Fazl-e-Umar — Page 32
Fazle Umar 32 Din. The friend I am talking about hailed from Muradabad U. P. and was a Squadron Leader Major in the army. His name was Mohammad Ayyub. He came to Gurdaspur to pay a visit to the Promised Messiah [as]. He said two things to me which were a means of my guidance. “In Delhi it was customary for children to address their father as ‘TUM’ (an impolite form of ‘you’). Likewise a wife addressed her husband with the same impolite form. In Lucknow, however, they addressed with ‘AAP’ (a polite form). Hearing constantly the word TUM I had developed the habit of addressing people as TUM. Although as a custom I mostly avoided addressing the Promised Messiah [as] but when the need arose and I was compelled to address I used the word TUM. For some reason in the presence of that friend I had to address the Promised Messiah [as] and used the word TUM. Hearing this word that friend held me by the arm and took me away from the gathering and said, ‘I have great respect for you in my heart and that very respect demands that I should warn you of your mistake. When addressing the Promised Messiah [as] you must never use the word TUM. Instead you must address him as AAP. Otherwise if you ever use this word again I will apprehend you. ’ “Because I had regularly been using the word TUM I could not see any dif- ference between these two words. Rather, instead of AAP, I preferred the word TUM. In fact as I was not accustomed, I used to perspire with embarrassment whenever I said AAP since I considered it a crime to say AAP. However, after the explanation from this friend I began to use the word AAP and the impact of his advice is still felt in my heart. ” A P P ROP R IAT E M O d E OF dR E S S “Once I visited Lahore and saw some boys wearing neckties. I fondly purchased