Preface

And Some Important Matters Which Are Produced Below

Firstly, with utmost respect and humility, I would like to reassure everyone who adheres to a faith or creed different from mine that my purpose in writing this book is not to injure anyone’s feelings or to provoke unnecessary controversy. My sole concern and heart-felt desire is to demonstrate the truth and rectitude and lay it bare for all to see. I would have been quite happy to confine myself to my own faith and avoid discussing the beliefs of my opponents, but the problem is that a thorough scrutiny and comprehensive discussion of true principles and arguments is not possible without exposing the falsity of all creeds opposed to the right path. I, therefore, had no choice but to mention them and to remove the doubts created by them. Evidently, truth cannot be established without answering the objections of the opposing party. For instance, if the existence of the Creator were under debate, it could not be concluded without systematically eliminating all the false beliefs held by the atheists. Similarly, when we argue that God is the Creator of souls and bodies, it is necessary to rebut the misconceptions of the Aryah Samaj, who deny the creative powers of God.1 Moreover, we shall also have to remove the doubts entertained by the Brahmu Samaj when we set down arguments of the need for divine revelation.

Besides, it has also been confirmed by experience that unless the present-day opponents of Islam are made to realize the irrational and fallacious nature of their dogmas, they tend to pay no heed to the truth of Islam, no matter how brilliantly its truth shines upon them. Under these circumstances, it is not only permissible but the demand of honesty, fairness and sympathy that we discuss other faiths in a comprehensive manner and mince no words in an endeavour to dispel their doubts and expose the falsity of their creeds. Since we honestly see them as having deviated from the right path, and consider their principles to be contrary to the truth, and believe that their departure from this transitory world with such beliefs will earn them a great punishment, we cannot shy away from our duty to reform them, nor can we turn a blind eye to their erroneous beliefs and their efforts to mislead others. Otherwise, how would we claim to belong to the True Faith and how shall we acquit ourselves before our Lord?

Worldly people, who have no regard for God and the true faith, are likely to take my comments ill and make wild accusations to express their displeasure upon hearing the excellences of Islam and the shortcomings of their own faith. But I do hope that there will be many seekers after truth who will find the right path through this book and will bow down in gratitude to God, who will teach and reveal to them what He has taught and revealed to me. It is for them that I have written this book and taken upon myself this heavy responsibility. It is beyond the power of my tongue or my pen to express the goodwill and concern I have for them.

The pain that I have in my heart for the seekers after truth;
Cannot be described in my brief statements.

My heart and soul are so deeply engrossed in their concern;
That I care not for my heart, nor am I aware of my life.

I am nevertheless happy that I pine for God’s creatures;
The cries that I utter in pain are a source of delight for me.

My purpose, yearning, and heartfelt desire is to serve humanity;
This is my job, this is my faith, this is my habit and this is my way of life.

I do not venture into this path of admonition and good counsel on my own will;
Goodwill for humanity keeps pulling me forward.

What is the worth of empty words in the spirit of human sympathy;
Were I to offer a hundred lives in ransom, I would feel inadequate and apologetic.

Finding the world in darkness, I pray to my Lord:
May He grant my prayers of the small hours of the night.

I appeal to all truthful and righteous people to consider my humble self their true well-wisher and sympathizer and to give this book the same close attention as they would to the counsel of a friend—to which they listen attentively, and as far as possible, accept without suspicion, putting aside their own reservations and even feeling grateful to the friend who advised them with sincerity and uprightness and informed them of what was beneficial to him. This is what I expect from the elders and learned scholars of all faiths. If they find the arguments I have given in favour of the divine origin of Islam and the evidence I have put forward to establish the Holy Quran as the Word of God and its superiority over other Divine Scriptures to be conclusive and irrefutable, they will accept them in the spirit of justice and righteousness and not turn away out of prejudice and heedlessness.2

I am humble and speak with utmost courtesy;
Allah knows that I bear no grudge against anyone.

I have not ventured upon this task as a futile exercise;
The spectacle of the beauty of my Beloved pulls me towards Him.

Dear people! All wisdom and sagacity lies in recognizing in this very life the beliefs and principles on which depends the bliss or damnation of the hereafter and thereby establishing oneself on truth and shunning falsehood. Man should base his delicate beliefs—which he considers to be the basis of his salvation and eternal well-being—on absolute and decisive proofs rather than being proud and enamoured by the tales one was told by his mother or nanny in childhood. To cling onto myths and conjectures for which there is no credible argument amounts to self-deception. Every rational person knows and understands that all Divine Books and the principles contained in them—which different nations regard as the means to their salvation and to winning divine approval, and on the basis of which they consign to damnation those who differ from them—ought not only to possess the testimony of the divine word, but must also be verifiable through reason and logic. While it is true that divine revelation is the most trustworthy source of knowledge, absolute certainty being dependent on it, it is equally true that if a scripture makes a claim that is clearly in conflict with reason and logic, such a claim will have to be considered false and such a scripture will have to be regarded as fabricated or interpolated on account of its irrational teachings.

If the truth or falsity of something, or its logical possibility or impossibility, rests on the verdict of reason, then the principles on which salvation is said to depend must also be validated by the same authority. If it is not possible to prove the various doctrines espoused by various faiths through rational arguments—and instead, they are proven wrong, incredible or impossible—how are we to know whose doctrines are true and whose are false, or that an ancient scripture of the Hindus is invalid and the Books of the Children of Israel are authentic. Moreover, if there is no rational way to distinguish between truth and falsehood, how would a seeker after truth tell them apart so as to embrace truth and shun falsehood. Moreover, how would anyone be held accountable before God for not believing in such doctrines?3

And if, for our salvation, we definitely stand in need of beliefs that are supported by rational arguments, the question naturally arises as to how and through which sure, perfect and easy means can we arrive at such beliefs and discover arguments that will lead us to absolute certainty? In answer, I would like to submit that the certain, perfect and easy means of finding the true principles [of salvation] and their supporting arguments with absolute certainty which involves no toil or labour, nor admits of error, doubt, misgiving or uncertainty, is the Holy Quran. There is no other book and no other means through which we can achieve this great objective.4

