Section One

Regarding Arguments that Constitute External Evidence of the Divine Origin and Superiority of the Holy Quran

First Argument—Allah the Exalted states:

—Surah an-Nahl, Part Number 141

—Surah al-A‘raf, Part Number 82

—Surah ar-Rum, Part Number 213

—Surah ar-Ra‘d, Part Number 134

—[Surah ar-Rum, Part Number 21]5

—Surah Sajdah, Part Number 216

—[Surah Bani Isra’il, Part Number 15]7

—[Surah al-Qadr, Part Number 30]8

—[Surah al-Muzzamil, Part Number 29]9

—[Surah Bani Isra’il, Part Number 15]10

—Surah al-Ma’idah, Part Number 611

—Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, Part Number 412

—[Surah al-Qasas, Part Number 20]13

—[Surah al-Baqarah, Part Number 2]14

15
16

—[Surah al-Furqan, Part Number 19]17

—[Surah al-Fatir, Part Number 22]18

—[Surah al-Furqan, Part Number 19]19

—[Surah al-Furqan, Part Number 19]20

—[Surah al-Furqan, Part Number 19]21

—[Surah al-Furqan, Part Number 19]22

—[Surah al-Furqan, Part Number 19]23

—Surah al-Hadid, Part Number 2724

Meaning that, by Our own Divine Being, who is the Source of the bounty of guidance and sustenance, and comprehends all perfect attributes, We did send Messengers to various peoples and nations before you. But those people, having been deceived by Satan, went astray and evil deeds began to appear good to them. So, that the very Satan is their companion this day, who is turning them away from the path of perseverance. And this Book has been revealed so that their differences may be settled and so that the teachings that had remained imperfect in the prior scriptures may be completely stated for the benefit of the believers so that it may thus become a source of perfect mercy. The fact is that the entire earth had died. Allah sent down water from the sky and quickened the dead earth anew. This is a Sign of the truthfulness of this Book [i.e. the Holy Quran], but only for those who listen, i.e. the seekers after truth [Surah an-Nahl, 16:64–66].

Then He says that Allah the Almighty is that Benevolent and Merciful Being whose law of nature since the beginning is that He sends the winds before His mercy—that is to say, before the rain—until when the winds bring forth heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead city—meaning, to an area where the land had become virtually dead due to lack of rain. Then We send down water therefrom, and We bring forth therewith fruits of every kind. In like manner do We bring forth the spiritually dead from the pit of death. This example has been related so that you may pay heed and understand that just as We quicken the earth after a severe drought, in the same way, it is Our practice that, when extreme misguidance becomes rife, and hearts—which are akin to the earth—die, We breathe into them the spirit of life. The earth that is pure will bear as much vegetation as it ought to by the command of Allah, but the earth that is barren brings forth scant vegetation, which is not of good quality. In like manner do We explain things in different ways so that those who are grateful may express their gratitude [Surah al-A‘raf, 7:58–59].

Then He says that God Almighty is that Benevolent and Merciful Being who sends winds that raise a cloud at the time of need. Then He spreads it in the sky as He pleases and places it layer upon layer. Then you see the rain falling from its midst. And when He causes the rainwater to fall on whom He pleases from among His servants, they rejoice and thus, all of a sudden, God turns their misery into joy; whereas before the coming of the rain they were in despair due to great hardship, but then Allah the Almighty helps them in an instant. That is to say, the rain—which is a mercy of God—comes down at a time when the people are heart-broken and have lost all hope for rainfall. Then God says, ‘Raise your eye and look at the mercy of God and ponder over the Signs of His mercy: how He quickens the earth after its death. Undoubtedly, He is the very God whose practice is also to give life to people after their spiritual death when deprivation reaches its extreme. He indeed has power and might over all things’ [Surah ar-Rum, 30:49–51].

He it is who sent down water from the sky and, as a result, each and every valley began to flow according to its measure, i.e. every single person benefitted from it according to his capacity [Surah ar-Ra‘d, 13:18].

