Third: The answer to the following question of the people of innovation: “Europe advanced when it abandoned religious bigotry; is it not better for us to give up bigotry?”

THIRD SIGN

The people of innovation say: “Religious bigotry made us backward. Living this age is possible if one gives up bigotry. Europe advanced on giving up bigotry. Is this not so?”

T h e A n s w e r : You are wrong and you have been deceived! Or else you are deceiving, because Europe is bigoted in religion. Tell an ordinary Bulgar, or an English soldier, or a French Jacobin: “Wear this turban, or else you shall be thrown into prison!”, and their bigotry will force them to reply: “Not prison, if you kill me even, I won’t insult my religion and nation in that way!”

Also, history testifies that whenever the people of Islam have adhered to their religion, they have advanced in relation to the strength of their adherence. And whenever they have become less firm in their religion, they have declined. Whereas with Christianity, it is the opposite. This too arises from an essential difference.

Also, Islam cannot be compared with other religions; if a Muslim abandons Islam and gives up his religion, he cannot accept any other prophet; indeed, he cannot acknowledge Almighty Allah either and probably does not recognize anything sacred. He will have no conscience that will be the means to moral and spiritual attainment; it will be corrupted.

Therefore, in the view of Islam, in war, an unbeliever has the right to life. If it is outside the country and he makes peace, or if it is inside the country and pays the head-tax, his life is protected according to Islam. But an apostate does not have the right to life. For his conscience is corrupted and he becomes like poison in the life of society. But a Christian may still contribute to society, even if he is irreligious. He may accept some sacred matters and may believe in some of the prophets, and may assent to Almighty Allah in some respects.

I wonder, what advantage do these innovators, or more accurately, deviants or heretics, find in this irreligion? If they are thinking of government and public order, to govern ten irreligious anarchists who do not know Allah and to repulse their evils is much more difficult than governing a thousand people with religion. If they are thinking of progress, irreligious people like that are an obstacle to progress, just as they are harmful for the administration and government. They destroy security and public order, which are the basis of progress and commerce. In truth, they are destructive due to the very way they have taken. The biggest fool in the world is he who expects progress, prosperity, and happiness from irreligious anarchists like them. One of those fools who occupied a high position, said: “We said ‘Allah! Allah!’ and remained backward. Europe said ‘Guns and cannons,’ and advanced.”

According to the rule, “a fool should be answered with silence,” the answer for such people is silence. But because behind certain fools there are inauspicious clever people, we say this:

O you wretches! This world is a guest-house. Every day thirty thousand witnesses put their signature to the decree “Death is a reality” with their corpses, and they testify to the assertion. Can you kill death? Can you contradict these witnesses? Since you can’t, death causes people to say: “Allah! Allah!” Which of your guns and cannons can illuminate the everlasting darkness confronting someone in the throes of death in place of “Allah! Allah!”, and transform his absolute despair into absolute hope? Since there is death and we shall enter the grave, and this life departs and an eternal life comes, if guns and cannons are said once, “Allah! Allah!” should be said a thousand times. And if it is in Allah’s way, the gun also says “Allah!”, and the cannon booms “Allahu Akbar!” It breaks the fast with “Allah,” and starts it...