Gentlemen! I have learned with complete certainty—and anyone of you who ponders what I have pondered upon will also fully realize—that all the teachings in which a seeker after bliss must have complete faith, and on which our salvation and eternal happiness of humankind depends, are to be found in the Holy Quran alone. All other scriptures have become so corrupted, they are full of such concocted and artificial creeds, and have deviated so far from the right path of wisdom and from the ways of nature, that I feel embarrassed at even having to quote them. Nor is this contention of mine without compelling evidence. I say in all truth that I undertook thorough research before writing this book. I read the scriptures of all faiths with a spirit of fairness and honesty and pondered and deliberated upon them. I compared their teachings to those of the Holy Quran; I held discussions with the eminent scholars of various faiths; and I strived as hard as is humanly possible to discover the truth by exploring all available avenues. Finally, I arrived at the conclusion that, of all the scriptures in the world today, the Holy Quran is the only one whose divine origin can be established with irrefutable arguments. It is the only one whose principles regarding salvation are based on truth and human nature; whose doctrines are comprehensive and firmly grounded in truth and are confirmed by powerful arguments; whose commandments are nothing but the dictates of truth and whose teachings bear no blemish of idolatry, human innovations and false deities. Its teachings zealously promote the Oneness, Greatness and Excellence of God; and it is filled to the brim in establishing the Oneness of the Glorious God. It does not impute to Him anything that is contrary to His Oneness or attribute to Him any blemish, shortcoming, or unworthy attribute. It does not impose any teaching upon us without first providing adequate proof in support thereof and explains each of its principles with proofs and clear arguments and leads its followers to perfect certainty and understanding. It removes, through clear and unequivocal arguments, all the corruptions, impurities, defects and distortions that have found their way into people’s beliefs, actions, sayings and deeds; and teaches all ethical and moral norms, the knowledge of which is essential for becoming truly human. It resists every prevalent evil with equal force; and its teachings are straightforward, well-founded and flawless, as if they were the very reflection of the laws of nature and a true picture of human conscience. Indeed, they are as the sun for the illumination of mind and heart, and make good the deficiency inherent in reason.

And when I looked at the current state of the other so-called revealed books, it was clear to me that all of these books are completely devoid of all these perfect qualities. They attribute all kinds of false notions to the person and attributes of God; and their followers adhere to strange and dubious doctrines. While some deny that He is the Creator and the All-Powerful and hold themselves as His equals and partners in eternity and self-existence, others consider idols and small gods and goddesses to be a partner or custodian of His Kingdom. While some are carving sons and daughters and even grandsons and granddaughters to Him, others believe that He Himself was reincarnated as a crocodile or a tortoise. Thus they vie with one another in presenting His Perfect Being as a most unfortunate being, who could not even acquire the perfection and excellence that reason expected of Him.

Dear brothers! To be brief, when I found people mired in such false beliefs and lost in such darkness, my heart trembled and my whole being was shaken to its foundations and I took it upon myself to write this book for their guidance. It became for me an obligation that I had to fulfil at all costs. And so, by the grace of God, this manuscript of the book was completed in an extraordinarily short time.

The truth is that this book is a glad tiding for those who seek the truth. It is a final and irrefutable divine argument against those who are opposed to Islam—an argument they will not be able to refute up to the end of days. For this reason, I have also included an announcement for a reward of 10,000 rupees to complete the argument against all those who oppose and deny the truth of Islam, so that they may be left with no excuse to stubbornly hold on to their false beliefs and doctrines.

O seeker of truth and rectitude;
Read this book with attention and care.

Were you to take one caring glance at my book;
You will realize that this is the path that leads to paradise.

But the condition is justice and honesty;
Because justice is the key to wisdom.

Two things are the guardians [of all affairs]—material or spiritual;
An enlightened heart and a keen and penetrating mind.

He who is wise and just,
Will not accept anything except the true and straight path.

He denies not the path that is pure and straight;
And turns not away from the veritable and fair.

Once he has witnessed something with truthfulness;
He does not insist on stubborn denial.

O you who wish to reach the castle of salvation,
Only righteousness will carry you there.

Be with the truth and let truthfulness abide your heart;
Be not attracted to falsehood like the ill-natured.

Never become the lover of an ugly one,
Even if beauty disappears entirely from the world.

It is better to leave the land untilled and bare,
Than sowing the seed of thorns and prickly herbs.

If your mind were to open to see reason,
You would seek the path of God with humility and submission.

Then you would seek Him with a sincere heart,
And would not be unmindful of Him even in your dreams.

Then you would not find a moment’s rest,
Until you found Him and of His existence became aware.

Death awaits you, and your existence is no more than a bubble,
And yet you sleep on carelessly.

Look back at your forefathers,
How they passed away from this world.

You forgot what happened to them;
You forgot their end so soon.

What stratagem have you to escape death?
Have you erected a rampart to protect yourself ?

Since death, like an alligator, snatches a man with suddenness,
Then why should he act so arrogantly?

O young man, give not your heart to this lowly world;
Its fanfare will disappear all of a sudden.

No one lives in the world forever;
Time does not remain constant.

We have consigned to the earth many a dear one,
With our hearts full of grief and sorrow.

Having buried so many ourselves,
Why should we not remember the day of our own death?

Why should we forget their memories?
We are not made of steel or bronze.

O enemy of mine, fear the wrath of God,
For the chastisement of my Lord is hard to bear.

For not fearing the Omnipotent God;
Countless nations and towns were destroyed.

No sign was left of their arrogant dwellers,
Not to speak of signs, not even a bone survived.

Wisdom is that a man should live in fear,
Or else, calamity after calamity would come upon him.

To be dead is surely better,
Than to live a life of sin and wickedness.

Come and tread the path of justice;
Would prejudice stop you from repentance?

Believe me, what I say is true and just;
It is no empty boast, nor a senseless tale.

I reflected deeply over every religion,
And listened carefully to the argument of every one.

I studied the scriptures of all religions,
And heard all their scholars.

I devoted myself to this endeavour from my early years,
And adopted it as my sole occupation.

I spent my entire youth in the same endeavour,
And freed myself from all other cares.

I spent a long time in this pain and anguish,
And I could not sleep for many a long night.

I pondered over it in all fairness,
And in keeping with fear of God, justice and equity.

I found no faith other than Islam that is rested on a solid foundation,
And for this Faith I became full of fascination.

So clear and pure is this religion,
That for sure the envier can see his face in it.

Its path to purity is so clear, so straight,
That reason bears testimony to its truthfulness.

It inculcates only wisdom, reason and justice,
And saves from all types of ignorance and corruption.

There is no other faith like it in the world;
May all that is against it fade into oblivion.

Its teachings, on which rests salvation,
Are as convincing as the shining sun in their truthfulness and firmness.

The teachings of others are also obvious,
No effort can conceal them.

If the non-Muslims had the knowledge,
They would have protected the Faith of Islam by laying down their lives.

Muhammad is the most magnificent imprint of the divine light;
None like him can ever be born on the face of the earth.

Every land was devoid of truth;
Like the night—pitch dark.

God sent him and spread the truth;
A new life was breathed into the earth by the advent of that leader.

He is a flourishing and productive tree of the garden of purity and perfection,
And all his progeny are like red roses.

Secondly, may I also submit that anyone who wishes to reply to this book must respond in two ways as per the conditions laid down in the Challenge [in Part I]. They must produce arguments from their own scriptures, for comparison with the arguments of the Holy Quran, and must also refute the arguments I have given. If they fail to present comparable evidence from their own scriptures and focus entirely on countering my arguments, it will be taken to mean that they are totally incapable of providing evidence for the divine origin of their Book.

