First Grain of Sand — Page 34
18 FIRST GRAIN OF SAND recovered from typhoid fever, I was physically weak, the weather was extremely cold with snow season already underway, I did not know the Russian language nor was my Persian very good, I did not know the route to Bukhara, could not find my passport, and my budget had been nearly depleted. But despite all these circum- stances and the natural heavy-hearted emotion it engenders, I cannot stop myself from proceeding to Bukhara because I know Huzoor's prayers will not allow me to fail. In fact, I knew that Huzoor's prayers would bring success to the true purpose of this mission. I concluded by saying that despite the helplessness I felt, I put trust in my belief in God and am leaving now for Bukhara and requested his prayers. After completing my letter to Huzoor, I penned letters to my brothers, Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Hussainra and Sheikh Mazhar Hussain, and left them all with the post office. On Monday, 8 December 1924, I left Mashhad heading towards Bukhara. After a couple days, I officially left Iran and entered Soviet territory in the late part of the night. I next arrived at a small train station in Artyk¹ with the assistance of my guide, a young Turkish man, who took me to the shop of one of his Turkish acquaintances where I stayed in one of the rooms and remained hidden. On the evening of 14 December, the train heading to Bukhara arrived, and my Turkish guide purchased a ticket from the station for me, then helped pack up my sleeping gear, clothes, and books, and walked me towards the train. As I was about to board the train, a Soviet officer from behind holding a dimly lit lantern yelled out 'Stop!' to my young Turkish guide. 1. A small town in present-day Turkmenistan [Publisher]