Proceedings of the Prayer Meeting — Page 15
The Sermon 15 are no longer steeped in faith. Sadly, God is not even given the same regard as a lowly sweeper, as if they think there will never be any accountability before God or any obligation to Him, and as if there will be no summoning before His Judgment Seat. If only the disbelievers would ponder and reflect over the proof of the exist- ence of God Almighty that shines brighter than millions of suns! It is an occasion for pity that upon seeing a shoe it is understood with full certainty that it has a maker, but how unfortunate it is that even upon observing the endless creation of God Almighty they either do not believe in Him or their belief amounts to noth- ing. Indeed, God Almighty has conferred many favours upon us, one of which is that He has delivered us out of a burning oven. The Sikh rule was like a blazing oven, while the advance of the British is an advance of grace and blessing. I have heard that when the very first of the first British arrived, a muazzin in Hoshiarpur called the azan [formal call for Islamic daily Prayers] out loudly. Since it was still the beginning, the Hindus and Sikhs thought that the British would also prohibit the loud call of the azan , or, like them, would cut off the hands of someone who had injured a cow; therefore, they apprehended the muazzin who called out the loud azan. They formed a large mob and took him to the Deputy Commissioner. Eminent Hindu chiefs and money lenders gath- ered together and complained: “Sir, our dough has been polluted and our utensils have been desecrated. ” When these statements were communicated to the British officer, he wondered if the call to prayer had such an effect as to render the food items unclean. He instructed the head clerk not to register the case without first verifying this. So, he ordered the muazzin to once again sound the call to prayer. The muazzin was fearful that this might be regarded