He then says, ‘That Messenger came at a time when corruption had pervaded both land and sea’; meaning that, darkness and misguidance had spread throughout the entire earth and all people—whether the unlettered, the People of the Book, or those possessing knowledge—had become corrupt and none firmly adhered to the truth. All of this corruption occurred because sincerity and truth parted from people’s hearts and their deeds were no longer for the sake of God; rather, many a flaw crept into them. They all became inclined towards the world, and were no longer inclined towards the True God; hence, Allah’s help was cut off from them. So, in order to complete His argument against them, God sent His Messenger to them so that He may make them taste the fruits of some of their actions and so that they may repent. Say, ‘Travel in the earth and see what was the end of the disbelievers and the rebellious that have passed on before you! And most of them were indeed idolaters’ [Surah ar-Rum, 30:42–43].

Have they never seen that it is Our invariable way and practice that We drive water to a parched land and produce thereby crops so that their cattle, and their own selves, eat therefrom and are saved from death? Why then do you not deeply reflect so that you may realize that the Benevolent and Merciful God, who sends down His rain of mercy at a time of severe famine and drought to save you from physical death, will not hesitate from sending down the water of life—which is His Word—at a time of extreme misguidance, which is spiritual famine [Surah as-Sajdah, 32:28].

Then He says, ‘We have made the night and day as two Signs’, which means that the spreading of misguidance is akin to the night, and the spreading of guidance is akin to the day. When the night is at its darkest it betokens the dawn of day, and when the day is at its brightest it foretells the onset of night. So, by dispelling the Sign of night, We have made the Sign of day a guide. That is to say, with the dawn of day one realizes that there was darkness before. Hence, the Sign of day is so bright that it also reveals the reality of night. And the Sign of night—that is, the age of misguidance—has been ordained because it alone manifests the full beauty and lustre of the Sign of day, meaning, the spreading of guidance. Beauty is truly appreciated only when it is set in contrast to the unsightly. Therefore, divine wisdom has so destined that ages of light and darkness should rotate in alternate cycles within the world. When light reaches its peak, darkness should step forth; and when darkness reaches its limit, light should emerge with its charming beauty. In short, the predominance of darkness is a proof of the coming of light, and the predominance of light paves the way for the coming of darkness. As the well-known [Persian] proverb goes, [‘Everything declines after reaching its peak’]. So this verse points to the fact that when darkness reached its limit and both land and sea were enveloped in darkness, We, in keeping with Our eternal law, revealed the light as a Sign, so that by witnessing the manifest power of the Omnipotent God, the wise may grow in certainty of faith and enlightenment [Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:13].

Then He says, 25 [‘Surely, We sent it down on Lailatul-Qadr (the Night of Destiny)’]. The true meaning of this surah, which bears upon the great truth that I have already mentioned, is to lay down the general principle regarding the time and age when a Book and a Prophet are sent into the world. That principle is: When hearts are enveloped by darkness so complete as to be entirely captivated by the world, and then, as an evil consequence of their being engrossed in worldliness, all of their doctrines, deeds, actions, morals, etiquette, intentions, and resolves become totally corrupt, the love of God vanishes from their hearts entirely, and this pandemic spreads so widely that the entire world is plunged into darkness like night; at such a time, namely, when darkness reaches its limit, divine mercy is moved to deliver people from this darkness and to set out in His Word the means by which to reform them. This is what Allah the Almighty has indicated in the above verse by saying, ‘We have revealed the Quran in such a night when it was absolutely necessary for the reformation and benefit of mankind to explain the nature of the right path and to lay down the limits of the Shariah and Faith.’ That is to say, when the darkness of misguidance had reached the extent where it had become like a night plunged in pitch darkness, it was then that divine mercy was kindled to send down a light powerful enough to dispel that darkness. So, by revealing the Holy Quran, God bestowed upon His servants that resplendent light which dispels the darkness of doubts and misgivings, and diffuses enlightenment.

