Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 217
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 217 whom they might put forward should be elected so that unity might be maintained. On his insistence all those who were present agreed to his proposal. Immediately thereafter the Sahibzada Sahib received a note from Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib to the effect that the Maulvi Sahib desired to resume their conversation of the previous day. In reply the Sahibzada Sahib sent word to Maulvi Sahib that he would be welcome and he arrived accompanied by some of his friends. At the time Maulvi Syed Muhammad Ahsan Sahib, Khan Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib, and Dr Khalifa Rashidud-Din Sahib were also present with the Sahibzada Sahib. He repeated his suggestion of the previous day which he had put to Maulvi Sahib that there should be no discussion of the question whether there should or should not be a Khalifa. The only matter on which there could be an exchange of views was who should be elected Khalifa. Maulvi Sahib insisted on his side that nothing should be determined upon at. the time, but after a long enough interval, which should enable the members' of the Com-. munity to reflect deeply on the question that confronted them, a decision might be taken unanimously which should be given effect to. While their discussion was proceeding, the people who had gathered outside became gready excited and in their impatience demanded that the door should be opened and they should be told what decision had been reached. At this stage the Sahibzada Sahib suggested that they should go out and try to ascertain the wishes of the people who were now gathered together in Qadian. To this the Maulvi Sahib retorted: 'You suggested this because you know who would be their choice. ' The Sahibzada Sahib told him that he was ready to make the covenant of Ba'iat at the hands of anyone of them whom they might put forward. But Maulvi Sahib persisted in affirming that the Sahibzada Sahib knew the people would insist upon electing him to the office of Kha- lifa. Thus the deadlock continued, and in the end the Sahib- zada Sahib intimated that as he considered it essential that there must be a Khalifa and Maulvi Sahib and his group were