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How a Sufi Found His Lord: I Meet Brahmos
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I MEET BRAHMOS
Some of the members of the Brahmo Samaj learning somehow of my intention
to accept Christianity made a friendly approach and tried to persuade
me to become a Brahmo Samaji. I was assured that I would get all that
I expected to find in Christianity without completely renouncing Islam.
I was supplied with a large number of books on Brahmoism, and on the
unitarian interpretation of Christianity. I went through them very
carefully, and went often personally to see the Brahmo friends, who
took great pains to explain to me the tenets of their belief and to
refute the doctrines of the Church. They always insisted that what
they refused to accept was the teaching of Churchianity and not
those of Christianity. I was introduced to the venerable and saintly man,
the late Pandit Shiva Nath Shastari, and was invited to attend their
morning devotion in Devalaya of the Shadharan Brahmo Samaj at Cornwallis
Street, which was not far from my house. I attended the services of the
Brahmo mandir long before I had the opportunity of attending a Church
service. Some of the sermons preached in Devalaya were a source of great
inspiration to me. I can still recall to my mind a sermon preached on
Good Friday in the temple, it compares favourably with any Christian
sermon preached on that occasion. I also
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went through the printed lectures of Keshab Chandra Sen and I learnt
a good many beautiful things about Christ from them. Nevertheless
the Samaj did not seem to give that satisfaction for which my heart
was longing. My heart was ablaze for the love of Christ and nothing
would satisfy me, but to become His follower by openly confessing Him
and professing His religion which was Christianity. The teaching of
the Holy Ghost as found in the New Testament and His manifestation
on the day of Pentecost, and the fact that the Christians were in
possession of the Bible containing the teachings of Jesus and those
of His disciples, all clearly indicated beyond the shadow of a doubt
that the Christians were the followers of Jesus and not the Brahmos.
My loyalty to Christ and to His Spirit demanded my acceptance of
Christianity and not that of Brahmoism. In some respect Brahmoism
appeared to me to be a half-way house to Christ, but I was determined,
under the Divine grace, to go to all lengths to follow my Saviour.
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