Hazrat Amman Jan - An Inspiration for Us All — Page 134
to encourage the important habits of self - sufficiency and working hard, whilst discouraging idleness and laziness. Sahibzadi Amatul Mateen has related that in Delhozi in the afternoons when the children would be playing outside, Hadrat Amman Jan ra would call her into her room. She would give her a tray filled with lentils and rice grains mixed together. Curiously, she would ask her granddaughter to separate the two foods. Amatul Mateen Sahibah recall ed doing this exercise speedily. However, Hadrat Amman Jan ra would again mix up the grains, and would ask Amatul Mateen Sahibah to repeat the process three or four times. She would then let her granddaughter go out to play again. In this way , Hadrat Amman Jan ra subtly developed many good qualities. Firstly, she developed the habit of obedience in her granddaughter. Secondly, she increased her granddaughter ’ s level of concentration and patience an d thirdly, she encouraged the habit of performing domestic chores. These were all essential qualities that Hadrat Amman Jan ra sought to develop in her granddaughter which were undoubtedly invaluable to her in adult life. Hadrat Amman Jan's ra self - sufficiency was apparent in her own nature. Hadrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad ru (Hadrat Khalifatul Masih III), related that even during his grandmother's illness , when there would be three or four household helpers in her presence, Hadrat Amman Jan ra would sti ll fetch herself a glass of water. Sometimes , it would be painful to watch her do so in her immense weakness. However , Hadrat Amman Jan ra would insist commenting; "While I have the strength why should I get others to work for me?" 134