Similarly, I have already stated that prophecies that warn of imminent punishment from God can be averted through repentance and seeking forgiveness. This is to the extent that even if one is written off by God as Hell-bound, this verdict may be reverted. If the people turn and incline towards repentance and forgiveness, Allah the Exalted will protect this land and country. God does as He pleases, but he says:
قُلْ مَا یَعْبَؤُا بِکُمْ رَبِّیْ لَوْ لَا دُعَٓاؤُکُمْ
i.e. tell the people that if you do not devote yourselves to Me, what do I care for you?
Certain people say that there are physicians on every street, doctors are present and hospitals are in operation, so if required, they can be treated immediately and restored to health. However, such people are unaware that in Bombay and Karachi many renowned doctors themselves contracted the disease and passed on. Those who were appointed and went to serve in this difficult time have fallen prey themselves. This is how God Almighty manifests His power and control, and tells us that it is unwise to depend merely on doctors or treatment.
God desires for the people to develop faith in the next world as well. Let us see how people fare with the will of God. Man writhes over even a few inches of land; he conspires and bears the burden of cases in court, but does he feel within himself the same pain and distress if he does not fulfil a certain commandment of God Almighty? Not in the least.
Man is foolish and calls upon God when he is struck by severe illnesses and when he is granted respite in the form of a trial, he returns to his artifices and follows such a course of action as though he will never die. Even death caused by minor illnesses rarely moves the hearts of people. They are emotionally affected only superficially for two or three days, but then they return to the same mockery, jest and nonsense, just as they were indulged before. They go to graveyards and bury the dead but do not stop to think that ultimately, one day, they too will be presented before God.
Therefore, God Almighty sees that normal death does not affect the people any longer. In Amritsar and Lahore, there is perhaps a daily death rate of about sixty to seventy. The number of deaths in Kolkata and Bombay is even larger. In itself though this is a fearful sight, but who notices this? Those who are bereft of foresight will say that these deaths are proportionately normal in view of the entire population; such people do not care and are unable to benefit from the death of others. It is for this reason that God Almighty has employed another method and has sought to warn the people by means of the plague.
In any case, I advise you that now what is destined to happen will surely come to pass. But do not entertain thoughts that will further displease God Almighty and deem the government to be deserving of blame. What will you achieve by denigrating the government? The plague has come due to your own evil actions; in fact, the government is confronted by calamity because of you.
(Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, Malfuzat, Vol. 1, pp. 256-257)