Bear in mind that it is indeed my heartfelt desire that someone who does not agree with my claim—that the Holy Quran is the actual Word of God, is superior to all other scriptures and is peerless in giving proof of its own truth—should write in support of his contention. I will, indeed, be grateful for their endeavours because I have thought a lot about the most effective way of proving to the public that the qualities and excellences that the Holy Quran possesses, and the proofs and convincing arguments that establish its divine origin are not at all found in other Books. After prolonged deliberation, I have concluded that there can be no better way than this, that someone should come forward with evidence—similar to what I have offered for the divine origin and superiority of the Holy Quran—in support of his own Book and publish a treatise on the subject. If it happens—and I pray that it does happen—the truth and dignity of the Holy Quran will become evident even to those of lesser understanding and no simple man will thereafter be lured away by our opponents.

And if the author of a rebuttal to my book happens to be someone who does not believe in any Divine Scripture, for instance, a Brahmu Samajist, it shall suffice for him to refute my arguments one by one and provide rational proofs in support of his own views. If such a one does come forward, his writing will help to open the eyes of many and expose the Brahmu Samajists’ unwarranted reliance on reason. In short, I firmly believe that the full impact and true worth of my book will only be known when a follower of some other scripture takes it upon himself to prove the truth of his scripture or, like a contemporary freethinker, gives arguments in support of his self-invented doctrines. Indeed, it is only through comparison that a thing can be truly valued. The beauty and tenderness of a flower, for instance, is all the more alluring when it stands beside the thorns.

If there were no ugly and dark face for comparison,
How could anyone appreciate the beauty of the beloved?

If a battle had not been joined against an enemy,
How would the skills of a daring swordsman be known?

Light would not be recognized if there was no darkness;
Perfect wisdom would go unnoticed in the absence of ignorance.

The argument of the truthful becomes clearer after it is countered and criticized;
Absurd excuses only prove that the critic is belabouring his point.

At this point, I would like to request those who wish to write such a refutation that—if they intend to do this in the spirit of justice and fairness, and if revealing the truth is their sole motive and fulfilling the conditions of my challenge is their intention—they should address all my arguments one by one, reproducing them verbatim before attempting their reply, so that the reader is left in no doubt as to whether the argument in question has been adequately refuted. Summarizing such arguments fails to do justice to the dynamics of their reasoning and many points are lost due to the dishonesty, ignorance or naivety of the opponent. Often the process of selection and abridgement totally undermines the intent of the original writer. In such cases, it becomes almost impossible for the reader, who does not have the original text at hand, to fully comprehend the argument and form an opinion. Since this is a high-ranking book, and it promises a substantial reward to anyone who is able to fully refute its arguments, it is futile and ill-advised to resort to deception and falsehood in trying to counter it. I therefore reiterate and emphasize that only that person will be considered honest and seen to have fulfilled the conditions of the Challenge who quotes my arguments word for word, in the same order as I have written them.

Thirdly, let it also be clear to everyone that all the arguments contained in this book—whether they relate to the divine origin of the Holy Quran, or the truthfulness of the prophethood of Khatamul-Anbiya’ [the Seal of the Prophets], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or to the excellences and beauties of the Holy Quran, and the clear evidence that it is revealed by God, or to any other matter—have been taken from the same Book [the Holy Quran]. This means that both the claim and the arguments in its support have been derived from the Holy Book. I have not put forward any claim or argument based on my own speculation or reasoning. Hence, I have consistently quoted Quranic verses from which my claims and arguments are derived. Anyone who wants to write in support of his scripture in response to my arguments, or wishes to put forward any other claim, must follow the same approach. They too should produce both their claims and their arguments from their respective scriptures. And when I say arguments, I mean rational arguments that reasonable people employ in their discourses to prove their point, and not mere myths, fables or legends. Thus, in every context, they should produce only rational arguments contained in their revealed scriptures and eschew conjectures and suppositions that have no basis in their sacred texts. Every reasonable person understands that it is the duty of a Divine Book to clearly set out its claim of being the Word of God, as well as to provide clear proof in support of its claim and in support of the principles it lays down. It must not advance empty claims or principles that it cannot uphold and has to depend on others to plead its cause.7

Therefore, it should be fully borne in mind that if anyone, in support of the truth of his scripture, presents an argument that is not contained in the scripture itself, this shall be taken as an admission that the scripture, which this person fancies as the Word of God, fails to meet this condition of the challenge.

Fourthly, let the readers also bear in mind that this book has been written in a spirit of great civility, decency and courtesy, and does not contain any derogatory remarks about any holy personage or founder of a faith. I am personally appalled by the use of such words, either directly or by implication, and I believe that anyone who resorts to them is extremely evil and mischievous. I would, therefore, like to appeal to all good-natured people that, should they choose to reply to my challenge, they ought to exercise in the course of their writings such civilized manner as is worthy of any civilized and decent person. They should refrain completely from uncivil and derogatory language and disparaging remarks about holy personages, Prophets or Messengers. To write a religious discourse is a very sensitive matter in which no one person has the final say. Readers, who distinguish good from bad, and recognize fair-minded from biased, and falsehood from truth, are watching them closely. There are civilized people in all religions who abhor such mischievous and uncivil speech and consider it extremely scurrilous and wicked to use derogatory language about the honoured founders of different faiths, whom God chose in His infinite wisdom and special divine will to be the leaders and guides of their nations. It was through their enlightened souls that the world was blessed with the light of divine worship and Divine Unity. Their forceful teachings uprooted idolatry and creature-worship—the mother of all evils—from most parts of the world. It was they who brought new life to the dried up tree of the remembrance of the One God and erected the fallen edifice of the worship of God upon solid foundations. They were the elects of God whom He took under His own benign protection, and supported them so magnificently that even though millions stood up against them, they remained undaunted and resolute in their mission. God saved them from every calamity and from the schemes of every mischief-maker until they had established the truth upon the earth. To revile such elect of God is an act of great impiety, inaptness and insolence.

He who spits upon the sun,
Ends up spitting on his own face;

Such a one will be cursed till the end of days;
The holy ones will remain far and beyond his stink.

