The Holy War — Page 287
Proceedings—Debate 5 June 1893 287 And regarding the clarity and eloquence of language, the Holy Quran says 119/15— ٍناَسِلِب ٍّيِبَرَع ٍنْيِبُّم ۰۰. And then, it [the Holy Quran] demands its likeness, challenging man that if he has any ability whatsoever, he should present its like- ness; therefore, what meaning other than fluency and eloquence can be meant by the words ٍّيِبَرَع ٍنْيِبُّم ? Specifically, when a man says that I am giving this speech in such a language and challenges you to put forth its equal, then what else can be understood than that it holds the highest standard of eloquence and the word ٍنْيِبُم means this as well. Now, in the end, insofar as Deputy Abdullah Atham deliberately denies the miracles of the Holy Quran and also denies the prophecies contained in it, and in this very gathering I was mocked at by being pre- sented three sick people implying that if Islam is a true religion and I am a recipient of revelation, I should make them whole, whereas I never made a claim to being the All-Powerful nor was it a demand that met the criteria of the Holy Quran. On the contrary, it is established as a sign of true faith for the Christians as documented in the Gospel that if they are true and honest in their belief, they will certainly be able to cure the lame and the blind and the deaf. Nevertheless, I kept praying for this, and last night it was made clear to me after I had prayed to Allah the Almighty with great humility and beseeched Him to give a verdict in this matter and that we are hum- ble servants and can do nothing without His verdict. So, He gave me this Sign in the form of a glad tiding that in this debate, whichever party from among the two is delib- erately adopting falsehood and abandoning the True God and is making a mere mortal into God, will be cast into Hell and utterly disgraced corresponding to the very days of this debate—in other words, taking one month for 1. In plain and clear Arabic tongue ( S u rah ash-Shu‘ar a ’, 26:196). [Publisher]