Here it should be borne in mind that this spiritual Night of Destiny [i.e. the descent of the Holy Quran] does not conflict with the concept of the physical Night of Destiny that is well known to the common people. Rather, it is the eternal way of Allah that He does everything in the most appropriate manner, and whatever external form is suitable for the internal reality, He bestows that upon it. Hence, since Lailatul-Qadr, in its inner reality, is the time of extreme misguidance in which divine grace attends to the reformation of the world, God—in order to establish that mutual connection—appointed a physical night to externally represent the last part of the age of misguidance in which [spiritual] darkness reached its ultimate point. This was the night in which God Almighty, finding the world steeped in extreme misguidance, decreed to reveal His Holy Word to His Prophet. So, as a result, this night became one of immense blessings, or in other words, these blessings were present within it since eternity in accordance with eternal divine will, and then, divine acceptance and blessings were preserved in that particular night for all times to come.

Allah the Almighty proceeds to say that in that time of darkness, which was akin to a pitch-dark night, and for whose illumination the light of the Divine Word descended, that one night—owing to the descent of the Quran—was made better than a thousand months. And if we consider it on a rational basis, it is evident that, in comparison with other times, worship of God and obedience to Him in times of darkness result in even greater divine reward and nearness, and it is thus, far superior to [worshipping at] other times. Acts of worship performed at such times are more likely to be accepted owing to the hardship and difficulty experienced in carrying them out. The worshippers in such an age are more deserving of Allah’s mercy, because the rank of true worshippers and believers is established with God only at such times when the entire world is enveloped in the darkness of materialism, and when the life of one who turns to truth is endangered. It is self-evident that when hearts become lifeless and dead, and everyone is enamoured with the carrion of the world, and the noxious winds of spiritual death are blowing all around, and the love of God vanishes altogether from the hearts of people, and turning to the truth and becoming a loyal servant [of God] exposes one to countless dangers, and there is no companion nor friend to accompany one on this path—rather, he who desires to follow this path encounters such troubles for himself that could ultimately result in his death—and when people view him with contempt and disgrace; it is at such times when remaining steadfast and turning to the True Beloved—severing all relations with misguided relatives and friends, and near and dear ones, and accepting the hardships of poverty, helplessness, and loneliness, and not being distressed with persecution, disgrace, and even death—can be accomplished only by the Messengers, Prophets, and Siddiqin [the Truthful] of high resolve, upon whom the One True God showers His grace, and who are spontaneously drawn towards their Beloved. No one else can carry this task to its completion. In truth, steadfastness, patience, and worship of Allah at such times bring rewards that can never be attained at other times.

Hence, the foundation of Lailatul-Qadr was laid down at the very time when, due to extreme misguidance, only a brave man of immense mettle could remain steadfast in virtue. This indeed is the age when the worth and rank of the brave come to light and the humiliation of cowards is confirmed. This is the age of darkness, which, like a pitch-dark night, makes its appearance in a terrifying manner. In this cataclysmic situation, which is a very trying time, only those people escape destruction who are under the special shelter of divine grace. Hence, for these very reasons, God Almighty has appointed a part of this age, in which the darkness of misguidance had reached its peak, as Lailatul-Qadr. Then He proceeds to describe the heavenly blessings through which this darkness is dispelled and says that it is the way of Arhamur-Rahimin [the One who is the most Merciful of all who show mercy] that when misguidance reaches its extreme and the edge of darkness creeps up to its ultimate point—that is, the extreme point which, in spiritual terms, is known as Lailatul-Qadr—then at that time of night, whose darkness is akin to spiritual darkness, God Almighty turns His attention to this dark realm and, by His special command, angels and Ruhul-Qudus [the Spirit of Holiness] descend upon the earth and a Prophet of God Almighty appears for the reformation of Allah’s creatures. Then that Prophet, having been illumined by heavenly light, leads mankind out of darkness and he continues rising from strength to strength until the light attains its zenith. The same law applies to the auliya’ [friends of Allah] who are raised for showing the right path to humankind and for guiding them. Being heirs to the Prophets, they are made to follow in their footsteps.

Now it should be understood that God Almighty has very emphatically stated in the Holy Quran that, in the case of the world a tidal rise and fall has repeatedly occurred since time immemorial. The same is indicated when He says:

26

Meaning that, O Allah, at times You cause the night to enter into the day, and at other times You cause the day to enter into the night. In other words, He originates guidance in the predominance of error, and permits misguidance in the predominance of guidance.

