The Promised Son — Page 20
20 the youth of a nation become true custodians of its traditions then that nation can survive for centuries upon centuries. However, if the generations of the future are negligent then a nation can never achieve success. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra took a very keen interest in the running of Majlis Khuddam-ul- Ahmadiyya. He instructed his staff that if, on any occasion, an official of Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya came to his office to seek his guidance on matters, then Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra would stop his work and attend to the needs of the official. After the Second World War and traumatic events of partition between India and Pakistan in 1948, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra assumed the presidency of Majlis Khuddam-ul- Ahmadiyya. He felt that the youth had been through so much pain and anguish due to the World War and the subse- quent partition of Pakistan from India that his guiding hand was needed at the grass roots level to help rebuild the foun- dation. Many of the office bearers had sought his permission to stay on as darvesh [devotees] in Qadian and, as such, were not fully able to communicate with the new headquarters in Rabwah. He kept this title of President for six years. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra did not just offer advice to Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, he led by example. There were many occasions where he would