In the context of this building I would like to mention another magnificent incident. The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1967 and it was completed in 1970.
Hazrat Choudhry Sahib requested the Jama’at to allow him to reside in the small flat on the second floor whenever he needed accommodation while in London during his lifetime. Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih III (may Allah have mercy upon him) was pleased to grant the permission.
The flat was small. I had the opportunity to go to the flat several times and see it closely. Though small, it was enough for Choudhry Sahib’s limited and simple needs. It comprised of a small bed-room, a compact kitchen and bathroom and a medium-sized sitting room which doubled up as his study pad where he spent most of his time. He had a modest sofa set in the sitting room and that is where he entertained his visitors.
The bedroom in the flat was barely furnished with a single bed, a small cupboard, a small table and a chair. There was hardly any space to walk around. In that small bedroom, he spent many years with simplicity and contentment when in the U.K.
One of his close friends told me that once Choudhry Sahib took him along to show him his flat. As he entered the bedroom he asked, “How do you manage in this small bedroom?” Choudhry Sahib’s answer was prompt and insightful: “The place where we are going after this life will be even narrower.”
How unique is the thinking of the divines! They are ever-mindful of the here after and they keep preparing themselves for the ultimate journey.