First Grain of Sand — Page 187
THE JOURNEY TO HOME 171 in the morning, where I was stopped while notice was sent to our centre about my early arrival. The news of my arrival was sent to Qadian, and many people from the village arrived at the bus stop with great love and enthusiasm to receive me. Among them was Hazrat Maulawi Sher Alira. By the immense grace of Allah Almighty and the prayers of Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II and the entire Community, on that fateful morning on October 25, 1926, I stepped foot back onto Qadian soil. Otherwise, the conditions I was in during my impris- onment were such that it was almost impossible for me to return. Many times in prison, I had become convinced that I was from that point merely a guest in this world for perhaps a few more hours. On the day I arrived, all institutions—the high school, Jamia Ahmadiyya, the girls' school, all offices of the Community-were given a holiday to celebrate my return. At that time, I was so weak that I could only muster enough strength to eat two meals a day and would often be unable to sleep until very late into the night. After Zuhr Prayers that day, I was able to meet Huzoor, and several offices and departments of our Community made arrangements for different dinner functions in my honour. Huzoor himself kindly and lovingly hosted a dinner function in Qasr-e-Khilaafat [his residence] in honour of this humble one and invited many people to attend as well.