It is not without reason and special significance that I remind people to be courteous and cautious in the use of their words. I can call to mind many who consider it a great virtue to disparage Prophets and Messengers. The kind of language they use against them only serves to expose the baseness of their own nature. I have studied the matter in depth and have discovered two reasons for such behaviour. It is either because they are incapable of sane and rational discourse, or because they are simply confounded by the arguments and objections of a man of truth and find refuge in turning intellectual debate into one of mockery and ridicule. Having failed in other ways, they seek to establish their reputation among their ilk in this manner. And having set themselves up as the leaders and teachers of their people, they try to hold on to this role by exhibiting greater prejudice and obduracy than their followers. To be honest, they are not wholly to be blame for this, as they are sunk deep in ignorance and prejudice. They neither fear God nor care about faith, truth and rectitude, and it is only the rotten world for which they lust. Abuse and slander is all that can be expected from them, insomuch as they are indifferent to God and are without shame or modesty, and are bent upon denying the truth under any circumstances. They can hardly speak or write anything else. Apart from those who are bereft of civility and the spirit of enquiry,8 thousands among the Christians are emerging who, on account of their pure nature and fair-mindedness, have acknowledged the superiority of Islam. In their writings, they have emphatically rejected the doctrine of the Trinity and have conceded that many innovations have crept into Christianity. Unfortunately, such fair-mindedness is disappearing among our fellow citizen Aryas. They are so steeped in prejudice that even to remember a Prophet with respect is regarded by them as a sin. They malign all Prophets and accuse them of falsehood and imposture, claiming without any evidence that the Vedas, which descended on their forefathers, are the only Word of God and that all other Revealed Books—which have benefited the world immensely by teaching the Unity of God and imparting knowledge of the Divine—were fabricated by men. Though I have refuted this claim in this book by exposing the falsity and inadequacy of the existing Vedas, I would like to point out here how the beliefs of these people are at odds with the norms of decency, civility and piety, and how prejudice, which seems to run in their very blood, has impaired their capacity for trust and good-will, in which lies the nobility and dignity of humankind, and which adorns humanity with elegance and beauty.9 Consequently, they have been led to believe that, with the exception of those who appeared in the land of the Aryas, the Prophets and Messengers—who delivered a large section of mankind from the darkness of idolatry and made the light of faith and Unity of God shine in most countries of the world—were, God forbid, liars and imposters. They hold that Brahmans alone have inherited true Prophethood and Messengership, which was the exclusive preserve of their ancestors; that God has granted them absolute monopoly over it; that God has squeezed the vast river of His guidance into their small country; and that He loves only their nation, their language, and their Prophets, who, as a matter of fact, number no more than three or four.10 This [limited view] contradicts the fact that sending Prophets and revelation is an eternal practice of God, necessitated by the law of nature. If we were to believe in only a small number of the recipients of revelation, the reality of Prophethood and revelation would, in such a case, remain a weak, unreliable and doubtful matter. Moreover, in that case, millions of people who were unaware of this country, or this country remained unaware of their countries, would deem to be deprived of divine grace, mercy, guidance and salvation. Worse still, according to the proudly-held belief of Aryas, these three or four were not raised as Prophets by the special will and wisdom of God; on the contrary, they merited this office by their own good deeds, done in some unknown past existence, and God had no choice but to make them Prophets; while the rest of the people were forever denied this exalted station. Some were deprived of receiving revelation because of their own sins and shortcomings, and some for the crime of belonging to a nation or country other than that of the Aryas.

Just consider how this unholy doctrine vilifies the elect of God who rose like the sun and dispelled the darkness that had spread in the world during their times. Even their Parmeshwar [God] has not been spared. He is effectively considered a heedless, neglectful and confused being who is unaware of the thousands of innovations and millions of tribulations and commotions into which the world was thrown, and the wide variety of mischief which arose after the time of the Vedas, creating great upheaval in his kingdom that needed to be reformed urgently, but he could not be woken from his slumber and slipped away never to return. It means that the amount of revelations that Parmeshwar possessed was limited and he exhausted it in the Vedas. Having given away the sum total of his possessions, he was left empty-handed and tongue-tied forever. While his other attributes remained intact, the power of speech was lost after the revelation of the Vedas and Parmeshwar became permanently incapable of communicating with or sending revelations to his creatures.14 Such are the beliefs of the Aryas towards which they invite all Hindus. But, strangely enough, no such doctrine can be found in the Vedas. There is no commandment in Vedas that teaches such discriminatory ill-will. In all likelihood, such verses date back to the same period in which the wise men of the Aryas wrote in their literary books and reference works that there was no land beyond their own part of Asia and the Himalayas. Hundreds of similarly absurd and superstitious tales—the very mention of which is a waste of time here and which are being discredited everyday and have been abandoned by the wise and knowledgeable—can be traced back to the same period. The height of injustice is that it is the very protagonists of such teachings—whose Vedas tell nothing of God Himself beyond the tales of fire, air, sun and moon, which are created things—who have the temerity to call Hazrat Musa [Moses] and Hazrat ‘Isa [Jesus] and Hazrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ [the Seal of the Prophets] impostors, label their blessed ages as times of falsehood and deception, term their extraordinary success—which bespeaks divine succour—as chance phenomenon, and accuse their scriptures, which were bestowed upon them by God at the most appropriate time to bring about a great reformation, of having been plagiarized from the Vedas! Peculiarly, the nature of this alleged plagiarism has not been identified. Do the Holy Quran, the Gospels or the Torah contain teachings about fire-worship as do the Vedas? Do they praise Wayu or Jall or extol the sky, the moon and the sun? Do they teach how one should supplicate to Indra for many cows and unlimited wealth after expressing its veneration and praise? If these scriptures do not contain any such teachings that form the crux of the Vedas, then what is it that has been copied from the Vedas?

At this point, I must say that I am extremely disappointed with the harsh language that Pundit Dayanand has used in some of his treatises and in his preface to the Ved Bhash15 with reference to the Torah, the Gospels and the Holy Quran and the manner in which he compares the Vedas to pure gold and other scriptures to cheap imitations. The sole reason for the Pundit’s bizarre statements and his absurd attempts at appearing clever is that he has no knowledge of Arabic, Persian or any language other than Sanskrit. He cannot even understand Urdu. Another reason for his behaviour—which is evident from a study of his latest books—is that, in addition to his ignorance, prejudice and lack of understanding, he is, like the insane and the phobic, inherently incapable of forming a balanced view and sticking to a correct opinion. This seems to have become his second nature so that, almost involuntarily, he will label as evil and false that which is good and true; he will label pure as impure and the impure as pure, and will take the crooked as straight and the straight as crooked. This is why he tends to impute baseless interpretations to the Vedas and has them published only to be ridiculed by the people. Though all of India’s pundits vociferously declare that no trace of Tauhid [Oneness of God] is to be found in the Vedas, that it was never adhered to by their forefathers, and that creature-worship was never prohibited by the Vedas, still the pundit persists in his fantastic interpretation that the multiple Vedic gods are a single deity so that the Vedas may be taken as divinely revealed.

The undue liberties he took, and continues to take, with the Vedas is his own affair, but his efforts to unjustly disrespect and malign the Holy Quran will certainly cause him great ignominy. Indeed, the time has already come with the writing of this book. I am not sure whether, upon being informed by some learned person of the hundreds of arguments establishing the divine origin and superiority of the Holy Quran and of the abundant proofs regarding the falsity of the Vedic teachings, which will be written in this book, he will still want to live or will contemplate suicide. It is a pity that in denigrating the sublime, most perfect, comprehensive, graceful and beautiful book—the Holy Quran—he fears neither humiliation in the hereafter nor is concerned about ignominy in this world. It seems that he does not care for both the worlds. Even if he had no fear of God, he should have at least feared ignominy in the world; and if he had bid farewell to moral scruples, he should at least have tried to save his face in public.

