Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen – Khalifatul Masih I – The Way of the Righteous — Page 29
Hakeem Noor-ud-Deen The Way of the Righteous 28 another thought arose in my mind as to what would I gain from this Bai ‘ at , and many strange questions arose whenever I visited him. One can find all the decrees and commands in the Holy Qur'an, what is legal and what is not, and all "do's" and "don'ts" are indicated therein. So, what can one gain from a " Bai ‘ at. " If it was an indication of love for him, I always held him in great esteem and respect. And, when I returned to my room, another stream of thoughts invaded me "why thousands and thousands of people went to him and took Bai ‘ at at his hand. ” In this intellectual conflict, many days passed. Often, while I was free, I would sit in solitude in the southeast corner of Masjid-i-Nabavi and read various books. One day I finally made up my mind that there is no harm in taking Bai ‘ at at his hand, and let myself see what would I gain out of it, and if I do not gain anything I can drift away. When I arrived in his presence, another thought arose in my mind, "Don't you think it is a folly to seek Bai ‘ at and then drift away? It is better to weigh the matter carefully than to drift away from the pledge. ” Finally, I appeared in his presence one day and said: "I have come to seek a Bai ‘ at at your hand. " Shah Sahib asked, "Did you do Istikhaarah ?" (a prayer to invoke Divine help in seeking guidance) I said, "I did a lot of thinking and Istikhaarah. " Shah Sahib extended his hand, and suddenly an idea came to my mind, "extending a hand in pledge without careful inquiry is not proper. " Therefore, despite the extended hand of Shah Sahib, I withdrew my hands, and with a great deal of respect, I enquired from Shah Sahib what would I gain out of this Bai ‘ at. Shah Sahib quoted a Persian couplet that says, "Anything heard becomes visible and a thing seen becomes a belief. ” And added, this was the response given by Najm-ud-Din Kubraa (a well known soofi [mystic]). Eventually, I extended both of my hands, but then Shah Sahib withdrew his hands a bit and enquired whether I knew a Hadith wherein one of the Companions of the Holy Prophet sa asked: "I request your companionship in heaven. " I said, "I do remember. " Shah Sahib said, "After the Bai ‘ at