In addition to this, ignorance was widely rampant. An old man by the name of Kammay Shah once related that he saw his teacher pray with great emotion so that he would be granted the opportunity to see a copy of Sahih Bukhari just once. On certain occasions, the thought that this was perhaps never possible would move him to weep bitterly in prayer. Now that very same Bukhari can be purchased in Amritsar and Lahore for a few rupees.
Then, there was a maulvi by the name of Sher Muhammad. He happened to find a few pages of Ihya-ul-Ulum from somewhere. And so after every Prayer, for quite some time, he would show the congregation with overwhelming joy and pride that this was the famous Ihya-ul-Ulum. It was his ardent desire to find the entire book from somewhere. Now, Ihya-ul-Ulum is available far and wide in printed form.
In short, the arrival of the British is a blessing that has opened the spiritual eyes of the people as well. God Almighty knows well the degree to which this govern- ment had aided the cause of religion—such as was impossible under any other government. Through the blessings of the printing press and the development of diverse stocks of paper, all sorts of books can be made available at low costs. Then, through the post office, these books can be sent far and wide from the comfort of our homes. In this way, the path for the propagation of religious truths has become easy and unobstructed.