Fazl-e-Umar — Page 333
Fazle Umar 333 times and in all circumstances for guidance, advice, help, encouragement, appreciation and admonition; to all intelligent, reasonable people of goodwill he proved himself a wise friend and counsellor; towards his opponents he was forbearing and truly sympa- thetic over their lack of understanding; to the afflicted he was, without discrimination, a ready source of comfort, consolation and relief. Yet, there were those who, through error, bigotry, misunderstanding or sheer perversity entertained bitter hostility towards him and were capable of subjecting him to the most heinous outrages. One day in March 1954 a young man belonging to this last category managed to take his stand in the first line of worshippers immediately behind him, while he was leading the afternoon service in the principal mosque at Rabwah. In the middle of the service he suddenly advanced upon him from his rear and drove the blade of a long sharp knife into his neck with murderous force. There was profuse bleeding from the injury which the efforts of those who were nearest to him failed to staunch completely. With a wad of cotton cloth pressed closely against his neck he was able to walk across the few yards that separated him from his residence. In his state of agony, characteristi- cally, his first thought was for the safety of his assailant. He directed: “Secure the young man but do him no harm. This is an order. ” His direction was loudly announced to the bewildered congregation in the mosque and served to secure his assailant against the least harm. He was, in due course, handed over to the police and was eventually sentenced to a substantial term of imprisonment. The injury inflicted upon the Khalifatul Masih was deep and grievous and had a serious effect on his nervous system. The surgeons who attended upon him made a diagnosis which they put in reassuring terms. The speed with which the injury was apparently healed also served to reassure everyone; but its after effects persisted and it soon became apparent that he was not able to maintain his activities at the level at which he was accustomed to work. He was 65 years of age, had never been in robust