Guidance for Perceiving Minds — Page 8
h a d rat Mirza ghulam AHmAD as 8 wielding weapons. I expected your voice to be soothing, like the gentle coo of a dove, but instead, you revealed a repugnant visage akin to poison. I was taken aback by your abrupt harshness and severity, without any prior investigation. I felt like the disorientated and confused lost traveller. Yet, I chose to keep the matter to myself, rationalising that perhaps it was merely an oversight in editing, and you did not intend to demean or insult me, after all, how can one commit such profound evil that cannot be excused, and how can a person of virtue like yourself utter unseemly speech in public? However, upon confirmation that the source was indeed you, I took up my weapons for Jihad, declaring, “In your stead, O obstinate one,” realising I must personally remove these thorns. I knew that you did not speak these words out of anything but envy, lacking in factual basis. Therefore, I anticipated your intentions, aiming to thwart any belief in your envy. Scholars in our lands often seize upon any cunning situation to disparage me. Therefore, all that you have said will likely provoke and embolden them to scorn me. If it were not for the fear of their mischief, I would have remained silent, enduring patiently, and showing tolerance in this matter. However, now I am concerned for the people and apprehensive of the insidious whispers of deceit. Indeed, some testimonies are sharper than swords, and I fear that the flames of discord will be reignited by the words of al-Man a r , and that its m i m letter [the sounds of m ] will fall, and what will remain is N a r [fire]. We have defeated the enemy and concluded the war. In our archery competition, we had the upper hand; every participant exerted effort until all arrows were released from their quivers.