An Introduction to the Hidden Treasures of Islam — Page 175
175 • What are the means for the attainment of spiritual knowledge? When the Promised Messiah as began writing this essay, he was divinely informed that his essay would come out on top, meaning that his paper would excel all others at the conference. Accordingly, he issued a handbill announcing the Divine Will that his essay would carry the day at the conference. His paper was to be read on December 27, between 1:30 and 3:30 p. m. As he could not personally attend the conference, he appointed one of his disciples Maulav i ‘Abdul Kar i m to read the paper on his behalf. When Maulav i Sahib began to read the paper, within a short time, such a spell fell upon the assembly that they sat like statues and none realized that the appointed time had come to an end. The audience, however, was greatly agitated to find the time was over, and by that time, not even the answer to the first question was complete. There was, therefore, no limit to their joy, when Maulav i Mub a rak ‘Al i of Sialkot, whose address was to follow next, announced that the time allotted to him might be given to the Promised Messiah’s essay. Maulav i ‘Abdul Kar i m accordingly continued the reading of the paper till 4. 30 p. m. , which was the time for the rising of the conference, but even then the answer to first question was not complete. The audience desired that, that part might be concluded before the sitting broke up. The directors accordingly ordered that the reading might be continued and it accordingly went on till 5:30 p. m. As soon as the reading was over, the audience unanimously requested that the sitting of the conference be extended by another day in order to allow the paper to be finished. Accordingly, arrangements were made so that the sittings next day could be held an hour earlier, at 9:30 a. m. , and that the first paper to be read would be that of the Promised Messiah as. On the third day, it had not yet struck nine, when people of all creeds and sects began to pour into the Hall in large numbers and the proceedings commenced punctually at the