Fazl-e-Umar — Page 334
Fazle Umar 334 health, had always driven himself hard and had given himself little respite. He was now called upon to pay part of the price. On the other hand, but for the sheer Grace and Mercy of God, the injury might have proved instantaneously fatal. Indeed, the surgeons were surprised that his life had been spared. The blade of the knife had penetrated into his neck a distance of four inches and its point had stopped right at the jugular vein. The examination of the surgeons and the X-ray impressions failed to reveal any injury to the vein itself. But as the patient, even after the apparently complete healing of the wound, continued to suffer discomfort and unease, he was not satisfied that all was well; though the repeated examinations carried out by the surgeons disclosed no cause for the discomfort. They hoped that the passage of time would complete the process of inner healing and the slight strain on the nervous system would be eased gradually and would ultimately be removed altogether. This prediction was not com- pletely fulfilled and the Khalifatul Masih decided in 1955 to proceed to Europe and seek expert medical and surgical advice.