Truth About the Split — Page 269
269 Lahore. We are afraid lest some hasty person should precipitate trouble. It is essential that our arrival from Lahore should be awaited. " To this Mir Sahib replied, "Yes, it is necessary that some understanding should be reached to prevent trouble. " I, however, realised the gravity of the situation, and remembered at once the practice of the Companions of the Holy Prophet sa who regarded it utterly improper in the lifetime of one Khalifa to discuss the selection of another, even if the selection were contingent upon the death of the living Khalifa. Accordingly I replied that it was a sin to discuss the selection of a successor to Khilafat while a Khalifa yet lived, and to decide that on the death of a living Khalifa a specific person should be appointed to succeed him and that therefore I considered it a sin to speak on the subject. Readers will note in this speech by Khwaja Sahib certain points, which are specially worthy of attention. Firstly, that only a few hours before, these people had assured Hadrat Khalifatul Masih ra that his condition gave no cause for anxiety and that there was no necessity for making a will and yet no sooner had they left his presence than they began to think of his successor. Secondly, that the speech assumed that while they had no desire for the office of Khilafat, I did have such a desire. I did not, however, think it