Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 74
SEEKER AND SOUGHT Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I 74 thanks for Thy beneficence. ' I devoted myself to the Mahdi as of the age, and pledged my allegiance to him with the utmost sincerity. His kindness and beneficence enveloped me completely and I loved him with the full devotion of my heart. I held him dearer than all my belongings, and my wife and children and parents and all my kindred and my very life itself. His knowledge, erudition and spiritual perception won the homage of my heart. I am most grateful to God that He led me to him. It is my good fortune that I preferred him to everything and devoted myself to his service like a faithful servant who is not found wanting in any respect. All thanks to Allah, the Most Beneficent, Who bestowed His beneficence upon me. " 19 It happened in this wise. A western educated Muslim, who held a high office, carried on a long discussion with Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra on the subject of Prophethood, a concept which he rejected with scorn. In the end one day he announced that he was convinced that the Holy Prophet sa was in truth Kh a tamun Nab i yy i n sa (Seal of the Prophets) and that he did not wish to prolong the discussion. Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra felt this was too facile a declaration to be sincere, and asked him to set forth a reason in support of it. He responded with: "The Holy Prophet sa was very wise and far-sighted. He had realised that human intellect was developing rapidly and that henceforth the concept of Prophethood and revelation would no longer be subscribed to; he, therefore, announced that he was Kh a tamun Nab i yy i n sa. " Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra was shocked and disgusted with such crass stupidity and egregious folly. A short time thereafter the Prime Minister of the State gave