Muslims who believe in the Messiah,Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)
The Story of Zion, Illinois: Prayer Over Prejudice
An account of the prayer duel between John Alexander Dowie and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
In October 2022, during a visit to the United States, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Caliph, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, inaugurated a mosque in a small town in Illinois, called Zion.
The mayor of Zion, Honorable Billy McKinney, presented the key of the city to His Holiness, commenting,
““It is with deep gratitude for the outstanding services rendered by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to the City of Zion and your commitment to furthering the development of the city and improving the well-being of its people, that we present the key of the City of Zion to His Holiness.” [1]
Dowie & the Foundation of Zion
The story of this city, though, extends back to the year 1901. Its beginnings are an utterly different reality than today. Its founder, John Alexander Dowie, established Zion as a theocratic state, exclusively for followers of his rigid and prejudiced interpretation of Christianity.
At this point, Dowie was one of the richest, most well-known and influential Christian Evangelists across America and Europe. He had amassed over 100,000 followers and his net worth was reportedly over $25,000,000 USD (equaling more than $800 million USD today). [2]
He did not plan to stop there. He opposed the American constitution as well as all other religions, and sought to buy many more cities in America which he wanted to rule and govern under his own strict theocratic laws, to create a utopia. His laws in Zion included banning all medical practice and doctors, as he solely believed in using his ‘faith healing’ powers to heal people..
In fact, according to some reports, he was arrested over 100 times in his earlier years in Chicago, for violating city ordinances in regard to the care of the sick. This explains how ‘Dr. Dowie’ rose to power and fame, as he made a name for himself with his ‘faith healing’ practices. He claimed to have healed many blind and deaf people, but always refused to disclose the names and addresses of those he had cured. Thousands of Americans paid large amounts of money to ‘Dr. Dowie’ —as he came to be addressed, because of his healing practice— as he came to be addressed, because of his healing practice—to be healed by him. He became an extremely rich man over time. [3]
Residents of Zion paid Dowie one-tenth of their income. Thus, from tithes alone, he made $250,000 a year (about $7 million USD today). He would say, “Give me a million dollars! A million dollars, do you hear? I am going to convert the world – I must have more money,” and almost always, his congregation would comply, donating great sums of money. [4, 5]
He also sent missionaries abroad to many countries to expand his Church. Today, Dowie is still considered a founding father of American Pentecostalism, the branch of Christianity that emphasizes faith healing. In Africa, the influence of his missionaries can still be traced, though in a vague form. It is estimated that nearly 15 million people today across six countries in southern Africa belong to churches that are linked to the teachings of Dowie’s missionaries, with adherence to faith healing practices, mixed with traditional African practices. [4]
Dowie’s Prejudice & Hatred of Other Faiths
Dowie embodied the type of prejudice that gives religion a terrible name. He was far from practicing the true peaceful teachings of Christianity, and he showed no respect to others.
He began to be consumed by his ever-growing hunger for power and wealth as he desired to keep expanding his empire.
He eventually claimed to be the incarnation of Elijah, sent by God to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ. Considering himself the foremost authority on religion, he spewed extreme disrespect against other faiths, including other Christian sects.
However, his most vile words and hatred were targeted towards Islam and Muslims:
“One of the greatest systems in the Orient is Islam. The very essence of Islam is the degradation of woman, denying her an immortal spirit. The theology of the Moslem gives no immortality to a woman. The Moslem is not taught to look forward to a reunion with wife, and mother, and daughter in heaven. He is taught that they pass away; that they rot in cemeteries. The Moslem is taught to look forward to heaven as one vast brothel and harem, where he can find satisfaction in women that are prepared for him as the creatures of lust. Zion will have to wipe out that shocking blot upon humanity. That accursed flag will have to come down from the high towers of Jerusalem. May God help me to knock at the gate of the Moslem before long! The Moslem will fight. There are hundreds of millions of them. One of the great wars imminent is that between the Cross and the Crescent.”[6]
At another point, Dowie expressed his hatred for Islam and the desire to wipe it out of the world:
“How can any one who knows exactly what Islam is, for one single moment imagine that God or man can forever stand that abomination? “Where the Moslem hoof comes no grass grows” is the Eastern proverb. Wherever the accursed teaching of Muhammad has come, there has been an end of all real progress…It is time that such an organized abomination as that should be swept out… I pray God for the day to come when the Crescent shall disappear, and when the flags – I would like to see them united there and everywhere – of Great Britain and America shall float over Zion at Jerusalem, as they often do at the city of Zion near Chicago. May God grant it! It is time that the Moslem Abomination was gone, “bag and baggage,” as Mr. Gladstone used to say. Let it slink away back into the deserts of Arabia whence the filthy thing emerged…Ugh! How one hates the whole thing, the slimy, filthy thing! May God destroy it!”[7]
Thus, Dowie’s ambitions were a cause for concern for every peace-loving person. He aspired for a religious war of sorts, as he relished the idea of a confrontation between Christians and Muslims. His ideas and influence certainly had the capacity to radicalize his followers and influence them to become violent.
