A Response to Three Questions of a Christian — Page 15
Reply to the First Question 15 proved that اَل َّنَنْوُكَت is addressed to some wavering sceptic and not the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. The Fourth Rebuttal— I accept [for the sake of argu- ment] that this phrase َّ َ تَكُوْنَن ال addresses our Holy Guide, peace be upon him. Nonetheless, the manner of speech in the Arabic and Hebrew languages is very close to each other, and the parts of the [previous]holy books that are unadulterated and the Holy Quran are both the words of the same Speaker and both have issued forth from the same Source. It is the idiom of both that the address is made to the Supreme Founder, but the intended audience are the followers of the Founder. The person addressed is one individual, but the intended addressee is another. ▣ See Jeremiah: Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble… ( Jeremiah 30:7–10) ▣ Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord… ( Jeremiah 46:28) ▣ The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways… (Hosea 12:2) ▣ But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgres- sion, and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8) ▣ For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel… (Nahum 2:2) ▣ Woe unto thee, Chorazin (this is the name of a village which is not worthy of regret and rebuke)! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! (this is also a village)… (Matthew 11:21) ▣ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem (this is Baitul-Muqaddas), thou that killest the prophets… (Matthew 23:37)