Al Fazl, 9 October 1922
10 September 1922
Excellent centre for the study of medicine in Europe
Dr Attaullah Sahib Butt Assistant Surgeon Muslim University Aligarh who along with his younger brother is going to Germany for higher studies came to meet Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra]. They first talked about the current economic condition in Germany, then Huzoor[ra] asked him where he would like to study, in Berlin or somewhere else. Doctor Sahib said that he would go there and then decide. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said, “Vienna is very famous for its high standard in medical education.” Doctor Sahib submitted that, after completing the two-year course in Germany, he would go there for three months.
Working 21 hours a day
Then, they had a discussion about trachoma. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“Mufti (Muhammad Sadiq) Sahib sent me a prescription. I have benefited greatly from its use and have worked up to 21 hours daily reading and writing in this warm weather without feeling any pain [in the eyes].” During this conversation, the eye condition of Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad Sahib was mentioned. Huzoor[ra] said, “He [Mufti Sahib] told me that his eye condition deteriorated after going abroad.” Doctor Sahib said that Chaudhry Sahib’s trachoma was the worst of its kind.
Healing eyes through prayer
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“There are particular times for [the fulfilment of] prayers. When Chaudhry [Fateh Muhammad] Sahib came from abroad, Dr Mir Muhammad Ismail Sahib checked his eyes and told me that it was almost impossible to save one (left) eye of Chaudhry Sahib and the other was also getting worse. I was worried that Chaudhry Sahib is a very experienced person, but the doctor thinks such and such about his eyes. I prayed for him. At night, a person said to me in a dream that his eye was fine. In the morning, I told this dream to Dr [Mir Muhammad Ismail] Sahib and he looked at the [left] eye again and said, ‘One-third of the disease is gone now.’”
Chaudhary Sahib said, “In those days, my eye had a wound as big as a chickpea and up to a distance of six inches, (placing his hand in front of his eye), the hand was not visible from here. I had blurred, watery vision. By that time, my condition was such that every medicine would prove harmful. [After the prayer of Huzoorra], every medicine started working. Now, it is only through negligence on my part that I do not take my medicine on time. The sight of the much-infected eye has become sharper than the other.”
Announcement about the life of a missing person who was considered dead
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“Like the eyes of Chaudhry Sahib, the same thing happened in the case of Dr Matloob Khan Sahib. When I prayed for Chaudhry Sahib’s eyes, Allah told me in advance that his eyes were cured. Likewise, the news of the death of Matloob Khan was announced officially and the letters of his associates were also received. A few days before this news, his elderly parents came here [in Qadian]. Though they had other sons as well, I thought at the time [of the news] that he [Matloob Khan] was their only son. Since the news of his death had already arrived, rather than praying, I felt great anguish. At night, I saw in a dream that he was not dead but alive. The next day I mentioned that [dream] to some of my associates. A few days later, a letter came from Dr Matloob Khan stating that there was a misunderstanding about him and he was not dead, rather the enemies had captured him.”
Types of dreams and the research of Europe
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“Many truths about dreams continue to be revealed, but people still underestimate them.
“Europeans have done a lot of research on this and have discovered different causes that lead to different types of dreams. For example, if drops of water are sprinkled on the body of a sleeping person who lives by the sea and a candle is lit nearby, he will dream that he was on a boat that capsised and he is sinking, and the sun is shining on his body. On the other hand, if the person is a resident of the interior part of the country, then in the same circumstances, he dreams that it is raining and he is warming his hands by the fire. As such examples are in front of them, they consider dreams to be illusions. However, they do not know that dreams and revelations are of many different types, and because of their lack of knowledge, people fail to understand them.”
Muslim University and National Muslim University
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih enquired from Dr [Attaullah] Sahib what he thought was the difference between National University and Muslim University?
Dr [Attaullah] Sahib said, “The element of religious teaching is more prominent in the National University, while the rest of the education is of the same type. Moreover, they previously had a lot of professors, but now they are leaving. At first, they formed a group for propaganda, but education was also included later on.”
Negligence of the authorities in independent universities
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih asked [Dr Attaullah Sahib], “How can one be satisfied with them [independent universities], because they announce something in public and do something else?” Dr [Attaullah] Sahib said, “The students do not take much part in politics now, though this time Dr Muhammad Alam Sahib has brought some students into it. Moreover, people here in India only study to secure jobs, so independent universities are not established.” Huzoor[ra] said, “The fact is that in independent universities, the authorities do not fully discharge their responsibilities, which are incumbent upon them. For example, the sons of merchants who do not even want to get any job also go to government institutions. They only want to learn accounting, so because the [government institutions] fulfil their duties, they take admission in them. This proves that the people [of independent universities] are incapable of working on their own. There is no question of moderation here, because even moderation has its limits. The people who know something openly say that they have this knowledge.”
Need of high morals before getting into government
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]:
“The way to obtain the ability to work is to acquire good morals first. One can only compete with other nations when their morals are of a high standard. […]”
Need for true tolerance
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]:
“One of the morals required for government is true tolerance. […]”
A leader must be capable
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]:
“[…] Anyone who is worthy and capable of doing something can be a leader in that particular field. The people are already thinking of getting into government. However, they do not even pay attention to what is needed by the government. You [Dr Attaullah Sahib] are a doctor. You know that the lancet is applied where there is a boil, but if the tumour is present on the hand and the lancet is applied on the foot, then what is the benefit of it?
“First of all, the leaders should focus on correcting the morals. Even if a few people achieve good morals, it does not make a difference, because the moral condition of most of the people has not been corrected in general.”
Moral condition of the Germans
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]:
“Look at the Germans, they have been defeated and are in a bad state. However, despite the fact that they are only 60 million, the allies did not dare to occupy their country. Why? The reason is that they know full well that they cannot rule over them because their moral condition as a nation is of a high standard. […]”
Treatment of moral defects
Dr [Attaullah] Sahib submitted [to Huzoorra] that, “One should try to acquire such a [moral] state then.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“The Promised Messiahas was sent by God for this reason [of reforming the morals]. This [moral] state has been instilled in us, Ahmadis.”
Moral state of Ahmadis
[Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said]:
“If it is said that some of the Ahmadis are also weak [in morals], then, first of all, I would say that reformation takes place gradually. The second thing is that there are only two or three [bad] examples before people, but I have the entire Jamaat in front of me. Apparently, I am sitting in Qadian but my ears are everywhere. It was said about the Holy Prophetsa that هُوَ اُذُنٌ, i.e. he knows whatever is happening around him. In the same manner, we stay informed about what is happening in every place.
“As a matter of fact, members of the Jamaat were shaken by the rift with the Paighamis [otherwise known as Lahori Ahmadis] and the weak among them thought that if the Paighamis could remain Ahmadi in spite of their weaknesses, they did not need focus on removing their weaknesses. Consequently, they left the Jamaat and joined them. On the other hand, those people whose relations with the markaz [centre] were not strong became weak. However, it is not true to say that Ahmadis are generally not tolerant.
“I visit Lahore and meet people from all walks of life. Sometimes, I do not get any time for myself and people behave unfairly. However, they immediately realise their mistake themselves.”
Dr [Attaullah] Sahib said [to Huzoorra], “You are a model for Ahmadis. All members of the Jamaat should follow your example.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“Every single person should make himself understand this thing.”
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 9 October 1922 issue of Al Fazl)