We turned back because the way was impassable as yet and the route was terrifying. The Promised Messiah was shown in this dream that he, meaning his real mission, would be somewhere other than Qadian, and with him would be only a few men. Between that place and Qadian would be an uncrossable, huge gulf, preventing his return. This is the gulf that exists between the real beliefs and mission of the Promised Messiah, as preserved by the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, and the utterly distorted version of his teachings and aims as represented by the Qadianis. He is left with a few men, away from Qadian.
Qadiani leader admits exaggeration in number.
As to the Qadiani claims regarding their numbers, their late leader Mirza Mahmud Ahmad admitted that his followers are in the habit of greatly exaggerating their numbers. We cannot see more than this. It is possible that if the branches overseas are taken into account this number may reach three hundred thousand. The utmost limit, which it is absolutely impossible to exceed, is four hundred thousand. But some people in the Jama'at have now reached the stage in their exaggeration that, when saying how many they are, they give a figure of up to two and a half million.