46
Amir-ul-Momineen in his Audience Hall. I have
heard people compare him in some respects to the
second Caliph—the Great Omar.
I saw him for the first time in 1932 and was
much impressed by his simple manner and un-
affected politeness. He rose to receive me as I
approached and I had a full view of his tall com-
manding figure clad in the Mishla worn by Arabs.
On his head he wore a red-and-white kerchief of
the Najd tribe, surmounted by the IqaL Nothing
in his costume betokened his high station, and
there was not the least assumption of importance
in his manner. His look, his tone, his self-posses-
sion and his prompt but well-considered replies
showed that his was not a common mind.
When I ventured to hint in the course of
conversation that his was a grand historic heritage,
and that he stood at the head of the Muslim
world for its good, he seemed to be thinking rather
of the responsibilities of his position than of its
grandeur. And the only work of his reign to
which he referred with some pride was the estab-
lishment of order and security throughout the coun-
try. He spoke of it as a self-evident fact and not
with any exultation, and I readily acknowledged
the truth of it. Afterwards when travelling from
Jeddah to Medina, I realised the full significance
of it, for the desert journey of more than 250 miles
was perfectly safe and ideally peaceful. Here and
there we passed crowds of women and children
begging for bread ; some were importunate, but
not one of them disrespectful or defiant though