The reality of this tidal rise and fall is that sometimes, by the command of Allah the Almighty, people’s hearts develop a condition of being constricted and veiled, and the adornments of the world begin to appear dear to them and all of their efforts are devoted to the settlement of their mundane affairs and to the enjoyment of worldly pleasures. This is the age of darkness, the darkest night of which is called Lailatul-Qadr. This Lailatul-Qadr regularly appears, but it appeared in its most consummate form when the day of the advent of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, arrived; for, at that time, such darkness of total misguidance had spread over the entire world as had never been spread before, nor ever will, until the Day of Judgment.

In short, when this darkness reaches its ultimate extreme that is decreed for it, then divine favour turns towards illuminating the world, and a bearer of divine light is sent for the reformation of the world. And when he appears, the ready and worthy souls are attracted toward him and the pious-natured are spontaneously drawn towards the truth. And just as it is utterly impossible that when a torch is lit a moth would not turn towards it, similarly, it is impossible that, at the time of the advent of any bearer of divine light, people of sound nature would not turn toward him with devotion.

The gist of what God Almighty says in these verses—and which is the foundation upon which this claim is based—is that at the time of the advent of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the world had deteriorated to such a state of darkness that it demanded the rise of the Sun of Truth. It is in this context that God Almighty has repeatedly described the very mission of His Apostle in the Holy Quran that he found the people of this world plunged into pitch darkness, and then brought them out of that darkness. As He says:

—Surah Ibrahim, Part Number 1327

—[Surah al-Baqarah] Part Number 328

—[Surah al-Ahzab] Part Number 2229

—Surah al-Ma’idah, Part Number 630

—[Surah at-Talaq] Part Number 2831

Meaning that, this is Our Book that We have revealed to you with the objective that you may guide people, who are steeped in darkness, towards light. Thus, God designated that age as the ‘Age of Darkness’ [Surah Ibrahim, 14:2].

Then He said that God is the Helper of the believers and He is delivering them out of every kind of darkness into light [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:258].

Then He says that God and His angels send blessings on the believers so that God may take them out of darkness into light [Surah al-Ahzab, 33:44].

He then says that light comes from God Almighty to remedy the Age of Darkness, and that light is His Messenger and His Book. With this light, God shows the way to those who seek His pleasure, and so God delivers them out of every kind of darkness into light, and guides them to the right path [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:16–17].

Again, He says that God has sent His Book and His Messenger, who recites the Word of Allah to you, so that the believing and righteous ones may be brought out of every darkness into light [Surah at-Talaq, 65:11–12].

Thus, in all these verses, God Almighty has clearly stated that the age in which the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sent and the Holy Quran was revealed was engulfed in the darkness of error and misguidance and there was not a single nation which had escaped this darkness [Surah al-Qadr, 97:2–6].

The remaining translation of the verses quoted above is that God Almighty says that We have sent to you a Messenger who is a witness to the state of your sinfulness and error, and this Messenger is similar to the one who was sent to Pharaoh [Surah al-Muzzammil, 73:16]. As He says:

And We have revealed this Word for a true need and with truth has it descended; meaning that, this Word is in itself true and just, and its descent is also truly needed, not that it has been revealed as redundant, useless, or untimely [Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:106].

O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you at a time when there had been a long break in the advent of Messengers; so, that Messenger, having come after a break in the series of Prophets, informs you of the right path that you had forgotten, lest you should say, ‘We remained in misguidance in vain and no bearer of glad tidings or warner came to us from God to admonish us.’ Therefore, know that the bearer of glad tidings and warner who was needed, has now come, and God, who has power over all things, having found you in misguidance, has sent His Word and His Messenger [Surah al-Ma’idah, 5:20].

