The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 186
PREFACE FOOTNOTE مَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ رَمى. 185 [Whatever you did let loose, it was not you but it was Allah who let it loose. ] Hence, that letting loose was very appropriately the let loosing of stars. This spectacle of brilliant shooting stars that occurred on the night of 28 November 1885 was so vast that it was published in the popular newspapers of Europe, America, and Asia with great wonder. People might have been thinking that there was no purpose behind this, yet the Noble Lord knows that the one who was most diligently observing this spectacle-m e-more than everyone-and then enjoying the greatest delight and pleasure from it was verily none other than myself. My eyes were fixed upon the sight of this spectacle for a very long time, and that progression of casting stars started early in the evening, which I was watching with great pleasure only on account of revealed glad tidings, for it had been inspirationally placed within my heart that this Sign was manifested for me. Thereafter, the people of Europe were shown that very comet which had appeared during the time of the advent of [Jesus] the Messiah and it was placed within my heart that this comet was yet another Sign in support of my truth. Here an objection is raised that in the new and old investigations of the scientists the falling of stars has been attributed to other causes that have no connection with the matters that have been related here. For instance, in Sharaḥ-e-Ishārāt, which deals with the causes and processes of an atmospheric nature, it is recorded only this much regarding the cause of the falling AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE Response to the objec- tion that the researchers of philosophical science have ascribed other causes for the genesis of meteors and their kind AUTHOR'S MARGIN NOTE of meteors The nature according to the course of Greek research of stars that when smoke reaches fiery regions while it is still somewhat