Fazl-e-Umar — Page 83
Fazle Umar 83 S E C O n d I n C I d E n T : E F F ORT S TO P ROT E C T T H E P ROM I SE d M E S SIA H [as] F ROM L IG H T n I n G The second incident is presented below: “From the archive of foolish incidents I remember my silly incident. Many times I have laughed upon recalling this incident and sometimes my eyes have also filled with tears. However, I look upon it with great reverence. And from the incidents of my life that fill me with pride there is one among them that is foolish. That incident took place one night in the time of the Promised Messiah [as] when we were all sleeping in the courtyard. It was summertime and rain clouds suddenly appeared in the night sky accompanied by roaring thunder. During this, lightning fell somewhere close to Qadian. However, its blast was so loud that every household in Qadian thought this lightning might have struck their house…. Owing to the blast and some rainstorms everyone went into their rooms. When the lightning struck, those of us sleeping in the courtyard also got up and went inside. I remember that scene to this day. When the Promised Messiah [as] was going to go inside, I covered his head with both my hands. So that if lightning struck it would strike me, not him. Later when I returned to my senses, I laughed at my actions. It was because of him that we were to be saved from the lightning not that he could be protected by us! I think that action of mine was no less than the act of a madman. However, I am always happy because this action made manifest to me my love for the Promised Mes- siah [as]. Sometimes a person is unaware of how much he loves someone. When this type of incident occurs, he can estimate how deep and profound his love is. So when the feelings of extreme love are roused the intellect fails at that time. Love tosses wisdom to one side; love rejects all fear. And it comes to the fore by itself. ” 53