rules, even cannibals, and the chief of a band of brigands, have some principle, some law, by which they rule. So according to which principle do you carry out this extraordinary aggression? Show your law! Or do you accept as the law the arbitrary whims of a handful of contemptible officials? Because no law can interrupt private worship in that way; there cannot be such a law!”

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[It is regretable that they objected to one or two sentences in Isharat-i Seb‘a (The Seven Signs), which is both old, and confidential, and true, and that they attempted to have it seized and us prosecuted. But the truth it contains is so powerful it should be proclaimed to all the world and mankind for the good of society.]

“The biggest fool in the world is he who expects progress, prosperity, and happiness from irreligious anarchists like them. One of those fools who occupied a high position, said: ‘We said “Allah! Allah!” and remained backward. Europe said “Guns and cannons,” and advanced.’

“According to the rule, ‘a fool should be answered with silence,’ the answer for such people is silence. But because behind certain fools are inauspicious clever people, we say this:

“O you wretches! This world is a guest-house. Every day with their corpses, thirty thousand witnesses put their signature to the decree ‘Death is a reality’ and they testify to the assertion. Can you kill death? Can you contradict these witnesses? Since you can’t, death causes people to say: ‘Allah! Allah!’ Which of your guns and cannons can illuminate the everlasting darkness confronting someone in the throes of death in place of ‘Allah! Allah!’, and transform his absolute despair into absolute hope? Since there is death and we shall enter the grave, and this life departs and an eternal life comes, if guns and cannons are said once, ‘Allah! Allah!’ should be said a thousand times.”

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