Truth Prevails — Page 134
( 134 ) “Your gifts, tendered to me as nazrana , first, to the time of April last, I used to pass on to Maulvi Mohammad Ali. But someone created a misunderstanding, or he himself fell into an error, he said: ‘this is our money, and we are to guard it. ’ Then, solely to seek the pleasure of the Lord, I stopped passing it on – curious to see what these people could do. The man who said this, he made a colossal blunder. It is encumbent on him to repent. He should repent even now. People of this kind, if they do not repent, it will not be good for them. ” ( Badr , February 1, 1912) Another Important Event A building in Bhera was bequeathed to the Anjuman by Hakim Maulvi Fazaldin, under his last will and testament, under Al-Wasiyyat. A man from Bhera approached Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I, with a request that it be sold to him at a price cheaper than the prevailing market values, on the basis that he had a special claim, in view of certain circumstances, which he must have stated in the interview. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih entertained the claim, and gave instructions that the building be sold to him at a concession price. But Maulvi Mohammad Ali and some of his friends, who were members of the Board of Trustees of the Sadr Anjuman , expressed a difference of opinion, and went to the length of resisting the decision of the Khalifa. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih then declared that he was giving these people a margin of time, to think over the matter, and change their attitude. Otherwise; he would turn them out of the J ama’at , on the day of the coming Eidul Fitr , if they did not repent by that time. On the occasion of this Eid they apologized and begged pardon. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih forgave them and stated in course of Eid Sermon: “In his book, the Promised Messiah had embodied a subtle point for comprehension. I proceed to untie that knot, to make you understand. The man who was to be made Khalifa , his affair he left to God. But, on the other hand, to 14 people (Members of the board of Trustees of the Sadr Anjuman ) he said collectively, they were Khalifatul Masih. Their decision was final; and in the eyes of the government, too, their decision was final. Then he tied up these 14 eminent and worthy gentlemen and made them sell themselves in a pledge of loyalty and devotion, by making them accept a man as Khalifa , bringing you all together in this way. Subsequently, not only these 14, but the whole Jama’at rallied around my Khilafat , in a unanimous vote. Now, whosoever proceeds to act against this consensus, he would be opposing God Himself. Therefore, listen with ears quite open. If you violate this pledge, you would expose yourself to the verdict given in these words, Why have I given to you this warning? It is because there are, among you, people, who from a lack of proper understanding, again and again show weakness. I do not think their comprehension goes farther than mine. ”