But if his nature is such that he derives malicious pleasure from insulting God’s Messengers, and is incapable of setting himself straight, he can still do no harm to those holy ones. Throughout history, enemies of the Prophets have tried their best to extinguish their heavenly light but have failed. Since they were like trees rooted in truth and righteousness, those holy men grew from strength to strength with help from the Unseen. The hostile machinations of the enemies could do no harm to them. Like the delicate and beautiful plants that please the gardener, they grew and flourished until they became large, shady and fruitful trees—in which spiritual birds seeking spiritual and heavenly comfort nested—and their enemies were totally defeated. Although the ill-wishers tried everything in their power and employed every trick and machination and deceit, they ended up frustrated like a caged bird. When physical hostility could do no harm to these holy men, what harm can vituperation do to them? The Prophets were the exalted people whose high standing has been well-established in their own times. Their honour could not be stopped either by the opposition of the idolaters or by the barriers laid in their way by nature-worshippers. Sharpness of the swords could never dull their grandeur, nor could the piercing arrows do it any harm. Their grandeur was so dazzling that its jealousy drained the blood of many a heart, an arrow that was launched to pierce many a liver to death, the divine millstone that crushed whomsoever it landed on, and whoever fell upon it was himself shattered to bits.

To the holy men of God, succour comes from God Himself,
And when it comes, it shows mankind a world new and miraculous.

At times it becomes wind, blowing away every obstacle in their path;
At times it becomes fire, reducing their opponents to ashes.

At times it becomes dust, and falls upon the enemy;
At times it becomes water, and brings a deluge upon them.

God’s designs, in short, cannot be frustrated by mortals;
How, indeed, can the created avail anything against the Creator!

My purpose, in short, is to admonish the Pundit and other enemies and opponents that if they do not wish to believe in the true books revealed by God on account of their worldliness, racial prejudice, false pride, or lack of modesty, so be it; but they must desist from using abusive language, as it leads to an evil end. Even if one were to suppose, for the sake of argument, that the truth of the Divine Prophets is not apparent to them, they will certainly admit—if only out of some fear of God and of public ridicule—that what has not been proven to be true is not necessarily false. To say that the truth of Tom’s claim is yet to be established, can never be the same as saying that it has been established that Tom is false in his claim.

The fact is that declaring someone to be a liar without establishing his falsehood, and continuously calling him a liar, is the work of those who take material gains, false pride and status in the community to be their everything—their faith, their religion, and their Parmeshwar and Bhagwan [God]. If they were to accept the truth and give up all sorts of stubbornness, they would have to leave everything behind and enter the faith of God in all meekness and humility, and would no longer be addressed as Pundits, Gurus or Swamis. It is such people, therefore, who stand to gain the most from opposing the truth and righteousness and it is they who are perforce infuriated by it. Why indeed should they accept Islam when in doing so they lose their prestige, in addition to many sources of income! Why indeed would they invite so many troubles for themselves just for the sake of Islam! This is why they reject the truth that is supported by hundreds of arguments and continue clinging onto books that are full of idolatrous teachings. Such is their warped sense of justice that, while they would not accept the guilt of a loose woman accused of indecent behaviour without asking for eyewitness testimony, they are ever ready to malign the holy ones whose piety has been testified to by millions—and not just a few. There is no credible proof that the Prophets were seen drafting a forged document or that they ever consulted their employees, friends or wives in confidence regarding their ‘treachery’ or admitted their ‘deceit’ when death stared them in the face. They [opponents of the Prophets] are ever-prepared to make false charges, which is a definite sign of their hypocrisy and reveals their inner perversion. The Prophets shamed their enemies by challenging them to find any fault in their impeccable moral character. Hazrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ [the Seal of the Prophets], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for instance, is quoted in the Holy Quran as saying:

That is: I am not the man who tells or fabricates a lie. I have lived among you for forty years; can you demonstrate that I ever uttered a lie or forged a lie? Why do you not understand? How can a man who has never uttered a lie of any kind up to now start lying about God? (Surah Yunus, Part 11)16

Undoubtedly, the lives of the Prophets are so transparent and their righteousness is so evident that, leaving everything else aside, if we only studied their lives, it would suffice to reveal their truth. For instance, if a reasonable and honest person were to ignore all the proofs and arguments that will be written in this book for establishing the truth of Hazrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ [the Seal of the Prophets], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and were to concentrate solely on the events of his life, his heart would certainly be filled with the conviction that he is true in his claim of prophethood. He could not conclude otherwise, for the events [of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) life] are so redolent of truth and purity that the hearts of the seekers after truth are irresistibly drawn towards them. Just think how, to his last breath, the Holy Prophet steadfastly and unwaveringly held on to his claim of Prophethood in the face of countless perils and so many enemies, detractors and threateners. The persecution and hardship he endured for years seemed to preclude all possibility of success, and were increasing day by day. His patient response to them clearly rules out any plans for material gain. On the contrary, the very moment he made his claim to Prophethood, he lost even the little support he already had. With a single announcement, he made innumerable enemies and brought upon himself countless tribulations. He was forced into exile, pursued by bloodthirsty enemies, his home and property were destroyed, and repeated attempts were made to poison him. Those who were once his well-wishers turned against him, and friends became foes. The severe hardship he endured for so long and with such fortitude could not have been tolerated by a deceiving imposter. And when, at long last, Islam became victorious and a time of ease and prosperity ushered in, he accumulated no wealth, built himself no citadels or mansions, piled up no provisions for luxurious and royal living, and made no personal acquisitions. Rather, he gave away everything to orphans, the needy, widows, and those burdened by debt, while he himself never even enjoyed a full meal. Such was his truthfulness and candour that he did not hesitate to proclaim Tauhid [Oneness of God] even at the cost of antagonizing all the people and tribes—indeed the whole world of idolaters. His own kith and kin were the first to oppose him when he forbade them from worshipping idols. The Jewish community became his bitterest enemy and continuously plotted to assassinate him when he tried to wean them away from diverse forms of creature-worship, blind following of the saints, various forms of malpractices, and from blaspheming against the Messiah [Jesus]. The Christians were similarly antagonized when he declared that, contrary to their beliefs, Jesus was neither God nor the son of God, nor did he atone for their sins through Crucifixion. Fire-worshippers and star-worshippers were also enraged when he forbade them from worshipping their deities and exhorted them instead to turn to the One God for their salvation.

