Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 11
Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I IN QUEST OF KNOWLEDGE 11 He spent about three years in R a mpur, and carried on his studies with so much diligence that he fell seriously ill. His illness revived his eagerness to study medicine. On enquiry he discovered that the most distinguished physician in the country was H ak i m ‘Al i H usain Sahib of Lucknow. He immediately resolved to set out for Lucknow. On his way he stopped in Mur a dab a d and there fell in with a saintly personage, Maulaw i ‘Abdur Rash i d of Benares * , who ministered so well to his comfort that he was restored to full health within a few weeks. He always entertained a lively recollection of the many kindnesses he received from him and was deeply grateful to him. Maulaw i ‘Abdur Rash i d was celibate and lived very simply in a chamber attached to a mosque. Late one evening a guest arrived and he was hard put to it how to procure food for the guest. He asked him to lie down and relax while a meal could be got ready. The guest lay down and fell asleep. Maulaw i ‘Abdur Rash i d washed as for Prayer, and seating himself facing the Kaaba began to supplicate: 'I entrust my cause to Allah. Verily, Allah sees all His servants' (40:45). He became absorbed in his supplication, and after the lapse of a period which would have sufficed for the preparation of a dish, he heard someone call out: "Sir, please come quickly, my hand is being scorched. " Maulaw i ‘Abdur Rash i d got up and found that a person was holding out a large copper plate full of piping hot rice cooked in the juice of meat. He took it, awakened his guest and served him the delicious food. The copper plate remained in the chamber and was not claimed by anyone, despite repeated announcements by Maulaw i ‘Abdur Rash i d that its * Current name of this city is V ā r ā nasi. [Publisher]