The Response of a Religious Leader in India
These writings of Dowie came to the attention of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as)the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Living in the small village of Qadian in Northern India, Hazrat Ahmad(as)worked tirelessly to establish religious peace in the world and restore pure values of mutual respect and justice.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) at first sought to reason with him respectfully and to persuade him to show restraint and to respect the sentiments of Muslims.
However, Dowie continued to explicitly write extremely troubling ideas that were filled with a wish for war and conflict, saying if Muslims did not embrace Christianity, they would meet with death and destruction.
At this point, Hazrat Ahmad(as) out of his natural desire to de-escalate Dowie’s rising ambitions for violence and conflict,put forth a deeply wise and courageous solution for a pathway towards peace. He presented the route of prayer rather than prejudice.
The Challenge: A Prayer Duel
Hazrat Ahmad (as) wrote an open letter to Dowie in which he invited him to a prayer duel. He said that rather than call for the death and destruction of all Muslims, he and Dowie should both engage in solemn prayer and pray to God that whichever of them was a liar should die in the life of the other party. This was actually an act of compassion and a means to diffuse the situation. Rather than risk an all-out confrontation between Muslims and Christians, as Dowie seemed to desire, Hazrat Ahmad(as) asserted that he and Dowie should resort to prayer and leave the matter in the hands of God Almighty.
This was, in fact, a magnificent example of restraint in the face of immense provocation and hostility.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) Hazrat Ahmad (as) wrote, in his open letter to Dowie (September, 1902):
“Since Dr. Dowie is the messenger of the powerful Deity who was crucified by the Jews, I would entreat him to refrain from destroying the whole body of Muslims living upon the face of the earth…Whether the God of Muslims or the God of Dowie is the true God may be settled without the loss of millions of lives which Dr. Dowie’s prediction would involve. That method is that without threatening the Muslim public in general with destruction, he should choose me as his opponent and pray to God that of us two whoever is the liar may perish first. I look upon the son of Mary as a weak human being although I recognise him as a prophet of God, while Dr. Dowie takes him for the Lord of Universe. Which of us is right is the real point at issue… If Dr. Dowie has the courage to accept this challenge, he will thereby open a way for all other Christians to the acceptance of truth. In making this proposal, I have not taken initiative, but the jealous God has inspired me upon Dr. Dowie’s presumptuous prediction that all Muslims shall perish.” [8]
Hazrat Ahmad(as) went on further to state that it was not even necessary for Dowie to accept this challenge, the prayer duel would come into effect nonetheless:
““If Dr. Dowie assumes silence and gives no response to this offer, or if having decided to enter the lists he prays in his boastful manner and adopts the procedure herein recorded and then dies in my life-time, in either case it shall be a sign to the whole of America. Upon the manner in which death should take place, it is necessary to impose the restriction that it should not occur through human hands, but it may be the result of a disease, a stroke of lightning, snake-bite, etc. The time-limit within which Dowie is at liberty to respond to this call is fixed at three months from the date that the announcement is issued. And we pray God that He may be with the righteous. Amen.” [9]
At the time when this letter was written, Hazrat Ahmad(as) was 67 years old and suffering from many ailments, including diabetes, whilst living in a small village in India. In comparison, Dowie was 55 years old, living in luxury, and in his own words, he was in the best shape of his life.
