Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 105
Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I EMINENT DIVINE 105 His exegesis of the Holy Quran was superb. He was invited to address the Annual Conference of the Anjuman H im a yat-e-Isl a m in Lahore in 1893. He chose as his text: "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His light is as if there were a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp contained in a crystal globe, the globe as bright as a glittering star. The lamp is lit with the oil of a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west. The oil would well-nigh glow forth even though no fire were to touch it. Light upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He wills (24:36). " He opened with the observation: "Some of the audience are committed to the Eastern tradition, and some of the younger generation are admirers of Western culture and civilisation. That which I wish to expound is, in the words of the Holy Quran, neither of the East nor of the West. The Holy Quran makes provision for the welfare of the whole of mankind. " 32 He then proceeded to develop his theme on the basis of the text he had cited and held the audience spellbound throughout his discourse. Among those present on the occasion was the well-known missionary of Islam, Maulaw i H asan ‘Al i ra of Bh a galpur in Bihar. He recorded his impressions of the speech in the following terms: "In 1893 I had occasion to attend the Annual Conference of Anjuman H im a yat-e- Islam , where I met that erudite commentator of the Quran, Maulaw i H ak i m N u r-ud-D i n ra , who