Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 39
Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I HEDJAZ INTERLUDE 39 provided by a passenger for his camel driver is shared by several, with the result that no one eats his fill and all go hungry and become irritable. The first factor did not operate in the case of Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra. To safeguard himself against the second, he took the precaution that before leaving Medina on his return journey, he laid in a plentiful supply of dates, and every night, about the middle of the night, he made over a double handful of dates to his camel driver, which kept him well fed and in good humour, so that he served him devotedly, studying his comfort and anticipating his needs. Approaching Mecca, and recalling that it was mentioned in a Hadith that the Holy Prophet sa had entered Mecca by way of Kad a ’, but finding that loaded camels and donkeys could not proceed that way, he dismounted from his camel a little beyond Dh i T aw a and entered Mecca by way of Kad a ’. He noticed that only a small number did that. In Mecca, whenever he wished to perform ‘Umra , he would put on the I h r a m (the pilgrim’s garb) in his residence. Noticing this, his host, the venerable Makhd u m, suggested that he should go to Tan‘ i m and put on the I h r a m there. He explained that it was unnecessary to go six or seven miles out of town, when there was good authority in Hadith that Meccans could put on the I h r a m in Mecca. Makhd u m was upset and said: "You act contrary to the practice of the townsmen and set yourself in opposition to them. " He remarked that he did not want to oppose the townsmen; only the donkey drivers whose custom was thereby reduced. This drew a smile from Makhd u m, and he held his peace.