Dowie wrote in December 1902, just a few months after this challenge was issued:
“I am a stronger man today, in many ways, than I have ever been in my life…I scarcely know what weariness is, and it is not because I lie on a bed of inglorious ease…
I feel in every way sound in spirit, soul and body, and am deeply grateful to God that He often enables me to double my working capacity for His Cause and Kingdom. I have an unwearied brain. I have a healthy frame. My digestion is sound, and the moment I want sleep I can get it. I can take it at any time of the day or night. I can take it for as long as I like, short or long. I do not know any better evidence of a healthy man than powers of assimilation that are perfect and ability to sleep. I believe that there are very few men of my age and work in the world today who are as strong as I am…And with that and more – much more – I am in excellent health, and am not mumbling meaningless nonsense, as the newspapers well know.” [10]
Countless newspapers across the United States became highly intrigued by this prayer duel challenge issued by a religious leader in India, and they published it widely. Speaking about this wide coverage, Hazrat Ahmad (as) later wrote:(as) later wrote:
“[…] There was nothing hidden or secret about the prayer duel; rather, it was a matter well advertised all over the world – in the east and in the west, in the north and in the south.
“The reason for such advertisement was that Dowie was like the great kings in renown. In America and Europe, there was not even a single person in the upper and lower classes of society who did not know him well. In fact, the people in those countries held him in great honour and revered him as a king. Moreover, he traveled extensively and used mesmerizing speeches to lure people into his trap, like a hunter traps his prey.
“This is why no newspaper editor ever refused to publish the material sent to them regarding the prayer duel. Instead, they were eager to publish it out of a strong curiosity to see the end of this contest.” [11]
The New York Times commented on the circumstances of the prayer duel (March, 1903):
“A genuine Elijah would jump at such a proposal…and whether the founder of Zion (Illinois) is in error as to his own identity will be determined by his acceptance or rejection of this test. The Muslim is generous rather than fair. He waives the consideration that he is ten years the elder and he stipulates that death shall be by disease, lightning stroke or snakebite. The normal death rate of Chicago is far below that of Qadian, and statistics show 673 deaths from snakebites in India last year and none in Cook County. Apart from the prayers the conditions favor Mr. Dowie.” [12]
Dowie’s Response: Continued Insolence
Dowie ignored the challenge issued by Hazrat Ahmad(as) He continued to write things such as(December, 1902):
“My mission is to gather people from the East and West, North and South, and populate this town and other towns with Christians, until the day arrives when the Muslim faith is effaced from the earth. O Lord! show us that hour.” [13]
Dowie then went on to make impertinent remarks about Hazrat Ahmad(as) (December, 1902):
“There is one foolish man in India, a Muslim Messiah, who persists in writing to me saying that the body of the Christ is buried at Kashmir, in India, and can be found there. He never says that he has seen it, but the poor, fanatical and ignorant creature keeps on with the raving that the Christ died in India. The Christ reascended into the heavens at Bethany, and He is there in His Celestial Body.” [13]
Then, a few months later, he told his congregation why he wasn’t responding to Hazrat Ahmad’s(as) challenge (May, 1903):
“People sometimes say to me: “Why do you not reply to this, that and the other thing?” Reply! Do you think that I shall reply to these gnats and flies? John L. Sullivan, the heavy-weight prize fighter, was insulted once by a bantam fighter, when someone who stood by said, “Why do you not hit him?”
‚“Hit him?” said the big fellow, “he is not in my class; if I should hit him, I would kill him.” And you ask me to reply to these little flesh flies; these wretched little gnats? 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 a buzz saw and saying, “You stop, or I will bite you!” Let it bite the buzz saw and that is the end of it.” [14]
The Beginning of the End On August 23, 1903, having received no reply from Dowie for an entire year, Hazrat Ahmad(as) reminded him of the challenge and declared that his doom was near:
“I have thousands of His testimonies in my support, which I cannot number…One testimony is that if Mr. Dowie will accept my challenge and will put himself in opposition to me clearly or impliedly, he will depart this world with great sorrow and pain during my lifetime…
Dowie has not so far replied to my challenge nor has he referred to it in his paper. I, therefore, grant him time for seven months from today, the 23rd of 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 see the end of this contest. I am about seventy years of age and Dowie, according to his own statement, is a young man of fifty years. I am not concerned about this disparity in our ages as the issue is not to be decided on the merits of age. It rests entirely with God Who is the God of heaven and earth and is the best Judge. If Mr. Dowie runs away from this contest I would call upon the people of America and Europe as witnesses that this would also be deemed to be his defeat, and in such case it should be concluded that his claim of being Elijah is a mere boast and deceit. He may try to flee from death in this manner, but he should realize that his flight from the proposed contest is also a species of death. Be sure, therefore, that a calamity will most certainly befall his Zion very soon.”
