Star of the Empress — Page 5
5 Mullahs. I take pride in the fact that no other Muslim in British India was able to match the service, which came to pass through me. I do not deem this twenty-two year service of mine as being a favour upon this benevolent government. For I acknowledge that with the coming of this government, we and our ancestors, were delivered from a burning iron furnace. It is for this reason that along with all my dear ones, I raise my hands and supplicate; O God, keep this august Empress of India, may her sovereignty endure, safe and may she reign long over us, and let the shade of Your succour protect her at every step, and prolong the days of her prosperity. These were the circumstances, services and prayers that I earlier submitted in ‘ To h fa-e-Qai s ariyyah,’ [A Gift for the Queen] which was sent to Her Majesty, the Empress of India. In view of Her Majesty’s innumerable moral qualities, every day I remained hopeful to receive a reply and I continue to maintain this hope. I believe it is impossible that if the humble gift of a well-wisher such as myself, which was [a book] written with immense sincerity from the depth of my heart, had been presented to Her Majesty, the Empress of India, may her prosperity endure, it would not have brought forth a response. On the contrary, indeed, it would have arrived; indeed, it would have arrived. Therefore, I am compelled to write this submission as a reminder, due to the immense confidence I hold in the gracious morals of the Empress of India. This submission is not a mere composition of the pen; rather, my heart has compelled the hand to write this letter of goodwill with the strength of certainty. I pray that God the Exalted may cause this letter to reach Her Majesty, the Empress of