Now, honestly, are these the means by which one could hope to achieve success in this world? If he had worldly ambitions, was it prudent to attack the beliefs of all religions and provoke them in such a way that they were all heart-broken and turned against him? They were so disturbed as to become thirsty for his blood, while he did not have any significant following to defend him against their onslaught. Would it not have been more in keeping with the ways of the world, to criticise some and praise others, so that where he had enemies he might also have some friends? For instance, if he had conceded to the Arabs that Lat and ‘Uzza were true gods, they would have obeyed him and followed him without question. For, they were a people who placed great importance on family and tribal affiliations and national honour. They were in agreement with everything [the Holy Prophet(sa) taught]. The only thing he needed was to permit idol-worship to win their heartfelt obedience. What worldly expediency could have led the Holy Prophet to alienate one and all for the sake of holding firmly to Tauhid—a creed that was deeply unpopular at the time and the profession of which spelled many a trouble and even the risk of death? And what earthly motive could he have for continuing to insist on the doctrine that had taken away everything from him and the very expression of which could cause new converts to Islam to suffer confinement and torture? How could anyone hope to attain material success by telling people what was against their temperament, customs and beliefs, thereby making them his mortal enemies—and not keeping ties with anyone? Is this the way cheats and liars scheme? Do schemers turn their friends into enemies? Do those who plan on gaining material reward through their clever devices challenge the whole world at once and live in constant fear for their lives? Far from it, they are keen to humour everyone and eager to award the certificate of truth to every religion. It is not in their character to show fortitude for the sake of God and take pains to uphold their belief in His Oneness and Greatness. Indeed, why should they do so when their aim is to lay their nets where the prey is most easily caught and to employ tactics that require the least toil and bring the greatest material gain. Hypocrisy is their profession, and flattery their habit. Sweet talk and cultivating the favour of both sides is their favourite principle. They say ‘Allah, Allah’ with the Muslims as readily as they chant ‘Ram, Ram’ with the Hindus. They readily agree with everyone, and if a man of power were to say it was night while it was day, they would even point out the moon and stars to please him. They have nothing to do with God and no concern to show fidelity for Him. They would never court trials and tribulations to introduce pain and anguish in their happy life. Their mentor teaches them only one thing: to tell everyone that they agree with their beliefs, opinions, and understandings. They are not concerned with right or wrong, truth or falsehood, and good or evil. Whoever greases their palms is good and virtuous and a gentleman; whoever praises them to feed their ego is given the glad tidings of salvation, heaven and everlasting life.

On the other hand, it is very clear when we study the life of Hazrat Khatamul-Anbiya’ [the Seal of the Prophets], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he possessed the highest level of uprightness and integrity. He was ever willing to sacrifice his life for God. He was entirely free from fear or hope from the people and placed his trust only in his Lord. So complete was his submission and devotion to the will of God that he preached His Oneness without fear of the calamities that would befall him and the pain and suffering that he would have to endure at the hands of idolaters. In carrying out his Lord’s command, he embraced every tribulation, hardship and affliction. Undaunted by threats, he fulfilled all the requirements of spiritual exercise, preaching and exhortation. I tell you truly that throughout the history of all other Prophets there is not one who showed such trust in God, preached His Oneness, forbade idolatry in the face of so much danger, and remained ever-steadfast and firm while facing so many enemies. Anyone who ponders over these events with any degree of honesty will find them bearing witness to the inner truth of the Holy Prophet(sa).

Upon deeper reflection, a reasonable person will also realize that the age in which the Holy Prophet(sa) appeared stood in dire need of a great heavenly reformer and spiritual guide,18 and that the teachings he brought were certainly true and met all the needs of the time and encompassed all the requirements of the age. So effective and forceful was his teaching that thousands were drawn towards the truth, and the words [There is none worthy of worship but Allah] were engraved upon their hearts. The ultimate purpose of Prophethood—which is to impart teachings that lead to salvation—was accomplished to perfection [by the Holy Prophet(sa)]. This is far more than what any other Prophet had ever achieved. Anyone pondering over this will spontaneously testify that the Holy Prophet [Muhammad](sa) is the true guide sent by God. There is no cure for those who persist in denial out of prejudice and stubbornness—such people deny even the existence of God—but it is impossible to show, in the life of any other Prophet, even one of those signs of truth as are found to the brim in the Holy Prophet(sa). If someone thinks otherwise, let him come forward. There is nothing easier than making tall claims—and no one can be stopped from uttering nonsense—but, if the norms of justice and fairness are to be followed, a reasoned argument has to be countered with reason. Our opponents are unmistakable masters in the art of abuse, slander and mockery, and seem to have mastered the art of undue criticism and insult from some mentor.

The Hindus sing the praises of the Vedas, considering them to be the sum total of all guidance, while denying the truthfulness of all other scriptures and Prophets. Also the Christians consider the Gospels to be the last Word, forgetting that the merit of a scripture can only be measured by the extent to which it establishes God’s Oneness. A Book that excels in establishing the Oneness of God can alone be judged higher in status. This is why a denier of Tauhid, even if he is a paragon of virtue, cannot attain salvation. Hence, these people should first ask themselves: which of these Books has done the most to promote the concept of God’s Oneness, upon which salvation depends. Can the Vedas boast one country in which they have introduced the Oneness of God? Can they point to one tract of land on the face of the earth where the Rig, the Yajur, the Sham and the Atharvan have established the concept of Tauhid [Oneness] of God? The only impact of the Vedas we see in India is in the form of fire-worship, sun-worship, worship of Vishnu and creature-worship—the mere mention of which is repugnant. You may survey India from end to end, everywhere you will find Hindus engrossed in creature-worship. While some worship Mahadeva, others sing hymns in praise of Krishna and yet others worship idols and images.

The case of the Gospels is no different. There is no land in which they became the means for spreading Tauhid. On the contrary, its followers consider monotheists unworthy of salvation. Their priests give monotheists tidings of a dark inferno where there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. According to them, only those will be saved from it who believe that God suffers death, suffering, hunger, thirst, pain, and that he entered a mortal body and became flesh; otherwise, there is no hope of salvation. In other words, they believe that the paradise of their imagination will be divided among the two great nations of Europe—the British and the Russians—while all monotheists will be cast into hell for the crime of considering God to be free from every fault and imperfection.

What I am trying to demonstrate by writing all this is that Tauhid, in its purest form, is not to be found among any people on the face of the earth except the followers of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. And there is no book upon the earth, other than the Holy Quran, that has firmly committed millions to this holy doctrine and that leads mankind so reverentially towards the One True God. People of every religion have created artificial gods for themselves, whereas the God of the Muslims is the One, Eternal, and Immutable God, whose attributes are the same today as they were before.

All this goes to show the truth of the Prophethood of the Founder of Islam beyond any shadow of doubt, for it is only in his blessed person that the essence and purpose of Prophethood is demonstrably fulfilled. Just as a creator is recognized through his creation, so do the wise and knowledgeable recognize this Divine Reformer by the reformation he has brought about.

There are countless other signs to prove that the Holy Prophet enjoyed divine support. For instance, is it anything less than a miracle that a poor, helpless, unlettered orphan came with such an enlightened teaching—at a time when powerful nations prided themselves on their economic, military and intellectual strength—that he rendered them speechless with his flawless logic and arguments and even pointed out the blunders of their so-called scholars and philosophers? And did he not, despite his vulnerable state, bring down mighty rulers and replace them with common people? If this was not a sign of divine help, then what else was it? Is it possible for anyone to overcome the whole world in reason, knowledge, power and strength without divine support?

Let us go back to the time when the Holy Prophet announced to the people of Mecca in the beginning that he was a Prophet of God. Who was with him? Which royal treasure had he acquired to embolden him to take on the whole world in such a way? Or had he put together an army to protect himself against all the hostile monarchs? Even our opponents know that he was alone and helpless. Only God, who had raised him for a great purpose, was at his side. Further, it should be noted that he never attended any academy or graduated from a school and never had any occasion to study the scriptures of the Christians, Jews, Aryas and other religions. So, if the Holy Quran did not originate from God, how did it come to exhibit such sublime and universal divine truths and certainties? Who was the peerless philosopher who filled the Holy Quran with flawless theological arguments that had eluded and frustrated all the logicians, rationalists and philosophers who remained immersed in misguidance until their last breath? And how could such reasoned discourses, whose truth and profundity would put the arrogant philosophers of Greece and India to shame, have issued forth from the lips of a helpless unlettered person? Is there any other Prophet who showed so many proofs of his truth? Is there any scripture on the face of the earth that can compete with the Holy Quran in all these respects, or a Prophet who underwent all that the Holy Prophet did? In particular, it is a futile exercise to prove even the historical existence of the Rishis, to whom the Vedas were supposedly revealed, let alone to show any sign of their truth.