“Now I finish this discourse with this prayer: ‘O All-Powerful and Perfect God, who always reveals Himself to the Prophets and shall continue to do so, settle this matter soon and reveal the falsehood of Mr. Dowie to the people. I am certain that whatever You have promised me through Your revelation, shall be fulfilled definitely. O Almighty God, hear my prayer, You have all the powers.” [15]
The New York Takeover: A Disastrous Failure
Soon after these words were published, Dowie’s downfall began. He suffered the first sign of his impending humiliation in New York.
Dowie believed that by expanding in New York, he could seize the heart of the United States and immensely grow his empire. The possibilities were endless.
Thus, in October 1903, Dowie planned a trip of gigantic proportions. He rented America’s foremost and most famous venue, Madison Square Garden, for two whole weeks, paying $300,000 for the initiative (an estimated $9,000,000 today). 3,500 of his followers from Zion arrived in New York in eight chartered trains, with The New York Times publishing an article under the headline: ‘Invasion of New York by Dowie’s army’. He himself arrived in a Pullman, the most luxurious car available at the time. The Chicago Tribune expressed an expectation of 100,000 converts. [16, 17]
30,000 people packed inside Madison Square Garden to listen to Dowie, while thousands of others had to remain outside.
It was the moment that he had been waiting for, he knew that his magic lay in his remarkable oratory which had left people spellbound in the past. But as Dowie approached the rostrum, he stood there speechless. He suddenly lost his voice. And when he did speak, his words were incoherent. People who had eagerly been waiting to listen to Alexander Dowie now had begun to stir and then slowly started moving to leave the arena. Dowie asked the Zion Guards to close the door, but it had a reverse effect. More people left and eventually it developed into a stampede.
Further Disgrace and Death
In September 1905, Dowie was struck down with paralysis. In December of the same year, he would suffer another paralyzing stroke in Mexico, whilst on a trip there to recuperate, leaving him completely crippled.
But along with the physical torture, mental torture followed. Dowie’s followers discovered that he indulged in heavy drinking, while preaching against it. He was improperly using the Church’s money for his personal expenses. He had also planned to secretly practice polygamy in his colony in Mexico, as he had planned “a harem of seven wives,”and had even selected the “most attractive women of Zion” to be his brides. His wife became bitterly opposed to him, and along with her son, the two left Dowie. She stated that he had violently threatened her when she opposed his plans.
While addressing a meeting of a couple hundred followers in January 1907, he displayed signs of a mental and nervous breakdown. “He appeared…with his hands and feet bandaged,” described one news report, “and labored under the delusion that he had received serious wounds in a victorious battle, while his faithful general had been slain.” The report continued:
““Two negro attendants removed Dr. Dowie before he had finished his rambling address. It is stated that Dowie has forgotten his own name, and calls himself Jerry. He is almost helpless physically…He curses most roundly, and in language understood by the common people.”
Dowie was living in a miserable condition, between life and death for more than a year now. From December 1905, doctors had been declaring that his days were numbered, and that death would overtake him any time. He remained in this condition until his death on March 9, 1907.
It is reported that around 1 o’clock in the morning, Dowie became delirious. He must have thought that he was in front of a large gathering, like in his glory years, because he began denouncing imaginary people and shouted orders at the guards to throw out hecklers and disturbers. Eventually, he passed away in this state of complete delirium, at the age of 59.
At the time of his death, he had only one friend by his side, and two personal attendants. [18, 19]
Chicago Evening News on March 9, 1907, wrote:
“He built a creed; He was excommunicated. He built a city; He was expelled from it. He amassed a fortune of millions; He was reduced to virtual poverty. He elevated Volivia to a great power; Volivia ruined him. He drew about him thousands who worshipped him; He died deserted by all save a handful of the faithful.” [17]
Dowie wanted to be buried in a magnificent mausoleum. However, his son chose a small epitaph with just the name “John Alexander”, “John Alexander” on it, because he wanted his father’s name to be forgotten – he didn’t want the surname “Dowie” to be linked to the failings of his father.
