Fazl-e-Umar — Page 124
Fazle Umar 124 continued to be led under his direction, by Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad. On one occasion Maulvi Muhammad Ali suggested to Hafiz Raushan Ali to enquire from Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih [ra] why, in the presence of older and more learned divines, he had directed that the young Sahibzada should lead the Prayer services. Hafiz Raushan Ali made the enquiry, without mentioning who had inspired it, and received the reply, “The Holy Quran says, ‘The most honoured among you in the estimation of Allah is he who is the most righteous among you’ (Ch. 49:V. 14). Name from among the whole Community one as righteous as Mian Mahmud Ahmad. Then shall I appoint Maulvi Muhammad Ali to lead the Prayer services and deliver the sermon?” E F F ORT S OF C O n SP I R ATOR S TO G A I n P OP U L A R I T y A M O n G O RT HO d O x M U SL I M S These two men under the stunning impact of the sudden death of the Promised Messiah [as] had committed themselves too far to leave room for a barefaced U-turn on the institution of Khilafat. They had themselves tied their own hands too tightly. They soon realised that they had made a mistake, and began to cast about for devices to help them pull back from a difficult situation with the minimum loss of face. They had miscalculated with regard to the character of the Khalifa. Time after time their tricks and devices were frustrated by the firmness, farsightedness, cour- age and high resolve of the Khalifa and by his complete trust in God. They dared not come out into the open in their opposition and hostility to the Khalifa, as fairly early they had begun to perceive that the Khalifa enjoyed tremendous prestige among the Community and if a situation was brought about in which the Community might be forced to make a choice between the Khalifa and the Anjuman, at least ninety percent of it would support the Khalifa rather than the Anjuman.