Perseverance — Page 115
Part II – My Life as a Muslim 115 is true, but Rashid Ahmad is a complete name. But you want another name to go with it because some other person may be named Rashid Ahmad. ” He continued saying, “Suppose you add a Bakr to Rashid Ahmad and then come to know that there is another Rashid Ahmad Bakr , and then you name yourself Rashid Ahmad Bakr Zaid , then come to know of another Rashid Ahmad Bakr Zaid ; in this way you will go on adding to your name and it will become as a long book. ” Then Huzoor ra said, “You can include the name of your tribe with your name and if you do not have a tribe then you can add your birthplace or your street to your name. This is the way the Arabs would distinguish their names. You may not know your tribe but in your old country you had a tribe there. ” As a result of this conversation I added “American” to my name and I became known as Rashid Ahmad American. NOVEMBER 29, 1954 – LETTER TO HUZOOR R A Rabwah, Dist. Jhang November 28, 1954 Assalamo Alaikum, Huzur. You related to me the story of Hazrat Umar and his topi [Urdu for “cap”]. Then you said that I spoke to my wife and said when Mr. Rashid goes back to his country I am going to give him one of my old kulla [Urdu for the cap around which a turban is wrapped] because it is an old one I would have my wife to fix it with a piece of one of my old shirts [belonging to the Promised Messiah].