A news report said:
“It was his wish and hope…that his bones should rest in a magnificent mausoleum in which also the members of his family should be buried, perpetuating forever, as he fondly dreamed, the name of Dowie. Alas for his pride, a cheap tombstone, simple almost to meanness, is to mark the grave in Zion City of the man who once was hailed as leader by so many thousands. Next week a simple slab of granite, bearing the epitaph, “John Alexander; 1847-1907,” will be placed over the grave. Gladstone Dowie, son of “Elijah II,” has decided upon this unpretentious tombstone. It will cost no more than £20, and will not even have the name “Dowie” engraved on it.” [20]
A Death Foretold
Nebraska State Journal 4th June 1907 wrote:
“This was a bold thing for Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to say unless he had authority for doing it. Since he was then seventy years of age while Dowie was a mere boy of fifty-six. But he said it boldly, and as one speaking with authority. The outcome seems to have justified every word of it. Mr. Dowie did leave the world with great sorrow and torment.” [17]
In the weeks leading up to Dowie’s death, Hazrat Ahmad(as) published words he claimed he had received as revelation from God, related to the ongoing prayer duel.
On February 9,1907, Hazrat Ahmad(as) was told of an approaching victory, receiving the revelation: “There is another Eid [or festival] during which you will achieve a great victory.” [21]
On February 10, 1907, in even clearer words, he claimed to have received this revelation from God: “Leave me so that I might kill him who hurts you. The chastisement is destined for the enemies from all four sides and is encircling them.” [22]
Also on February 10, 1907, the revelation: “I shall manifest a fresh sign which will contain a great victory. It will be a sign for the whole world and will be wrought by God’s hands and from heaven” [23]
Hazrat Ahmad(as) published these in the inner title page of a new book on February 20, 1907, commenting: “Let every eye wait for it, for God will manifest it soon as His testimony that this humble one, who is being reviled by all peoples, is from Him. Blessed are those who would take advantage of it.” [23]
Lastly, on March 7, 1907, Hazrat Ahmad(as) published the following two revelations he claimed to receive from God: “They will bring his body, shrouded.” [24]
“I convey to you the news of a liar’s death. Allah is with the truthful.”[25]
Dowie then died on March 9, 1907.
The Boston Herald published a sketch of Hazrat Ahmad(as) on June 23, 1907, with the title “Great is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad the Messiah: Foretold the pathetic end of Dowie…”
Wisdom of the Prayer Duel
Thus, Dowie perished in an astonishing way. For Ahmadi Muslims, followers of Hazrat Ahmad(as), this sign is not about exulting in the death and misery of an individual. It is about recognizing the timeless, universal law of God that truth lasts and falsehood always perishes.
For people on the side of peace, it is sufficient to turn to prayer alone and see how Divine Law takes its course. No amount of wealth, fame, and threats of violence against others can save a person from the consequences of misleading people and lying about God.
This story is also a sign of the existence of God for many who have studied it carefully. Hazrat Ahmad(as) later stated:
““With each passing day, he grew in fame, wealth, and the number of his followers. He started living like a king, whereas previously he was akin to a beggar. If a Muslim, who was weak in faith, had seen him ascending to such glory despite his falsehood and fabrication, he would have gone astray and been at a loss. Even if such a Muslim had been a learned scholar, he could not have saved himself from falling into error, the reason being that [Dowie] was an enemy of Islam who used foul language against our Prophet, the Best of Mankind, yet reached the pinnacle of fame and wealth.” [26]
Thus, if God had not manifested a clear sign in this regard, countless people would have lost faith in the existence of God.
Dowie’s beliefs and character were antithetical to sincere and true religion. He was staunchly anti-science, believing in a flat Earth and banning medical practice in Zion. He was against the US constitution, influencing his followers to rebel against the law. He falsely accused other religions of promoting empty pursuits of carnal desires and misogyny, while he himself secretly committed adultery and severely mistreated his wife. Lastly, he was against true worship of One God, and through his beliefs of worshiping a human in the form of Jesus, he himself ultimately desired to be worshiped by others.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) saw all of these ideas as very harmful. If he did not pray to God to reveal Dowie’s falsehood to the world in a striking way, many people would have been misled to believe religion is evil. Thus, he prayed with a heart filled with the desire for people to be able to seek God sincerely, without being misled by such people.
Hazrat Ahmad(as) peacefully passed away about a year later, on May 26, 1908, at the age of 73.
An Enduring Sign
Today, many Ahmadi Muslims live in the city of Zion, which was once a place that banned the entry of Muslims.
Recently, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community built a mosque there, named the “Fath-e-Azeem ”Mosque, meaning‘ The Great Victory’, as a tribute to this story.
