Through Force or Faith? — Page 242
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 242 ْنِا ْمُتْنُك َنْيِقِدٰصْمَا َنْوُلْوُقَي ُهىٰرَتْفا١ؕ ْلُق اْوُتْاَف ِرْشَعِب ٍرَوُس ٖهِلْثِّم ٍتٰيَرَتْفُم َّو اْوُعْدا ِنَم ْمُتْعَطَتْسا ْنِّم ِنْوُد ِهّٰللا Do they say, ‘He has forged it?’ Say, ‘Then bring ten chap- ters like it, forged, and call on whom you can beside Allah, if you are truthful ( S u rah H u d, 11:14). ْمُهُضْعَب ٍضْعَبِل اًرْيِهَظْلُق ِنِٕىَّل ِتَعَمَتْجا ُسْنِاْلا َو ُّنِجْلا ىٰۤلَع ْنَا اْوُتْاَّي ِلْثِمِب اَذٰه ِنٰاْرُقْلا اَل َنْوُتْاَي ٖهِلْثِمِب َو ْوَل َناَك Say, ‘If mankind and the Jinn gathered together to pro- duce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even though they should help one another’ ( S u rah Ban i Isr a ’ i l, 17:89). That is to say, if it is the work of a human being, then you too are humans, so go ahead and make at least one S u rah (chapter) like it even collectively. This argument is so reasonable and strong and compelling that no one has rebutted it up to this time. Similarly, the Quran mentions a claim of adversaries, and asks for a proof of its validity: ْمُتْنُك َنْيِقِدٰصَو اْوُلاَق ْنَل َلُخْدَّي َةَّنَجْلا اَّلِا ْنَم َناَك اًدْوُه ْوَا ىٰرٰصَن١ؕ َكْلِت ْمُهُّيِناَمَا١ؕ ْلُق اْوُتاَه ْمُكَناَهْرُب ْنِا And they say. ‘None shall ever enter Heaven unless he be a Jew or a Christian’. These are their vain desires. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful’ ( S u rah al-Baqa- rah, 2:112). َناَسْنِاْلا اَم ْمَل ْمَلْعَيْاَرْقِا ِمْساِب َكِّبَر ْيِذَّلا َقَلَخ َقَلَخ َناَسْنِاْلا ْنِم ٍقَلَع ْاَرْقِا َو َكُّبَر ُمَرْكَاْلا ْيِذَّلا َمَّلَع ِمَلَقْلاِب َمَّلَع