The Miracle of Ahmad — Page 73
THE MIRACLE OF AHMAD وَكَانَ يُدَرِّي مَا تَجَلَّى وَيَمْكُرُ سَعَى سَعْيَ فَتَانِ لِتَكْذِيبِ دَعْوَتِي Like a mischievous man, he sought to refute my claim, Covered up the truth and behaved deceitfully. وَلَمْ يَرْضَ طُوْلَ الْبَحْثِ فَالْقَوْمُ سُجِّرُوا وَأَظْهَرَ مَكْرًا سَوَّلَتْ نَفْسُهُ لَهُ He came up with a ploy begotten in his heart; He did not accede to a thorough debate and thus beguiled his people. فَشَقَّ عَلَى صَحْبِيْ طَرِيقٌ أَرَادَهُ وَقَدْ ظُنَّ أَنَّ الْحَقَّ يُخْفَى وَيُسْتَرُ So, this method of the debate bore heavy upon my companions; They thought it would obscure the truth. رَأَوْا بُرْجَ بُهْتَانٍ تُشَادُ وَتُعْمَرُ فَقَالُوا لَحَاكَ اللَّهُ كَيْفَ تُزَوِّرُ They saw an edifice of lies being erected, So they said: 'May Allah's curse be on you for your blatant lies. ' فَلَمْ يَقْبَلِ الْحَمْقَى وَصَحْبِيْ تَنَفَّرُوْا أَقَلُّ زَمَانِ الْبَحْثِ مِقْدَارُ سَاعَةٍ They proposed that the duration of each speech should be an hour at the least; But the ignorant people rejected it. My companions were, therefore, unhappy with their proposal. رَضُوا بَعْدَ تَكْرَارٍ وَبَحْثٍ بِتُلْتِهَا وَفِي الصَّدْرِ حُزَّازُ وَفِي الْقَلْبِ خَنْجَرُ Eventually, after much discussion, they agreed to make it twenty minutes each; Resentful, however, they were of this settlement, and heart-broken. 73