the conglomeration of all its accretions, shows it for what it is. The meaning of "the truth comes and falsehood perishes" is made manifest.

I n   S h o r t: A recent happening may be related here by way of example: I do not say this out of pride, but ever since my youth, essentially my way has been to cleanse the truths of Islam of the stains made by those who go to one extreme or the other and to polish up those diamond-like truths. Numerous events in my life testify to this. In connection with this, recently I mentioned the sphericity of the earth, a self-evident matter, and some relevant religious matters, and I applied and adapted them and thus refuted the objections of enemies and the doubts of those who love religion. But then it seemed that since the brains of the literalists are accustomed to such make-belief things as ghouls, they would not accept it. But the true reason must have been something else. They acted idiotically as though by shutting their eyes they could make it night-time, or by puffing they could extinguish the sun. They suppose that by accepting the sphericity of the earth, one is opposing numerous questions of religion. Making it a pretext they uttered serious calumnies. And it did not remain at that: suspicious minds found grounds suitable for the spread of the slander, and so increased it they caused extreme distress to the religiously minded and made the patriotic despair of Islam's progress. But it provided an exemplary lesson. It awakened me to the fact that an ignorant friend can cause as much harm as an enemy. Until now, I considered only the enemy's side and smashed their excesses with the diamond sword I was wielding. But now I shall have to poke gently with the sword at those friends' vulgar and excessive imaginings in order to educate them. For sure, one should not have to mention such personal things in discussions of this sort, but it is no longer personal; it has become a general matter concerning the life of the medreses. The literalists should know certainly that their efforts are futile. They have kept us ignorant uptil now with their banal sophistries, and want in the future to take advantage of our ignorance. But it is not to be! The medreses will spring to life, and that's that!