shown any sincerity
and trustworthiness in quoting the contents of the
book. By omitting the significant parts of a book
which is written scientifically and which is based
on more than forty years of research by the author
he has lowered it to the rank of a simple and unscientific
book and has introduced it as such to the world of
learning, and has thus shown his evil intention, Indeed
no more than this can be expected from the writer
of the book of "Twenty-three Years" in order
to refute Islam and his prophet.
2-What Mr. A. M. has written in the name of introducing
the book is in fact an account of his own attitude
and thought about the history of early Islam and its
chaste and honest prophet. For the works of the great
scholar Mr. 'Askari which are written on the evaluation
of tradition and history, beginning with 'Abd Allah
ibn Saba' al-madkhal, have been printed and published
for a quarter of a century and placed at the disposal
of experts and scholars of the east and west, and
have been subjected to survey and discussion by such
great literary and religious and scientific circles
of the world as al-Azhar of Egypt, to be followed
by a series of profound investigations, as well as
wonder and praise of his works. But as this welcome
and these reactions shown by the great scholars of
the world to Mr. 'Askari's book have assumed a scientific
and technical aspect, and have been produced in all
sincerity and absence of fanaticism and private motives,
they have not reached Mr. A. M.'s ears who has imagined
that he can easily undermine the worth of scientific
and technical researches.
A
word with the writer
We said at the beginning that a fine scholar who is
greatly respected by us and from whose books and lectures
I have greatly benefited, has answered some parts
of Mr. A. M.'s criticisms in a long article printed
in No. 9 of the journal of Book Guide. He himself
has also made some criticisms about the book that,
irrespective of his exalted position as a scholar
and man of learning and as I hope to give priority
to truth, therefore, after quoting his exact objections
and criticisms, we will deal with and answer them.
He writes on page 895 of the said journal as follows:
