There was a very large mosque in Meshed where thousands of Muslims would come to pray, and it proved to be the center of Baba's work during the trip. The mosque is an important place of pilgrimage for the Shiite Muslims, as it houses the body of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam, who was killed in Meshed and is the last and most important Imam buried in Persia. For three nights, Baba went to the mosque at midnight, remaining in seclusion inside for two hours while Chanji and the mandali kept watch outside. Because of the religious orthodoxy prevailing in Meshed, this arrangement was made with the utmost difficulty. It was only by the intervention of a Muslim priest, the head of the mosque, who made it possible for Baba to stay in the shrine at night; otherwise it was strictly prohibited. The priest had had a vivid dream that a great holy man had entered Persia and felt that Meher Baba was that revered personnage.
On Wednesday, 10 June 1931, Baba looked very sad and tears actually flowed from his eyes.
He remarked, "Enough of this melancholy! What will happen if my heart remains so dejected? The question before us now is: 'Where to go and when to go?' I have to leave, but the visa business remains a problem."
Meanwhile, the Chief of Police in Meshed wished for Baba's darshan and conveyed to Chanji that he would like to invite Meher Baba to his house. Baba went there on the 18th and was received with the utmost reverence and respect. The policeman's wife served tea and refreshments, and the man was very happy to be in Baba's company. He humbly told Baba, "I would like to help with the issuance of a visa to you, but the rules prevent me, for which I am very sorry. It's a question of the law. Without your signature, a visa will not be valid in Western countries." Baba was ready to travel from Persia directly to Europe on his Persian passport, but without his signature, visas for England and America were not possible to obtain.
While in Meshed, Baba's identity had not been disclosed to anyone except the Chief of Police; but those who happened to look at Baba would be drawn to his magnetic personality and would continually gaze at him.