(Taken from An Introduction to the hidden Treasures of Islam)
