And likewise, He saith: “And had We sent down unto Thee a Book written on
parchment, and they had touched it with their hands, the infidels would
surely have said ‘This is naught but palpable sorcery.’”(170) Most of the
verses of the Qur’án are indicative of this theme. We have, for the sake
of brevity, mentioned only these verses. Consider, hath anything else
besides the verses been established in the whole Book, as a standard for
the recognition of the Manifestations of His Beauty, that the people might
cling to, and reject the Manifestations of God? On the contrary, in every
instance, He hath threatened with fire those that repudiate and scoff at
the verses, as already shown.
Therefore, should a person arise and bring forth a myriad verses,
discourses, epistles, and prayers, none of which have been acquired
through learning, what conceivable excuse could justify those that reject
them, and deprive themselves of the potency of their grace? What answer
could they give when once their soul hath ascended and departed from its
gloomy temple? Could they seek to justify themselves by saying: “We have
clung to a certain tradition, and not having beheld the literal fulfilment
thereof, we have therefore raised such cavils against the Embodiments of
divine Revelation, and kept remote from the law of God?” Hast thou not
heard that among the reasons why certain Prophets have been designated as
Prophets “endowed with constancy” was the revelation of a Book unto them?
And yet, how could this people be justified in rejecting the Revealer and
Author of so many volumes of verses, and follow the sayings of him who
hath foolishly sown the seeds of doubt in the hearts of men, and who,
Satan-like, hath risen to lead the people into the paths of perdition and
error? How could they allow such things to deprive them of the light of
the Sun of divine bounty? Aside from these things, if these people shun
and reject such a divine Soul, such holy Breath, to whom, We wonder, could
they cling, to whose face besides His Face could they turn? Yea—“All have
a quarter of the Heavens to which they turn.”(171) We have shown thee
these two ways; walk thou the way thou choosest. This verily is the truth,
and after truth there remaineth naught but error.
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