Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 142
Khilafat Centenary room and asked how it went. I informed him that it went very well, which he was happ y to learn and then asked me how. I told Huzur ra that I called Mian Sahib and told him the truth - that Huzur ra wanted to change the program but , out of respect and love for Mian Sahib, was hesitant to change it. Mian Sahib was happy to learn of the love and respect and told me to immediately change the program according to Huzur 'sra wishes. To me, the interaction of mutual love and respect was a lesson to be learned. While on the subject of mutual love and respect, please allow me to recall a statement Huzur ra made regarding Mian Sahib during one of his speeches at the U. K. J alsa (convention) Huzur ra said, "You all know M. M. Ahmad Sahib with all he has done in this world, his spiritual achievements are far greater than his worldly achievements. " To say that about an ordinary person is significant enough, but to say that about a person who has scaled the worldly heights really means something. I will end this section of the article by recalling a statement Mian Sahib made to me and Sahibzadi Amtul Jamil Begum Sahiba during the last da ys of his life. Every time I recall that moment, my heart goes out to him and my eyes fill up with tears, as they are right now as I write this. He turned to his bedside table and took out a brown envelope. He held it close to himself and said, "Yeh Meri Zindigi Ka Sarmaya Hai", which means "This is the asset of my life ". These were letters written to him by Huzur 'a. Once again, this statement was coming from a man who had gained and achieved so much in life and was decorated by the government of Pakistan with two of the country's highest medals awarded to a foreign dignitary. This in itself speaks volumes about his priorities in life. Desire to work for the cause of Ahmadiyyat As I mentioned before, M. M. Ahmad Sahib preached and lived the creed "I will give precedence to my faith over worldly objects". If one examines his life, it does not take long to see that he lived that slogan to its fullest with every breath Allah gave him on this earth. Whether being part of a committee, head of a committee or as bearer of the final title of the Amir USA (which he held for 13 years), he was committed to the cause of Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam, and his life was an example for us to follow. He would wake up and I could hear his ph ysical pain as he made his way to the shower. I could hear his pain as he struggled to get into his clothes, which were always impeccable - his tie matching the handkerchief in the pocket and the socks and shoes matching everything else. I would hear his pain when he made his way down the steps of the house and into the garage. However, I would never hear or see his pain when he spent hours upon hours in his office or chairing a long meeting or at the Majlis-e- Shura or at the J alsa. His desire and commitment to improve and enhance the condition of theJama'at would take over and would work far better than any painkiller a doctor could prescribe. He asked the members of the Jama 'at to ask themselves this question, "What have I done for my faith today?" I know he asked himself this question everyday. Love and respect for the devotees and the workers of tfie Jama'at He had a very soft spot for the people committed to the work of the Jama ' at, especially the devotees. You ma y ha ve read Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir's article in which he shares the events of his first meeting with Mian Sahib. Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir approached Mian Sahib at Heathrow Airport and introduced himself as the new missionary on his way to the US. After a few minutes of the introductions, Mian Sahib boarded the plane with his wife. Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir also boarded the same aircraft. According to Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir, Mian Sahib visited his seat several times during the flight inquiring about his well- being. When the plane was about to land, Mian Sahib went back again and told Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir that as he would be exiting through the diplomatic exit, Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir would not be able to see him. However, Mian Sahib would, upon exiting, make certain that aJama'at representative was there to receive Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir. If he did not see anyone, then he would wait for Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir. Once Mian Sahib confirmed that Maulana Sheikh Mubarik Ahmad was at the airport along with his assistant, Mian Sahib went back into the immigration area and confirmed the same with Maulana Syed Shamshad Nasir, before leaving the airport. Once Mian Sahib was attending a wedding dinner