Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 195
Khilafat Centenary Letters From Mirza Tahir Ahmadrta Letter to an Ahmadi Sister on the Demise of Her Father: In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful Dear Amatul Latif, Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhoo I have just now received yo ur letter emanating the fragrant memory of my respected teacher, the late Hadhra t Malik Saifur Rahman Sahib, which you have been able to write after his sad demise. It is a very good letter. You have excellently enshrined his memory in the way he most deserved. This letter beautifully reflects his temperament. It is simple, informal, flowing smoothly like water, clean and pure, mild, and balanced in the expression of sorrow. It is such a vibrant letter that while reading it I felt as if I were talking directly with my very affectionate teacher. How honest and impressive was his graceful way of loving. On many occasions, I thought of writing in my own handwriting a letter of condolence to you and to other loved ones. H owever, the mind would not go along with the thought. There was a kind of stress on the heart and mind. Thus, until this writing, I resorted to his commemoration only in the Friday Sermon. Today, your letter has removed that barrier and has shown me the way in which I should express my memory of him. He had a good life and a good end. He never made anyone feel hurt or angry. Whenever someone hurt or angered him, he always kept that hurt or anger in his heart. There was a slight tinge of sadness for a short period of time on his face which grad ually disappeared. He was an ardent lover of knowledge and used to get spiritual pleasure from its acquisition. He always avoided impulsive pleasures. He was brilliant and liked the c om pany of those who carried pleasant and pious conversations. He used to enjoy very much literary discu ss ions and g ood humor. I ca nnot recall a time when he laug hed aloud. However, when he heard good jokes, a clear and broad smile would s pread like moonlight upon his face and he would chuckle in a very low voi e. One never felt in his co mpan y a burden on the heart and mind. He never let one feel that he had overstayed his visit and that it was time to leave. Similarly, when he left, one never felt that his visit was hurried, and that he had left abruptly. His movements also had the calm of silently flowing waters. He was always more concerned about and involved in finding a solution to the national rather than the individual worries and problems. Howeve r, he never shirked away from his responsibility to share the worries of loved ones and friends. He was one of those who pra yed a lot but he never gave such an impression to anyone either overtly or covertly. He was extremely intelligent and possessed the ability to quickly discern the nature of a person. He did not possess however, the sharpness of an eagle's eyes; instead, he had a non -piercing soft look in his eyes. As an individual trait, his humility in itself did not become so prominent that it acquired a sort of shade of glory. Rather, each of his beautiful traits was fermented with his humility. A balanced life was a key characteristic of his morals and personality. His heart and mind were also balanced in their inter- and intra- operations. Yes! If there was a lack of balance, it was between the body and the soul. The physical abilities could not go along with the intellectual and emotional abilities. The soul was strong but the bod y was ' ·eak Clarity and civility were the hallmarks of his writings and speeches. He remained, under all circumstanc patient, confident and dignified. He never arose prominently and gained predominance like the waves storm. However, he was never frightened or repressed by the violent stormy waves. The fluctuatio -