Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 334
! ! 334 Obtain True Knowledge! Address to the Ladies at Jalsa Salana Delivered by Hazrat Mirza Bashir - ud - D in Mahmud Ahmad , Khalifat - ul - Masih II ra 1933 After reciting the Tashah hud and Surah Al - Fatihah , Haz rat Khalifa t - ul - Masih II ra said: As Sayyeda Fazeelat Begum has a loud voice, she should make an announcement on all four sides of the stage that I cannot speak loudly , for just yesterday I got out of bed after battling a bout of influenza. It will be better if the audience listens quietly. If those who cannot hear me sit quietly during the speech, they will at the very least attain blessings. (Upon this , Sayyeda Fazeelat Begum announced his message on all sides of the stage. ) After this, Haz rat Khalifa t - ul - Masih II ra said : Those who have passed throughout the ages, be they men or women , bea u tified themselves to show their high status or distinction. If nothing else, they decorate d their bodies with s urma [dark pigment used as makeup] or they built grand buildings to express their beauty and grandeur. This was the standard by which their high rank and stature was measured. Therefore , cities such as Delhi, Baghdad and Cordoba have had and st ill have a large number of architectural marvels. Some believe that beauty lies in singing and playing music. In some countries , stylish and beautiful clothes are favored. I n India , some people would wear shalwars [loose pants] made from forty to fifty yards of fabric. I n India , there was a period of time when outfits were donned with pride and the current style of shalwars a nd pajamas [fitted ruched pants] were considered inferior. Over time, fashion has changed considerably. In any case, every age brings a new standard to mark high status.