Fazl-e-Umar — Page 233
Fazle Umar 233 spirit of prayerful gratitude to the Divine for all His bounties. The flag of Ahmadiyyat was adopted and raised for the first time. In reply to the addresses presented to the Khalifatul Masih, he made a speech in the course of which he outlined the reasons for holding such a celebration: “Ever since the celebration was projected the feeling that it might become a precedent for birthdays and other similar celebrations has troubled me. I was afraid lest in consequence of this celebration the Community might get involved in such ceremonies, as it is the purpose of Ahmadiyyat to wipe out…The first feeling of reassurance was generated in my mind by the appreciation of one aspect mentioned by Maulvi Jalal Uddin Shams in one of his articles that this is an occasion of celebration also because the Movement has completed 50 years of its life. Thus, I realised that this celebration can be attributed to the Movement rather than to an individual and that I can myself join in this joyous event. The second reassurance was generated in my mind when the poem of the Promised Messiah [as] named ‘Ameen’ (written when Hadhrat Musleh Mau’ood finished first reading of the Holy Qur’an) was being recited and I felt that this celebra- tion is an occasion of proclaiming the fulfilment of a prophecy of the Promised Messiah. I, therefore, felt that my participation in it is not improper. ” At the conclusion of his speech a cheque of the amount of Rs. 270,000 was pre- sented to Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] with the request that he might spend it as he pleased. In the Annual Conference of that year the Khalifatul Masih spoke on 28 and 29 December on the Islamic System of Khilafat in a very comprehensive way and in the course of his speech said: “The ever-fresh signs of God Almighty and His living miracles are sufficient proof that God has made me Khalifa and there is no one who can stand in opposition