Gentlemen! I appeal to your sense of reason and justice that you should either produce from your scriptures such true and rationally compelling arguments as I shall produce from the Holy Quran, beginning with Chapter 1, or else show some modesty and decency and stop slandering. But above all, if you have any fear of God and desire for salvation, you must believe [in Islam].

Having set out all the preliminary points that I had intended, I shall now conclude this preface. The main text of the book will follow wherein arguments for the divine origin of the Holy Quran and truthfulness of the Holy Prophet shall be laid down in detail. These arguments—whose excellence and incontrovertible nature has compelled me to include in this book a challenge of 10,000 rupees to anyone who can refute them—shall be adduced from the Holy Quran itself. This method of presenting rational arguments solely on the basis of Word of God is in itself a criterion that marks a clear distinction between us Muslims and our opponents, and should be enough to open the eyes of every reasonable person. It is a guiding light that will readily tell apart the truthful from the liar.

To all those who deny Islam, I would say that if they have any reservations in accepting the Holy Quran as the true Word of God and admitting its superiority, they are under obligation to logically disprove these proofs and arguments on the basis of their own scriptures. Otherwise, you are aware, and any honest person understands, that once the truth and superiority of a Divine Book has been established through hundreds of arguments, it is unfair and completely indecent and depraved to malign it and label it as the word of man, unless one has successfully countered those arguments or produced another book that equals it in its excellences.

At this point I would also like to make it clear that once this book is published, those who give no thought to refuting my arguments like the righteous—be they Christians, Hindus, Brahmu Samajists, or of any other creed—and continue to misguide the masses by attributing impurity to the pure fountainhead of Islam through their newspapers, magazines, public addresses and writings, or criticize the teachings of the Holy Quran in their homes, such actions on their part will be considered dishonest and unrighteous.

I have established the divine origin and truth of the Glorious Quran with incontrovertible arguments and removed all the doubts and objections arising in the minds of the short-sighted. And, what is more, I have offered a substantial reward to anyone who can disprove these arguments. They are welcome to ask for an officially attested promissory note to reassure themselves in this regard. In short, I have acted in a very honest and transparent manner, but if they still evade this straightforward method of discussion and argumentation—whereby they are assured of a reward if they win—and instead go about making false allegations upon Islam to incite the ignorant, the youth and the masses against Islam, I cannot help but conclude that they are ill-intentioned and unscrupulous. Gentlemen, I beseech you to set aside your prejudices and embrace the truth. Fear God and do not set your hearts upon this temporal abode. This short life is but a chance for you to sow the seeds for the hereafter; do not waste it in pursuit of false doctrines and baseless whims. Do not waste the precious moments of life. This world is transient; do not be enamoured with it. These joys are not forever; do not become heedless on their account.

The pleasantries of this lowly life are for a few moments;
In the end, you have to face Allah the Almighty.

This world is an abode of separation, death and decay;
Whoever comes here, has to leave.

Go visit the graveyard for a while,
And ask the dwellers how they are.

[Ask them] ‘What is the final outcome of the worldly life;
How long does a living being survive?’

Stay away from malice, arrogance, boasting and coquetry,
So that you save yourself from being led to an evil end.

Once you depart this world,
You will never come back to these cities and countries.

O heedless one, feel the plight of faith,
Because your salvation depends entirely on faith.

Beware, take not this pain light,
For you have a difficult task before you.

Let your heart bleed in pain and anguish;
Not just the heart, sacrifice your life as well.

All your dealings should be with that One Being;
Alas! How can you be content without Him.

Turning away from Him will cause your ruin;
Your prosperity lies in turning towards Him in humility.

So why do you cut off relationship with such a Loving Friend?
Why do you act with such foolishness?

This world is like a carcass,
Greedy ones surround it like dogs.

Fortunate is he who turns his back on this carcass,
And turns his face toward the Lord.

He abides by justice—closing his eyes to everyone,
And does not care if, for the Friend, he lives or dies.

The torrent of greed, avarice and temptation,
Lasts so long as one is blind;

But when the inner eye is opened, even a little,
One becomes totally disinclined towards greed.

O You, who give long rein to your greed,
Why do you not curb your ego.

The wealth of life decreases every moment,
But all you think of is wealth and property.

Your ties of kith and kin are full of deception,
Have you cut your ties with God for their sake!

All of them are bent upon taking your life,
At times they kill you peacefully; and at times through combat.

Cursed are the relations that cut you off,
From the True Friend.

You will need Him ultimately and find,
That there is none whom you can help, nor one who can help you.

Take each step warily,
So that you depart from this world in truth.

So that God should become your Friend,
And should look upon you kindly.

So that you drink the wine of His love,
And be totally inebriated with it.

This world is not the place to live forever;
Tread carefully, lest you come to a bad end.

The love of the Living One will increase your light;
What benefit can you derive from the love of the dead?

The food, the belly, the head, the crown,
Are all God’s gifts;

Render to the Creator the rights that are due to Him,
And show some remorse before you leave this world.

How can you, being human, turn your back on Him,
When even a dog shows loyalty [to its benefactor].

Fear the Great and Almighty God,
The more one knows Him, the more one fears Him.

While the evil ones remain occupied in misdeeds,
The righteous remain busy in prayer and supplication.

How fortunate is the eye that sheds tears for Him;
How blessed is the heart that burns with His love.

Blessed is he who seeks the Beloved,
And turns away from all for His sake.

Whosoever treads the path of the One and Only God,
That God suffices for him in both the worlds.

Truly, he who seeks to please God,
Cuts off all other relationships for His sake.

To sacrifice himself for Him becomes his habit;
He even bids farewell to his life.

He loses himself in God’s will,
And for His sake prefers obscurity and self-negation.

He is content with the will of his Lord,
And the decree that He has pronounced.

You love others along with God;
This is the root of misguidance.

If you were wise and brave,
You would forsake everything else and devote yourself solely to Him.

The fact is that you need only one beloved,
As you have one heart and one life, so does one beloved suffice.

Whoever takes someone as a beloved,
Considers his life to be a small price to pay.

He finds his threshold as more blissful than an orchard,
And his face more comely than the basil flower.

He is well pleased with howsoever the beloved treats him;
To look upon his beloved is better than to live a hundred lives.

To be in the presence of his beloved, even if bound in chains,
Is more precious to him than strolling in a delightful garden without him.

He who has a beloved,
Finds no peace without him.

In his absence he tosses and turns all night,
While the world is lost in sleep, he remains awake.

