The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 329
328 A'INA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLAM-DAFI UL-WASĀWIS will utter worthless words, but in the end, observing the support of God, they will feel ashamed. And when the truth is established everyone will give expression to praise. There is another objection of the Nür Afshāń which may be refuted, and that is that if this revelation was from Almighty God and if it was absolutely trustworthy, why was it kept secret and why was I particular in asking it to be kept secret¹? The response is that this was a private affair and it had been com- municated to those for whom it was meant to be a Sign. It was also cer- tain that the publication would offend the father of that girl. Therefore, I desisted because of the possibility of such heartache and pain; indeed, I did not like that even they-in case they refused to entertain the pro- posal should publish it. And, though I would have been within my rights if I had published it, I thought it advisable to wait for another occasion, when Mirzā Nizām-ud-Din, the maternal uncle of the girl and a real brother of Mirzā Imām-ud Dīn, in a fit of rage and fury, himself published it and published it so widely that perhaps within one or two weeks, ten thousand men and women were informed of my pro- posal for marriage and of the revelation relating to it. And then, not being content with just broadcasting it verbally, he had my letter published in the newspapers and with his parading it throughout the bazaars, that letter was read everywhere and the con- tents of the letter were trumpeted [before all,] even to women and chil- dren. Now that this letter of mine, as a result of Mirzā Nizām-ud-Din's efforts, has been published even in Nūr Afshāń, and the Christians, as is their wont, have begun to utter falsehoods regarding it, it is my duty to reveal the facts with my own pen. People inclined to evil thinking 1. I was disinclined to publishing this revelation which, subject to a condition related to the death of the addressee; indeed, I did not wish even to let the ad- dressee know about it. As the result, however, of his persistently asking about it verbally and through several imploring letters, I-out of sheer kindness and honesty-disclosed this secret to him. He and his relation, Mirzā Nizām- ud-Din, then publicized the contents of this revelation. Author