The Promised Son — Page 8
8 The Early Years Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra was born on 12 January 1889 around 10 o’clock in the evening. He was lovingly nicknamed Mian by his parents. In those times it was customary for a maid to be employed to look after a child. The maid who was appointed to look after him had been very ill but she had not told anyone. Eight of her chil- dren had already passed away due to an illness they con- tracted through her breast milk. The maid, without seeking permission from the parents, gave some of her milk to Mian Mahmud ra. This led to the illnesses infecting the blood of Mian Mahmud ra. From the age of 2 to 12 Mian Mahmud ra remained very ill. Sometimes he would get a fever, while at other times he would suffer from coughing fits. The doctors said that it was unlikely that he would survive very long, but the doctors were not aware of Allah’s promise. Allah had promised that the chosen one would live for a long time and his fame would spread all over the world. Mian Mahmud ra was a favourite of his parents, but they took his upbringing and discipline very seriously. The Promised Messiah as and his wife continuously strived to make him a model Muslim. They were forever observant of anything that could harm his upbringing. One day Mian Mahmud ra shot a parrot whilst out hunting. The Promised Messiah as told Mian Mahmud ra that a Muslim is not for- bidden to eat a parrot, but there are some animals that are