Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 67
Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I MAHARAJA’S PHYSICIAN 67 Mujtahid to debate Shia doctrines with him, on condition that if he was not able to refute the Mujtahid , all the Sunn i s present would subscribe to Shia doctrines. H ak i m N u r-ud-D i n ra had not been forewarned, as it was considered that an extemporaneous performance would be of much greater interest. He rebuked Shaikh Fati h Muhammad over the frivolous condition that had been agreed to, but the latter made light of his protest. On arrival at the house of M i y an Il a h i Bakhsh, Shaikh Fati h Muhammad, in his usual forthright manner, demanded that the Shia contestant should come forward. Instead a book was handed to H ak i m N u r-ud-D i n ra , who was agreeably surprised to discover that it was T abaq a tul Anw a r. He leafed through it quickly and then placed it before M i y an Il a h i Bakhsh and enquired what was proposed. He was told he should make a thorough study of the book. He said he had studied it, and if they wished he could set forth its purport briefly and also refute it. Several Shia divines were present and they all desired to hear his exposition, on listening to which they went apart and agreed among themselves that they would be no match for him in a debate. M i y an Il a h i Bakhsh directed his servants to serve dinner, but Shaikh Fati h Muhammad kept shouting: "We do not want dinner, we want to hear the debate; produce your Mujtahid. But no one came forward and no debate took place. " As has been mentioned, M i y an L a ‘l D i n was a very wealthy and highly respected citizen of Jammu, though he did not have much education. He was not on very friendly terms with H ak i m N u r-ud-D i n ra. Nevertheless, the latter one day took the unusual step of calling on him at his residence. He found him seated in a high seat beside a window in a large room