However, at the inauguration of the mosque in October 2022, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, reminded Ahmadi Muslims that it is not enough to simply build a mosque in one small town of America and consider that we’ve completed our task. He reminded Ahmadis that our true task is to keep reforming ourselves, increase in our levels of righteousness and to continuously commit to becoming better human beings.
Without this continuous spirit of self-reform, any story or achievement would be considered meaningless in the eyes of God.
References
1 – https://www.alislam.org/press-release/key-to-zion-illinois-is-now-in-safe-hands/
2 – https://www.reviewofreligions.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/RR190704.pdf#page=1
3 – “Career of Dowie ends at Zion City.” New Ulm Review13 Mar. 1907: 7. Chronicling America (The Library of Congress).
4 – https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/john-alexander-dowie-zion
5 – “Dowie starts on his mission to save the New Yorkers.” The Saint Paul Globe11 Oct. 1903: 21. Chronicling America (The Library of Congress).
6 – “Early Morning Meeting in Shiloh Tabernacle (July 21, 1903).” Leaves of Healing13.17 (1903): n. pag. Rpt. in Leaves of Healing. Ed. John A. Dowie. Vol. 13. Zion: Zion Publishing House, 1903. 541-42. Print.
7 – “Elijah’s Restoration Messages (February 8, 1903).” Leaves of Healing 12.17 (1903): n. pag. Rpt. in Leaves of Healing. Ed. John A. Dowie. 1st ed. Vol. 12. Zion: Zion Publishing House, 1903. 526. Print.
8 – The Review of Religions, vol. 1, no. 9, September 1902, pp. 344-345
9 – The Review of Religions, vol. 1, no. 9, September 1902, pp. 349
10 – Dowie, John A. “Elijah’s Restoration Messages (December 14, 1902).”Leaves of Healing 12.9 (1902): n. pag. Rpt. in Leaves of Healing. Ed. John A. Dowie. 1st ed. Vol. 12. Zion: Zion Publishing House, 1903. 272. Print.
11 – Haqiqatul Wahi [English translation], Islam International Publications, Surrey, 2018, p. 875
12 – “The Rival Prophets.” The New York Times29 Mar. 1903: 6. The New York Times Article Archive. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
13 – “Elijah’s Restoration Messages: No. 53 (December 21, 1902).” Leaves of Healing12.10 (1902): n. pag. Rpt. in Leaves of Healing. Ed. John A. Dowie. 1st ed. Vol. 12. Zion: Zion Publishing House, 1903. 306. Print
14 – “Early Morning Meeting in Shiloh Tabernacle (May 31, 1903).” Leaves of Healing 13.23 (1903): n. pag. Rpt. in Leaves of Healing. Ed. John A. Dowie. 1st ed. Vol. 13. Zion: Zion Publishing House, 1903. 726. Print.
15 – Majmū’ah Ishtihārāt, vol. 3, pp. 619-620; Ahmadiyyat: The Renaissance of Islam, p. 101
16 – https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/john-alexander-dowie-zion
17 – https://history.ahmadiyya.uk/pathetic-end-of-dowie-foretold/
18 – Associated Press. “Dowie dies in the city he planned.” Los Angeles Herald10 Mar. 1907: 3. Chronicling America (The Library of Congress). Web. 29 Nov. 2012.
19 – “Dowie’s Madness.” The Brisbane Courier 28 Jan. 1907: 13. National Library of Australia. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.
20 – “The late Elijah Dowie.” Traralgon Record8 Nov. 1907: 3. National Library of Australia.
21 – Al-Hakam, vol. 11, no. 6, February 17, 1907, p. 1; Tadhkirah: English translation (2009 ed.), p. 915
22 – Badr, vol. 6, no. 7, February 14, 1907, p. 3; Tadhkirah: English translation (2009 ed.), p. 916
23 – Qadian kay Ārya aur Hum, p. i, Rūhānī Khazā’in, vol. 20, p. 418; also see Tadhkirah: English translation (2009 ed.), p. 920
24 – Al-Istiftā: Appendix of ‘Haqīqat-ul-Wahī’, p. 76, Rūhānī Khazā’in, vol. 22, p. 702
25 – Al-Istiftā: Appendix of ‘Haqīqat-ul-Wahī’, p. 74, Rūhānī Khazā’in, vol. 22, p. 700, Tadhkirah: English translation (2009 ed.), p. 927
26 – Haqiqatul Wahi [English translation], Islam International Publications, Surrey, 2018, p. 875
