Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 200
KHILAFAT Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I 200 others. His beauty is perfect and His beneficence is everlasting. Under his directions Maulaw i Muhammad ‘Al i published an appeal on 21st January, 1909, for contributions to a fund for providing assistance to orphans, the needy and deserving students. The personal contribution of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih ra to the fund amounted to five per cent of the total contributions. Talking to a party of small school children on 23rd January, 1909, he impressed upon them the importance of avoiding bad habits and cultivating regularity in S al a t. He pointed out: "When mango stones which have been planted in the earth sprout in the rainy season, you know that children pull them out and make whistles out of them. Five or six years later when the planted stone has taken firm root even a strong man would find it difficult to pull it out. Habits and beliefs are also like plants and trees. You can pluck out your bad habits easily just now, but once they have taken root you may find it impossible to pluck them out. Some children fall into the habit of telling lies. If they do not pluck out this habit early, they will find it difficult to do so later. I have observed that some of those who had formed this habit in their childhood, have not been able to get rid of it even in their maturity, though they are now divines and scholars. The second matter I would admonish you about is regularity in S al a t. If you are not careful about it now, you may find yourself neglecting it when you are grown up. " 83