Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 563
EPILOGUE-SIGNS 563 as abusive and no Prophet was the first to use harsh words. On the contrary, they used such words only when the blasphemous language of the evil-natured unbelievers had crossed all limits. It was only then that they used such words either upon divine direction or under divine revelation. This has also been my practice concerning all opponents. No one can ever prove that I was the first to use any harsh words about my opponents before any one of them used foul language. When Maulawi Muḥammad Husain opened his mouth and so brazenly labelled me a dajjal [deceiver], and got an edict drafted condemning me as an apos- tate, causing hundreds of Muslim clerics in the Punjab and India to hurl abuse upon me; denounced me as being worse than Jews and Christians; and designated me a liar, a mischief-monger, a dajjāl, a slanderer, an impostor, a swindler, a miscreant, a transgressor, and an embezzler; it was then that God made my heart incline towards defending myself against these writings with scrupulously good intent. I do not oppose anyone out of personal motives and I desire to do good to all, but what am I to do when someone exceeds the limits of all decency? I seek jus- tice from God. All these maulawis have hurt me, indeed hurt me very deeply, and have made me the target of their ridicule and derision in everything. What can I say except: يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ Bear in mind that Sa'dullāh has been the target of a mubahalah by confronting me twice. First, in the Arabic verses that I had previously recorded in Anjām-e-Ātham, I had prayed by way of a mubahalah that God should destroy the liar. Of the couplets pertaining to the mubahalah one is as follows: 1. Alas for mankind! there comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him (Surah Ya Sin, 36:31). [Publisher]