You had reached the brink of a pit of fire. So, O believers, God granted you salvation, and thus does He narrate His Sign so that you may find guidance [Surah Aal-e-‘Imran, 3:104] and so that when the chastisement descends, the misguided people may not ask, ‘O God, why did You not send a Messenger before inflicting the chastisement, so that we might have followed Your Signs and become believers?’ [Surah al-Qasas, 28:48]

Had God not defeated the misguided through the righteous, and not repelled some by means of others, the world would have been corrupted; for, it is God’s grace that when misguidance spreads He sends a guide from Himself, because showing grace and munificence is His practice [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:252–253].

And We have sent you so that We may show mercy to the whole world and to open for them the path to salvation [Surah al-Anbiya’, 21:108], and so that you may draw the attention of people, who are languishing in a state of heedlessness, towards the truth and warn them [Surah Ya Sin, 36:7]. Do you think that most among them hear and understand? Nay, they are like cattle, and indeed, even worse [Surah al-Furqan, 25:45].

And if God were to hold them accountable for their sins, He would not have left a single one of them alive upon the earth [Surah Fatir, 35:46].

And God is that Benevolent and Merciful Being who causes winds to blow before the rain. Then We cause pure water to descend from heaven in order to revive the dead land, and thereby providing water to drink for many people and their cattle. And We present similitudes in diverse ways so that people may bear in mind that this is the very principle according to which the Prophets are sent [Surah al-Furqan, 25:49–50].

Had We so willed, We would have sent a separate Messenger for every single town, but it has been done so that tremendous endeavours may be manifested by you [O Prophet]. In other words, when one man accomplishes the task of thousands, he would undoubtedly earn an immense reward and this fact would establish his total superiority. And because the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the Best of all Prophets and was superior to, and greater than, all of the Messengers, God Almighty desired that just as the Holy Prophet is, in fact, the Chief of all Prophets by virtue of his inner potential, so also, his superiority and excellence over all and sundry—from the perspective of his overt services—should shine forth and be manifested unto the world. Therefore, God Almighty extended his message to the whole of mankind, so that the efforts and endeavours of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, may be generally manifested and not be confined to any particular people, as was the case with Musa [Moses] and Ibn-e-Maryam [the Son of Mary], and so that by enduring severe persecution from every direction and every single people and nation, he should become entitled to the magnificent reward which would not be granted to any of the other Prophets [Surah al-Furqan, 25:52–53].

He then says that God is He who alternates night with day and day with night, so that whoever wishes to pay heed may pay heed, or wants to express gratitude may express gratitude; meaning that, the alternation of day into night and night into day is a sign of the fact that just as guidance is followed by a period of misguidance and heedlessness, so is it divinely ordained that misguidance and heedlessness are followed by a period of guidance [Surah al-Furqan, 25:63].

He then says that Allah is the All-Powerful Being who created man with His own perfect power, then made for him kindred through descent and marriage. Likewise, He has the power to bring about the spiritual birth of man; meaning that, the divine law regarding spiritual birth is exactly the same as His law governing physical birth in that, initially at the time of misguidance—which amounts to [spiritual] nothingness—He grants spiritual birth to a man with His own hand. Then, He bestows spiritual life upon his followers, who are his [spiritual] progeny by virtue of their obedience to him. Therefore, all Messengers are spiritual ‘Adams’ and the pious among their followers are their spiritual progeny, and the spiritual and the physical realms maintain a complete conformity with one another and there is no disparity of any kind between the physical and spiritual laws of God [Surah al-Furqan, 25:55].

And then He says, ‘Do you not see how long God stretches the shadow unto the extent that only darkness is seen covering the entire land? And had He so willed, He would have made the darkness perpetual and there would have never been any light. But We make the sun rise in order to establish the fact that before it, there was darkness.’ In other words, the existence of darkness is recognized through light, for it becomes much easier to recognize something in contrast to its opposite. The value and magnificence of light dawns upon the very person who is aware of the existence of darkness. He then says that We gradually dispel darkness with light so that those languishing in darkness may slowly adapt themselves to benefitting from this light, and to prevent the confusion and dread that can be expected from the sudden change. Similarly, when the world is shrouded in spiritual darkness, the Sun of Truth arises from God Almighty to benefit mankind with light and to demonstrate the difference that exists between light and darkness, and then it gradually continues to rise upon the earth [Surah al-Furqan, 25:46–48].