He finds not a moment’s rest without seeing him;
Every moment, he is carried away by the torrent of love.

How indeed should a lover find peace,
And how could he ever think of separation from the beloved!

The beauty of the beloved whispers into his heart,
A secret that cannot be told.

Such indeed is in the nature of these lovers,
They are always true to their Lord.

Their lives are illuminated by the light of truth and conviction;
Their foreheads shine brilliantly with a light divine.

They are successful, though unmindful of the worldly joys;
They are the sagacious ones who fly far away from the temporal net.

Freed from their self and ego,
They became the focus of divine light.

They give their heart to their God,
And free their inner selves from all else.

Their hearts are freed from the trespasses of others,
For He, their Friend, has taken abode in their heart and soul.

They have dedicated this world and the hereafter to Him;
They lie humbly, like dust, at His threshold.

The goblet of their heart shatters into bits;
The fragrance of the Beloved emanates from their hearts.

The Friend wipes out all signs of their own being; when He manifests Himself to them;
Finally, He alone emerges from the recesses of their soul.

If they could reveal the fire that blazes in their hearts,
Smoke would rise from Majnun’s grave [in comparison, Majnun’s fire of love would appear as mere smoke].

They are oblivious to their own being;
They live in utmost humility for the sake of the Friend.

All people attend to their own affairs,
But the lovers care only for the Beloved.

Everyone is concerned with his own honour,
But they are only jealous for the honour of the Friend.

[Woe to you] who have turned your back on the Faith;
Nothing but enmity and malice is the gain of your life.

You are slave to your enmity and mischief,
And do not listen to reason and fairness.

You are proud of your arrogance and ostentation,
And transgress the bounds of faith.

Being unblessed with the light that God grants,
Your mind and reason have been totally perverted.

You consider it worship to utter heresies,
And treat misconduct as virtue.

You have covered your eyes with a hundred veils,
And yet you ask: ‘Where is the sun?’

Lift your veils and see what is right before you;
Your blindness does indeed cause me great sadness.

You have turned your back on the Gracious and the Benefactor;
O ignorant one, what manner of showing your gratitude is this!

Infatuation with this wretched worldly abode,
Will ultimately deprive you of your faith.

To leave the threshold of God is a great infidelity;
Do not give your heart to another for God is Jealous [of His Oneness].

You wilfully transgress against God;
Alas! What calamity you bring upon yourself.

O weak of faith! Whatever resides in your heart,
Other than God, is an idol.

Beware of such hidden idols,
And free yourself from their clutches.

What good is the idolater,
Who, like a loose woman, takes thousands of lovers.

Be truthful, and make honesty your profession;
Adopt the side of the truth in everything you do.

Truth will open your eyes;
Truth will reunite you with the lost Friend.

Truthful is he who, with perfect sincerity,
Adopts the Faith that is pure and impregnable.

Islam alone is that holiest of faiths,
Revealed by God whose knowledge is perfect.

Since the objective of faith is,
To pull one away from falsehood towards the truth;

This is the peculiarity of the Holy Quran,
All of its teachings are firmly established upon sound arguments.

It lights the way to the One Lord,
With luminous signs and proofs.

If I had the means,
I would have written these arguments in golden ink.

Allah be praised! Allah be praised! What a holy faith is Islam!
The perfect embodiment of God’s grace!

It is the sun of truth,
Nay, by God, it shines brighter than the sun.

It takes one out of darkness and ignorance,
And brings towards the lights of nearness to God;

It shows the seekers after truth the path to righteousness,
And righteousness wins the pleasure of God.

If you at all fear God the Just, embrace Islam,
And fear not mere mortals;

If you attain to the grace of the Holy Lord,
What fear would the curses and taunts of the mere mortals cause you.

People’s curses are easy to bear;
The real curse is that which falls from the Gracious God.

Having set down all the essential points, it seems appropriate to conclude this preface by enumerating the various advantages that are to be gained from studying this book, so that those who hold the truth dear may have glad tidings of their spiritual Beloved and those who crave righteousness will find the path to their heart’s desire. These advantages are of six kinds as explained below:

The first advantage in this book is that it is not deficient in discussing the essentials of faith. Rather, it comprises all the verities upon which these principles are based, and all the lofty truths that are collectively described as ‘Islam.’

This means that the readers shall acquire a comprehensive understanding of the essentials of Islam and become immune to the ploys of impostors and deceivers. Rather, they will become excellent teachers and astute guides for others.

The second advantage is that this book contains 300 strong and compelling arguments in support of the truth and principles of Islam. The truth of this faith will become evident to every seeker after truth, except, of course, those who are completely blinded by prejudice and dwell in its darkness.

The third advantage is that this book responds to all the doubts and misgivings caused by our opponents, be they Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Aryah Samajists, Brahmu Samajists, idol worshippers, atheists, naturalists, freethinkers or agnostics.

Not only have their objections been thoroughly refuted, but the very points that the ignorant critics found objectionable, have been presented as evidence of the Holy Quran’s superiority over other scriptures. And this superiority, too, has been proven so conclusively as to turn the tables right upon the critics. Moreover, it does not confine itself merely to responding to the objections; rather, it demonstrates that the matters, which the ignorant critic considers to be objectionable, are, in reality, such that they prove the superiority of the teachings of the Holy Quran over other scriptures. This superiority has been established with such cogent arguments that the critic himself turns into the object of criticism.

The fourth advantage is that, as against the principles of Islam, the principles of other faiths have also been thoroughly and rationally scrutinized and all their false doctrines and creeds have been shown in stark contrast to the true principles of the Holy Quran. The beauty of a precious gem, after all, is all the more appreciated when set in contrast.

The fifth advantage in this book is that, those who read this book will become cognizant of the truths and subtleties of the Holy Quran. Furthermore, the wisdom and deep insight of the Holy Book [Quran]—whose illuminating radiance is the source of Islam’s light—shall become evident to all. For, all the arguments and truths that are recorded herein have been derived from the sublime verses of the Holy Quran itself. I have not given any rational arguments other than those presented by God Himself in His own Word. It is in this manner that almost twelve parts of the Holy Quran have been quoted in this book; hence, it may aptly be called a comprehensive commentary upon the subtleties, verities, profound secrets, wise principles, and sublime philosophy of the Holy Book. Any truth-loving person who goes through it will see the beauty and grandeur of the matchless Book of Allah the Almighty like the bright sun.

The sixth advantage is that this book argues its points in a very solid, reasoned and balanced fashion, but without compromising the requirements of grace and lucidity. This manner of argumentation will prove to be an excellent means of fostering knowledge and lending maturity to thought and perception. The study and use of sound rational arguments sharpens the intellect, the understanding of subtle points helps enhance the power of comprehension, and the exercise of proper argumentation establishes one’s mind squarely upon the truth. It also helps to develop and perfect the ability to discern the basis and real truth of every point of contention—which is essential for the perfect development of our intellectual faculties and on which depends the honour and prestige of the human self.

Here ends all that we intended to write in this preface. All praise belongs to Allah, who guided us in all this. But for His guidance, we would never be guided aright.

The End of the Preface.