First Grain of Sand — Page 114
98 FIRST GRAIN OF SAND he may be imprisoned in a Russian jail because we are unable to find any information about his health and whereabouts. Huzoor instructed for Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiqra to request that the ambassador inquire about our missionary's whereabouts through senior officials in the Soviet government and make every attempt to secure his release. Apparently, when the British Ambassador received this letter about me, he sent it on to the top official for Soviet prisons, based in Moscow, with the instruction that if such a person is being held captive, he should be released immediately. ¹ After this instruction was received, the highest government authority responsible for the Tashkent prison-who had been giving me much trouble- was transferred from Moscow, and the new official replacing him received this letter. When that night of my prayer to God Almighty—in the face of excruciating pain-ended and it became the next morning, I heard the footsteps of a guard out in the hallway and called out to him. Hearing my voice, he opened the door to my dark room. I humbly beseeched him to untie my arms, saying in Russian, меня рука очень болит [pronounced Menya ruka ochen bolit] which means, 'My hand really hurts. I asked him to untie my arms because the pain was so severe. He went to his superior to gain permission and then returned and began to unfasten the rope. As soon as he returned to my room, I immediately requested to open my arms and hands first. 1. Original letters between the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and different representatives of the British government about the release of Maulawi Zahoor Hussain are included in the Appendix of this book. [Publisher]