Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 289
Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I PERSONAL REMINISCENCES 289 1914 had received his permission to go to the continent for my forthcoming Easter holidays. Before I set out the tragic news of his death was received through Khaw a ja Kam a l-ud-D i n. When I approached him for particulars he told me: "The situation is very confused. I do not know very much. I have received three brief telegrams. The first one intimated the death of Maulaw i Sahib. The second said that M i y an Ma h m u d had been proclaimed Khal i fa. The third said that there was a split and those who dissented were called traitors. I do not know what to make of all this. " In those days mail from the Punjab was delivered in London after seventeen days. I was much perturbed and was full of apprehension but there was no help for it. I left for my holiday, with a troubled, anxious, but prayerful mind. On my return three weeks later I found a whole stack of mail waiting for me. My mother’s letter said that a great calamity had descended upon the community. There was a grievous split. Hadrat Sahibz a da Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma h m u d Ahmad ra was the rightful Khal i fa. She had sworn allegiance to him and I must do the same instantly. My father wrote that it was a question of conscience, and that he would give me no instructions. I must decide for myself after due deliberation and earnest prayers for guidance. A hasty perusal of a selected portion of the rest of my mail satisfied me that the central point of difference was whether there should or should not be an authoritative spiritual Head of the Movement. On that my mind was quite clear; I had not the slightest misgiving. The mail was due to leave that very afternoon. I took up my pen and conveyed my