Perseverance — Page 56
56 – the story of al-haj Rashid ahmad american Hashmatullah said the Promised Messiah as was requested to lead non-Ahmadi congregations and he refused. 17 Quetta had a population of 200,000 and was noted for its cool weather and abundance of fruits. We stayed in a place called York House on Lytton Road [now Zarghoon Road]. It is a very beautiful house with a wall around it and shade trees within the front first wall, and the lawn was covered with green grass. A camp was set up and a canvas was stretched on the grass to create a makeshift Mosque. The adh a n was called five times a day. The Hazrat was confined in the four walls of his room because he was unable to walk without pain. May God have mercy on him. No one was permitted near the Khal ī fah ra , who was in the center of the home, unless they had permission. Tents were set up for office workers. The Private Secretary was busy receiving mail and answering letters from all parts of the world. Other tents were set up for the guards who were on duty. Dr. Hashmatullah was our imam and a tent was set up for his office. He was unable to lead the ‘ Ish ā ’ prayer because the Hazrat called him. There was a rise in the Khal ī fah’s temperature. After the ‘ Ish ā ’ prayer Dr. Hashmatullah began a conversation about the eating of food. He could not understand how intelligent, civilized people could eat such things as snakes, frogs, turtles and swine as a person is sure to take on the characteristics of the food they eat. The discussion moved towards the different types of bread made throughout the world. 17 This incident appears to be corroborated in Fat w a M as ih M au ‘u d , page 74, item 106. [Writer] a