Al Fazl, 25 & 29 August 1921
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih in Kashmir
On 13 [August 1921], Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] was unwell. Huzoor[ra] did not feel good on 14 [August 1921] as well. He suffered from nausea all day and also vomited. As it was the day of Hajj, like the previous year, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih went to a secluded place on a nearby hill to pray. After the Zuhr prayer, at three o’clock, Huzoor[ra] led four rak‘aat [units of prayer] of nawafil [voluntary prayers] in congregation and recited aloud in the prayer. It took more than two hours to perform the four nawafil. Huzoor[ra] prayed for a long time.
After the four rak‘aat, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih explained the philosophy of the words of Durood Sharif and said that we did not know which prayer was more suitable and appropriate for the Holy Prophetsa. Therefore, the words of Durood Sharif are to the point as only God Almighty knows on which level [of Paradise] the Holy Prophetsa is and what is the next level of progress, so a distinction of level has not been made in the words of صلّ و سلّم و بارك [bestow grace, peace and blessings] because we cannot tell at all whether jannat-ul-firdaus is the highest level or jannat-ul-ma‘waa or jannat-e-‘adn are higher levels.
Let us suppose, one prays for the Holy Prophetsa to be granted jannat-ul-firdaus, but if the Holy Prophetsa had already progressed to the next level of Paradise, then this person’s example will be the same as the one who prayed for a deputy commissioner that God bless him with the position of inspector.
Hence, the words [of Durood Sharif] اللهم صلّى على۔۔۔ are therefore to the point. The [status of] the Holy Prophetsa is elevating every moment. In these words, the prayer has been taught that the Holy Prophetsa should be granted a higher status than the progress he has already made so far.
After the nawafil, Huzoor[ra] led Asr prayer and then went for a long walk.
After the Asr prayer, in the presence of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih, Mir Muhammad Ismail Sahib read out the appeal of the officer of Jalsa Salana, which he had sent for Huzoor’s[ra] associates, and all of them took part in this good deed to the fullest possible extent. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih promised to donate an additional sum of 100 rupees for 12 and half mann [one mann is equal to around 40 kg] of wheat.
On 15 [August 1921] was the blessed day of Eid. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, Huzoor[ra] remained in good health. Around 315 friends joined in the Eid prayer. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih shed light on the matters of Eid and qurbani [sacrifice] in his sermon and at the end, he gave comprehensive advice to the jamaat here [in Kashmir]. After [silent] prayer, Huzoor[ra] announced that a general jalsa would be held on Friday, 26 August, so all Ahmadi friends should try to join it.
On 16 [August 1921], Huzoor’s[ra] health was good, by the grace of Allah the Almighty. At eight o’clock in the morning, Huzoor[ra] went for an excursion and came back from there at around four o’clock. Hazrat Umm-ul-Momineen[ra] is well, by the grace of Allah the Almighty. The other three family members of Huzoor[ra] are unwell. The honourable mother of Nasir Ahmad Sahib[rh] is very sick. Members of the Jamaat are requested to pray for their health.
Friends should keep in mind that letters written to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] should not be sent to any address other than Srinagar. The letters will reach him wherever Huzoor[ra] will be staying.
On 17 [August 1921], Huzoor’s[ra] health was well by the grace of Allah the Almighty. After the Asr prayer, Huzoor[ra] went for a walk. On the way back, it started to rain heavily. The honourable mother of Mian Nasir Ahmad Sahib[rh] had a high fever and felt anxiety and discomfort.
On 18 [August 1921], Huzoor’s[ra] health was good, by the grace of Allah the Almighty. As it rained heavily all day, Huzoor[ra] could not go for a walk. The honourable mother of Mian Nasir Ahmad Sahib[rh] did not feel any better. She has become very weak and feeble. May Allah the Almighty grant her perfect and speedy health. Amin, thumma amin!
On 19 [August 1921], Huzoor[ra] was in good health, by the grace of Allah Almighty.
After having a meal at eleven o’clock in the morning, Huzoor[ra] spoke for an hour. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said that although there was an instruction in the following hadith about a specific matter:
اَلَاۤ لِيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ فَرُبَّ مُبَلَّغٍ أَوْعَى مِنْ سَامِعٍ
[“Surely, it is the duty of those who are present to inform those who are absent because it is quite possible that a person who receives information indirectly may understand it better than present audience”], an in-depth study of this [hadith] would make it clear that it was a general instruction. Therefore, the Companionsra [of the Holy Prophetsa] followed it to the letter and conveyed to the others even the smallest and minutest of matters that came out of the blessed mouth of the Holy Prophetsa. For example, once, the Holy Prophetsa was looking for pieces of gourd in broth, and a Companionra narrated this in a hadith.
Huzoor[ra] said, “When I read such a hadith, it has a dual effect on me. On the one hand, the memory of the Holy Prophetsa is recalled and his image is formed in my mind and thus, my heart feels the spiritual effect of the Holy Prophetsa. On the other hand, I get to know about the high admiration that the narrator had for the Holy Prophetsa and then I fall in love with him too.”
It has been observed in the ahadith that the same matter has been narrated by different narrators. Sometimes the words are the same but their effect on various people is different in diverse situations. For instance, if it is instructed to offer prayers, then in some cases it is said for unity, sometimes for [drawing attention] towards nearness [of God] and other times for the love [of God]. Hence, advice is given at certain times in view of different situations and therefore the effect is also diverse.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said that the minds of the Companions[ra] were extraordinary. It was as if they used to sit in the assembly of the Holy Prophetsa with copies and pencils. Today’s people could not preserve even a quarter [of what the Companionsra did]. This was the outcome of the current [system of] education.
Thereafter, Huzoor[ra] went to the mosque for Jumuah prayer. […]
The letters written to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] should be sent through the postmaster of Srinagar, Kashmir. There is no need to write any other postal address.
Humbly yours, Syed Mahmood, Asnoor.
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 25 and 29 August 1921 issue of Al Fazl)