Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 101
THE FIRST BAI'AT 101 Abdur Rahim Dardra, in his book, Life of Ahmad, wrote the following: The formal initiation began on 23 March 1889. The Bai'at was taken at Naya Mohalla Ludhiana. Ahmad sat in the north-eastern corner of the room. Sh. Hamid Ali was posted at the door and the disciples were called in by him, as Ahmad desired. Maulawi Noor-ud-Deenra was called in first. In this way Hazrat Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen ra was the first among men to take the Bai'at while his second wife, Sughra Begum, was among the first women to do so. Once someone asked him what benefits he had derived from pledging allegiance to the Promised Messiah as. He replied: 'I have benefitted a lot. Earlier, I used to see the Holy Prophetsas through dreams, but now I see him even while awake. ' After this historic first Bai'at, Hazrat Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen ra went back to Jammu to join his service. However, his piety and attachment to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as compelled him to