Musharaff Moulamia Khan (1895-1967 CE) was the youngest brother of Hazrat Inayat Khan, and he gives here some recollections of their mother, Khadija Biy (1868-1902 CE).

My mother was quiet and reserved. Her interests were literary and she was fond of poetry and philosophy. She was also pious and religious and was educated in two religions. She had an equal interest in the religion of Islam — this word it must be remembered means peace — and in the religion of the Hindus. She loved especially the happy view of life, and in this she resembled her father, Moula Bakhsh, who always looked on the happy side of things. And so she loved the manner in which the Hindus express the many happy aspects of God in symbolical figures of gods and goddesses representing delight, prosperity and benevolence, such as the many-armed-one who represents the manifold help perpetually offered by the Divinity. Also the symbolical figure of Ganesh was loved by her, the elephant-headed, who represents the quiet-pacing majesty, the strength, the patience of God.

The influence of my mother, who was the youngest member of her family, was overpowering even upon all the older ones, who would listen to her with reverence and respect, and listen to her advice as if it came from a wise old soul. She left this impression upon many souls even after her death. Even sitting in her simple dress one could recognise her as someone queenly. Inayat Khan would always speak to us about her with this impression; he had seen her like that.

A dancer was once invited to our home — as always the musicians and artists first had to come to our home and to play and sing before they were admitted to perform before the Maharaja — and she was asked to sit near my mother, but she said, “The dust which is flying from her feet is purification for me and that becomes as a Paradise for me.” She felt unworthy to sit near to her. Her personality commanded respect, owing to her purity of heart and nobility of character. Even if she sat in the company of the older women she had a natural influence over them, drawing their respect and high regard. Her personality was so commanding that that with all her modesty and simplicity her words had a very great weight.

To be continued…