My Mother — Page 24
24 to be a Muslim and was no longer competent to function as Mutawalli or Imam of the Juma Masjid. There was at that time no Ahmadi lawyer at Sialkot, and my father was retained as counsel for the defendant. In that capacity he was perforce compelled to undertake a thorough study of the doctrinal questions raised by the plaintiffs in support of their plea that an Ahmadi could not be considered a Muslim, and found himself in sympathy with the Ahmadiyyah point of view. Another matter that impressed him deeply was that the plain- tiffs and their witnesses in making their depositions on oath under examination, did not hesitate to depose falsely or to prevaricate if they felt that a straight answer might prejudice their case, while the defendant and Ahmadi witnesses adhered strictly to the truth without regard to the effect that their statements might have on the result of the case. He felt that the high moral standards disclosed by the Ahmadis in such a striking manner were indica- tive of their being based on truth. The findings of the trial judge upheld the defendant and the suit was dismissed. The plaintiffs appealed against the judgment of the trial judge which was con- firmed by the appellate court and the appeal was also dismissed. The proceedings left my father very favourably inclined towards Ahmadiyyat. Some time thereafter he was summoned to appear as a defence witness in the court of a Magistrate at Gudaspur in a criminal case in which Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahma - diyyah Movement, was being tried for defamation of one Maulvi Karam Deen, one of his bitter and virulent opponents. This afforded him an opportunity of meeting the illustrious personage and he was much impressed with his gracious personality and his