Testimony of the Saint Gulab Shah
Even as the storm of opposition was raging against Hazrat Mirza, Allah was creating the conditions for righteous souls to gather around him. These righteous souls came to him and entered his Movement by taking the pledge at his hand. Among them was Mian Karim Baksh, a righteous and upright person belonging to the Ahl-e Hadith sect. He found Hazrat Mirza through the testimony of the deceased saint, Saint Gulab Shah. Maulvi Muhammad Hassan, a nobleman of Ludhiana, tried hard to persuade him not to reveal this testimony, but Mian Karim Baksh, being a noble and upright soul, was not deterred. Hazrat Mirza has cited this testimony in his book Izala Auham Vol. II. The reader is referred to that book for details and only an excerpt of that testimony is reproduced here:
I, Karim Baksh, son of Ghulam Rasul, caste Awan, resident of Jamalpur Awana, tehsil Ludhiana, occupation agriculturist, age approximately 64 years, sect Unitarian Ahl-e Hadith, state on oath that about 30 or 31 years ago, in the year 1917 Samvat6 (corresponding to 1861 C.E.), which was the year of the well-known famine, a saint by the name of Gulab Shah, originally a resident of Lahore District, came to our village, Jamalpur, and took up residence there. He was widely known for his piety and saintliness, and he became my religious mentor. In the beginning, this pious and devout saint, with his ascetic and mystic ways, spoke of the mysteries of God but with the passage of time, he became completely lost in Divine meditation, and began to exist in a transcendental state. Sometimes, he would begin to narrate about events in the future, and things would transpire exactly as he had spoken...(there is a mention here of some predictions, which came to pass exactly as predicted. -Author). About 30 years ago, this saint told me that Jesus has grown to adulthood, and he will come to Ludhiana, where he will correct the mistakes in the Quran, and will pass judgment in accordance with the spirit of the Quran. He said that the clerics will deny him, and then repeated, the clerics will deny him. I asked, with great surprise: “Are there mistakes even in the Quran? The Quran is the word of God!” He replied: “Commentaries after commentaries have been written, and the poetic expression has become dominant.” (Meaning that exaggerations have hidden the truth, much as reality is hidden by poetic exaggerations - Author.) He then said: “When that Jesus comes, he will judge according to the Quran.” He then repeated himself with a slightly different expression and said: “He will judge by the Quran, and the clerics will deny him. When Jesus will come to Ludhiana, a severe famine will descend on the country.” Then I asked him: “Where is Jesus now?” He replied: “In the midst of Qadian.” I commented: “Qadian is about six miles from Ludhiana. There is no Jesus there.” (There is also a village near Ludhiana by the name of Qadian – Author.) He made no reply to this. I was not aware that there is also a village in Gurdaspur district, by the name of Qadian. Then I asked him: “Jesus the prophet of God, ascended to heaven and will descend on the Kabah?” He said: “Jesus, the prophet of God, has died, and he will not come back. I have investigated this thoroughly that he has died. I am a king, and I will not lie.” He also said, “Those who are in heaven, do not come again to anybody.”
Attested: Mian Karim Baksh at Ludhian, Mohallah Iqbal Gunj Saturday, 14th June 1891
6 Samvat or more fully Vikram Samvat is a Hindu calendar that began in 57 B.C. and is, therefore, fifty-seven years ahead of the Christian era.
(The Great Reformer Pages 337-338)