The Mirror of the Excellences of Islam — Page 541
540 Ā'ĪNA-E-KAMĀLĀT-E-ISLĀM―DĀFI‘UL-WASĀWIS remove even my skin, but I am under the protection of Allah, who is the Guardian of His servants. Certainly, you wield no power to harm me even if your malice causes burns to your skin and your anger turns your faces black. Pity be upon you! I do not find even a single one of you fearful of Allah and humble. Your case is akin to a date palm whose dates have been harvested, leaving the tree fruitless. I see no sign of life in any of you; rather, you have become as lifeless as the dead. In addi- tion to that, you are akin to the one who has been poisoned. ' By God! I repeatedly warned them not to fall victim to a frighten- ing state of disbelief, for it is equivalent to taking great risks, and this habit of denial is akin to a wilderness that leads to destruction: 'Come to me so that I may purify you from the doubt that has arisen in you and remove every arrow which has penetrated deeply into your bodies'; however, they did not refrain from abusing with their language nor did they come to me like the righteous. Thereupon I said: 'O ye religious scholars! Show me a clear text from the Book of Allah so that I also conform to you. Show me any hadith of the Holy Prophet as so that I become your companion. And surely I do not find in it—be it the Book of Allah or the Traditions of the Holy Prophet ⁹as—but the death of Jesus son of Mary. So if you consider me from amongst the liars, show me an argument contrary to that of mine. If you have an incontrovertible and thoroughly convinc- ing argument from Allah, then why don't you bring it to me? And if you want to test me, then either witness the Signs of my verity or step forward to show yours. In case I am proven wrong, you are allowed to remove my skin and slaughter me. On the other hand, if I prevail and I am proven right, remember then, the proof of my verity would be established for you. Fear Allah and do not go beyond the limits of disobedience under the eyes of Allah. Surely, the eyes of Allah are fixed on every way taken by a man and He sees all your footsteps. Moreover, He knows well the minute detail of looming dangers for you. What happened to you? Why don't you fear Him? While He has descended in your courtyard, so stand in obedience to Him. The Faith is light for