The Conclusive Argument — Page 24
24 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 وجدوا فما وهم، كل وتبعوا مقامًا في هذا المیدان، وجاهدوا كل جهد فما بقي عندهم سوی ّ الهذیان، فلما انثلت الكنائن، ونفدت الخزائن، ولم یبق مفر وال مآب، وال ثنیة وال ناب، ّ والتكفیر، السب إلی مالوا والمكر والتزویر، لعلهم یغلبون بهذا التدبیر، حتی اجترا ٔ بعض الناس من وساوس الوسواس الخنّاس علی أن یخدع بعض فألّف االٔقالم، بصر یر العوام كتابًا لهذا المرام، وقیّض القدر لهتك ستره أنه أشاع الكتاب إ نعام، وزعم أنه سكّتَنا ال بشرط ا إ فحام، ال وبكّتَنا وأدّی مراتب ا فنهضنا الغالبین. من وصار لنعجُم عُود َ دعواه، وماء َ سُقیاه،