He then says that it is the natural law of God Almighty that when the earth dies, He once again grants a new life to the earth. We have related these Signs clearly so that people may reflect and understand [Surah al-Hadid, 57:18].

In these verses, Allah the Almighty has presented the argument for the necessity of the Holy Quran’s revelation and its divine origin that the Holy Quran has been revealed at a time when the people of every nation had abandoned the principles of truth, and there was no religion on the face of the earth that had remained unaltered and established upon the principles of divine cognizance, purity of faith, and righteous conduct; rather, all faiths had been corrupted, and various kinds of distortions had found their way into every single religion. People themselves had become so infatuated with the world that they had no desire except pursuing material pleasures and seeking worldly fame, worldly comforts, worldly prestige, worldly pleasures, and worldly wealth and possession. They had became totally devoid and bereft of the love, pleasure, and delight of God Almighty. Customs and rituals were taken to be religion. Therefore, God—whose law of nature is that He comes to the aid of His humble servants at the time of trial and tribulation, and sends down the rain of mercy to relieve the suffering of His servants when they are close to annihilation owing to some severe hardship, such as a drought etc.—did not desire that His creation should remain in such peril resulting in eternal and everlasting damnation. Hence, in conformity with His eternal law that has been in operation from the very beginning in both the physical and spiritual realms, God revealed the Noble Quran for the reformation of mankind. It was necessary that the Holy Quran be revealed at that time, for the existing plight of the dark age required such a magnificent Book and such a magnificent Messenger, and the true need demanded that—during this time of darkness that had engulfed the entire world, and had reached its ultimate extreme—the Sun of Truth should rise; for it was utterly impossible for such a dark night to alternate into a bright day by itself without the appearance of that Sun. Allah the Almighty alludes to this at another place as follows:

—[Part Number 30]32

Meaning that, it was utterly impossible for those who disbelieved from among the People of the Book and the idolaters to tread the right path unless they were sent a magnificent Prophet who brought them such a magnificent Book which encompasses the divine insights and verities contained in all divine scriptures and is immaculate and free from every error and imperfection.

Now, proving this argument is contingent upon establishing two premises. The first being that it is the very eternal law of God Almighty that He helps in times of physical or spiritual needs; that is to say, during times of physical distress He sends down rain etc., and in times of spiritual distress He comes to the aid of His humble servants by revealing His healing Word.

Thus, this premise is self-evident. For, no reasonable person can deny that the only reason that both of these domains—the spiritual and the physical—have been able to remain whole and intact until today is that the Benevolent God safeguards them from annihilation and destruction. For instance, had God Almighty not protected the physical world and had He not provided His assistance with His blessed rains in times of severe droughts, people would have ultimately consumed all of their crops from their previous harvests and, thereafter, come to a painful death for lack of food. This would have resulted in the extermination of the human species. Similarly, if God Almighty had not appointed the night and the day, the sun and the moon, and the air and the clouds to carry out their assigned duties at their appropriate times, the entire system of the universe would have been upset. Alluding to this very point, Allah the Almighty Himself has said:

—[Part Number 25]33

Meaning that, do these disbelievers say that this is not the Word of God and that it has been falsely attributed to God? Had God so willed, He would have ceased its revelation, but He does not do so because it has always been His way to manifest truth and expose falsehood with His Words. This befits Him alone inasmuch as He alone is aware of spiritual maladies and He alone has the power to cure diseases and restore health.

—Part Number 2534

He then says by way of argument that Allah is that perfectly Merciful Being whose eternal law from the beginning is that He certainly sends down rain at the time of such straitened circumstances when people become hopeless; He thereby spreads His mercy upon the land, and He alone is the True Sustainer and worthy of praise for both, the external and internal. That is to say, when affliction reaches its extremity and there seems to be no way of escape, in such a situation, it is His eternal law that He certainly takes care of helpless people and saves them from destruction. Just as He shows mercy in times of physical affliction, when spiritual tribulation—meaning, error and misguidance—reaches its limit, and people no longer remain on the right path, in this situation as well, He undoubtedly dispels the deadly darkness of misguidance by honouring someone with revelation from Him and bestowing the brightness of His special light. Since the physical manifestation of divine mercy is generally observable, Allah the Almighty in the above-mentioned verse, first speaks of the need for the Holy Quran’s revelation and then explains it through an illustration referring to the physical law—which is an evident and patent matter—so that the wise may easily understand the spiritual law of Allah the Almighty by reflecting upon the physical law.

