Fazl-e-Umar — Page 139
Fazle Umar 139 Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib replied “On the contrary. I am prepared to swear alle- giance to anyone of you. ” “Even so, you know what they think,” retorted Maulvi Muhammad Ali. Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib was now convinced that there was no possibility of an agreement. So he said: “We believe that there is a religious obligation to maintain the Khilafat, and you think that a Khalifa is not needed. This difference is irreconcilable. You are free to do as you choose. We shall consult together and swear allegiance to whomsoever we agree upon. ” The meeting ended upon this note. T H E E L E C T IO n OF H A d H R AT K HA L I FAT U L M ASI H I I [ra] Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib and his companions proceeded to Masjid Noor, where a gathering of between fifteen hundred and two thousand people awaited them. Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib led the afternoon Prayer service, and then Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan read out the testament of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih of 4 March 1914, which he had committed to his custody, and added: “I have discharged the trust that Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih had committed to me. Now it is for you to act accordingly. ” His announcement was greeted with shouts of Hadhrat Mian sahib, Hadhrat Mian sahib from every direction. In the midst of the clamour Maulvi Syed Muhammad Ahsan stood up and said in a loud voice: “The Promised Messiah [as] said concerning me that I was one of the two angels mentioned in Hadith leaning upon whom the Messiah would descend in the latter days. I consider Sahibzada Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad fully qualified in every respect to accept our allegiance and request him to swear us in. ” Upon this Maulvi Muhammad Ali and Syed Hamid Shah both stood up, as if desiring to say something, and began to wrangle which of them should speak first. Those present were not in a mood to indulge them and Shaikh Yaqub Ali Irfani gave expression to the general feeling by calling out, “time is too precious to be wasted in