Favours of the Gracious God — Page 146
146 Vedas of the Hindus nor did any other book; none have even hinted towards it. Therefore, do not attribute a claim to them which they have not made themselves. Present such a claim found therein and show us if you believe it so. And you will certainly not be able to produce it; therefore, you should not follow the footsteps of the fabricators. Furthermore, you should know that the word ج عر� [ ‘Arab ] is derived from I‘r a b and this refers to a discourse characterised by grand fluency and eloquence, as the saying goes, ُ الر�َّج ُل َ ج أَعْر�َ [ A‘rabar-Rajulu ]. This is spoken in reference to a person whose speech is eloquent and not inarticulate. But the word أع�ج م [ A‘jam ], is spoken for a person who is not eloquent in discourse, whose speech does not flow well, nor does his tongue possess sweetness and whose discourse does not have proper structure, rather like someone who swallows his words, rendering his speech broken. Thus, these two words are antonyms. None, whether young or old, coined these words himself; rather, they were created by the Creator of humanity Himself, for a people who reflect. The word Arab appears in earlier books as well, such as the scriptures of Isaiah and Moses, and you can read and find mention of it in the Gospels. Thus, it is proven