At this point, let it also be clear that those who believe that some of the scriptures were revealed by Allah have to admit that those scriptures were revealed at a time when they were needed. Thus, with this very confession, they are also forced to admit that it is the practice of Allah the Almighty to reveal Books at the time of need. Although I have written a great deal to confute people such as Brahmu Samajists who deny the need for divine scriptures, this single argument that Allah the Almighty has Himself presented in the above-mentioned verses should suffice if they possess even a trace of justice.

Considering the fact that they believe that all of the provisions for physical life are from God and He it is who saves the world from darkness and destruction with His heavenly light and rainwater, how can they escape from admitting that the means of spiritual life also descend from the heavens? Moreover, it is, itself, the height of short-sightedness and ignorance to acknowledge that the regulation of this impermanent life is under the distinct control of God, but that true and eternal life—that is to say, the cognition of God and the inner light—is adjudged to be the mere result of their own intellect. Can that God—who manifested the mighty powers of His Divinity for the sustenance of the physical realm and exhibited awesome omnipotence without the intervention of human hands—be considered weak and powerless when it is time to demonstrate His power in the spiritual realm? Given such a notion, can He remain perfect, or can His spiritual powers be proven? True satisfaction that should be based upon an unshakeable certainty is not possible through mere analogical reasoning. Rather, analogical reasoning can, at best, lead to a probability—and that, too, if the thought process is not inclined towards denial.

In short, rational reasoning is completely unsatisfactory and falls short of reaching the utmost degree in divine cognition, and even its very highest reach is limited to mere conjectures on the basis of which the soul cannot attain true conviction and cognition, nor the cleansing of inner impurities. Rather, such a person, being enslaved exclusively by inferior thoughts, utilizes his knowledge and skill for deceitful plots in the manner of Abu Zaid in Maqamat-e-Hariri, who used his eloquence and rhetoric as an instrument of deception.

Can the frail intellect of man, alone within its environs, liberate him from the prison wherein he is being confined on account of his selfish passion, ignorance, and heedlessness? Does human imagination possess any such capability which can equal the knowledge and power of Almighty God? Can the holy light of God, which touches the soul and delivers it from its deepest doubts, be possessed by anyone other than God? Certainly not! Certainly not! Rather, only those people are entrapped by these deceptions who have never realized the degree of cognition required for true salvation, or the extent to which divine power can transform our soul, or the level of nearness and recognition [of God] that we can attain with the help of God’s infinite grace, or the extent to which He can lift the veils before us. Their ‘knowledge’ culminates only in useless conjectures, whereas the true and certain knowledge that is essential for man’s salvation is—according to their strange reasoning—absurd and impossible; but it should be understood that they are committing a serious error in contenting themselves with rational thinking alone.

There are countless mysteries in the path of divine cognition that cannot be discovered by man’s weak and murky reason, and rational ability—on account of its own utter frailty—can never ascertain the heights of divine mysteries. There is no other ladder besides the lofty Word of God to reach that height. Anyone who seeks God with heartfelt sincerity requires this very ladder, and until the time that firm and high-reaching ladder is taken as the means of his progress, man can never ascend the lofty minaret of divine cognizance; but rather, he remains in the clutches of dark and obscure ideas that are unsatisfying and far removed from the truth. Due to the lack of this divine cognizance, all of his knowledge remains defective and incomplete; for, just as a needle without thread is useless and worthless—incapable of sewing—so is rational philosophy absolutely unreliable, unstable, inconstant, and baseless without support from the Word of God:

The rationalists have wooden feet,
And wooden feet are a very weak support indeed.