| Kitáb-i-Íqán | 115 |
shouldst say, `After death ye shall surely be raised
again,' the infidels will certainly exclaim, `This is
nothing but manifest sorcery.'" (1) Again He speaketh:
"If ever thou dost marvel, marvellous surely
is their saying, `What! When we have become dust,
shall we be restored in a new creation?'" (2) Thus,
in another passage, He wrathfully exclaimeth:
"Are We wearied out with the first creation? Yet
are they in doubt with regard to a new creation!" (3)
As the commentators of the Qur'án and they
that follow the letter thereof misapprehended the
inner meaning of the words of God and failed to
grasp their essential purpose, they sought to demonstrate
that, according to the rules of grammar,
whenever the term "&idha" (meaning "if" or
"when") precedeth the past tense, it invariably
hath reference to the future. Later, they were sore
perplexed in attempting to explain those verses of
the Book wherein that term did not actually occur.
Even as He hath revealed: "And there was a blast
on the trumpet,--lo! it is the threatened Day!
And every soul is summoned to a reckoning,--with
