First Grain of Sand — Page 12
xii FIRST GRAIN OF SAND harsh as the terrain and temperatures ran, so did the suspicions of espionage; for, the Russians and British harboured deep political differences with each other. Maulawi Zahoor Hussain, coming from British India, easily fell prey to such suspicions. Seized and taken into the custody of the Russian prison sys- tem, he was constantly interrogated, tortured, and harassed. Nevertheless, his faith endured and remained as firm as ever. In fact, it helped him persevere all the more. His entire ordeal is an eye-opening account of the truth of the Promised Messiah, peace on him, and the miraculous power of prayer. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Harris Zafar, who is the grandson of Maulawi Zahoor Hussain, for translating the Urdu manuscript of First Grain of Sand into English. He received considerable help and support from his parents, Basharat Rahman Zafar and Tayaba Siddiqa Zafar (the daughter of Maulawi Zahoor Hussain). I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Naser-ud-Din Shams, Amtul Razzaq Carmichael, Kashifa Wahab Mirza, and Mirza Abdul-Wahab for their valuable editing reviews and for- matting. May Almighty Allah bless and reward each and every individual who worked to make this inspiring account accessible to the English-speaking audiences across the globe. Aameen. al-Haaj Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wakilut-Tasneef, London July 2025