es of that age and their associates, inflict upon that
spiritual Essence, that most pure and holy Being! How abundant the thorns
and briars which they have strewn over His path! It is evident that
wretched generation, in their wicked and satanic fancy, regarded every
injury to that immortal Being as a means to the attainment of an abiding
felicity; inasmuch as the recognized divines of that age, such as
'Abdu'llah-i-Ubayy, Abu-'Amir, the hermit, Ka'b-Ibn-i-Ashraf, and
Nadr-Ibn-i-Harith, all treated Him as an impostor, and pronounced Him a
lunatic and a calumniator. Such sore accusations they brought against Him
that in recounting them God forbiddeth the ink to flow, Our pen to move,
or the page to bear them. These malicious imputations provoked the people
to arise and torment Him. And how fierce that torment if the divines of
the age be its chief instigators, if they denounce Him to their followers,
cast Him out from their midst, and declare Him a miscreant! Hath not the
same befallen this Servant, and been witnessed by all?

For this reason did Muhammad cry out: "No Prophet of God hath suffered
such harm as I have suffered." And in the Qur'an are recorded all the
calumnies and reproaches uttered against Him, as well as all the
afflictions which He suffered. Refer ye thereunto, that haply ye may be
informed of that which hath befallen His Revelation. So grievous was His
plight, that for a time all ceased to hold intercourse with Him and His
companions. Whoever associated with Him fell a victim to the relentless
cruelty of His enemies.

We shall cite in this connection only one verse of that Book. Shouldst
thou observe it with a discerning eye, thou wilt, all the remaining days
of thy life, lament and bewail the injury of Muhammad, that wronged and
oppressed Messenger of God. That verse was revealed at a time when
Muhammad languished weary and sorrowful beneath the weight of the
opposition of the people, and of their unceasing torture. In the midst of
His agony, the Voice of Gabriel, calling from the Sadratu'l-Muntaha, was
heard saying: "But if their opposition be grievous to Thee--if Thou canst,
seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven."(78) The
implication of this utterance is that His case had no remedy, that they
would not withhold their hands from Him unless He should hide Himself
beneath the depths of the earth, or take His flight unto heaven.

Consider, how great is the change today! Behold, how