The Conclusive Argument — Page 24
24 THE CONCLUSIVE ARGUMENT arrow and followed every doubt but could not hold their ground. They tried their utmost, yet they ended up with nothing but ravings. When their quivers became empty and their treas- ures were exhausted and there was no place left for them to flee or return, and when they lost their teeth and fangs, then they resorted to abuse, excom- munication, and deception, hoping that by this tactic they might emerge triumphant. One of them even dared to deceive people by using his pen under the influence of Satan the sneaking whisperer, and com- piled a book for this purpose. But as providence would have it, the very book that he pub- lished, offering a prize, became the means to expose him. He claimed that he had silenced me, had rendered me speechless on all levels, and had thus become victorious. So I stood up to test the veracity of his claim, to test his waters in order to tear apart وتبعوا كل وهم، فما وجدوا مقاما في هذا الميدان، وجاهدوا كل جهد فما بقي عندهم سوى الهذيان، فلما انثلت الكنائن ونفدت الخزائن، ولم يبق مفر ،ولا مآب، ولا ثنية ولا ناب مالوا إلى السب والتكفير، والمكر والتزوير، لعلهم يغلبون بهذا التدبير، حتى اجترأ بعض الناس من وساوس الوسواس الخنّاس على أن يخدع بعض العوام بصرير الأقلام، فألف كتابًا لهذا المرام، وقيّض القدر لهتك ستره أنه أشاع الكتاب بشرط الإنعام، وزعم أنه سكتنا وبكتنا وأدى مراتب الإفحام وصار من الغالبين فنهضنا لنعجم عُود دعواه، وماء سُقياه،