Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 340
340 AHMADIYY AT ment and the proliferation of its branches across the globe, the number of members of the Movement in foreign coun- tries visiting Rabwah in all seasons of the year, but more particularly on the occasion of the Annual Conference in the last week of December, has grown every year. The Tahrik Jadeed had built a modest guest house simultaneously with the construction of its offices which was maintained in good condition, but the accommodation provided therein was limited and soon became inadequate for the demands made upon it. Thus the need was felt of a much larger hostel for foreign visitors which should be fitted with all the facilities to which they were accustomed at home. Again the Foundation came forward with the offer to construct such a hostel on the scale and to the specifications that would meet the need that had arisen. Its offer was accepted by the Tahrik Jadeed and the project went forward. As everywhere else, the country was about that time caught in the grip of severe inflation and the cost of the project, despite every effort at keeping it down, went up progressively and the Directorate of the Foundation began to be apprehensive whether the resources of the Foundation would prove equal to the liability that it had undertaken. Through the grace and mercy of God, the first stage of the project, which alone had been undertaken to start with, was successfully and satisfactorily completed at more than twice the cost originally estimated. The hostel was then taken over by Tahrik Jadeed. The demand for hostel accommodation of various types has continued to grow and a number of smaller hostels have been constructed or are in course of construction at the instance of Institutions of. the Movement other than the Fazli U mar Foundation. The Foundation has published the first volume of the addresses delivered by Khalifatul Masih II. Other volumes will follow in due course. An authoritative biography of him has been taken in hand, of which the first of three volumes have been published. The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement had