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   The Nineteenth Letter
This treatise describes more than three hundred miracles. And as it describes the messengership of Muhammad (UWBP), itself a miracle, so is it itself a wonder in three or four respects, proceeding from the miracle of his messengership. The First : Although it is more than a hundred pages in length and is based on traditions and narrations, it was written in an unusual fashion—in the mountains and countryside, completely from memory, and without referring to any book. It was completed, moreover, in a few days by working two to three hours every day, for a total of twelve hours. The Second : Despite its length, this work did not cause tedium to its writer, nor does it lack pleasantness for its reader. In fact, it aroused such ardour and enthusiasm in even my lazy scribes that in these hard and distressing times, as many as sevent y copies were handwritten in this neighbourhood within a single year. Those aware of this property of the treatise concluded that this must be a wonder proceeding from the miracle of his messengership (Blessings and peace be upon him.) The Third : In the copies handwritten by nine different scribes who did not communicate with one another, including one very inexperienced and unaware of ‘coincidence’[1] – it was also before we were aware of the phenomenon – the words referring to the Noble Messenger coincided to such a degree throughout the whole of the treatise, and in the fifth part for the words referring to the Qur’an, that anyone who is fair to the slightest degree would not consider it to be the result of chance. In fact, whoever observed it concluded that it was a mystery of the Unseen and a marvel proceeding from the miraculousness of Muhammad (Upon whom be blessings and peace). ------------------------------ [1] ‘Coincidence’ (T. tevafük; Ar. Tawafuq) refers to the unintentional correspondence of letters or words in lines or patterns on one or several pages. (Tr.) Double click for meaning of the world. | |||
