Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.45.2

78.45.2

On the festival of the eighth day after the Sun’s entering Virgo in this year he came forth to the public audience-chamber with his forehead marked like a Hindu, and he had jewelled strings tied on his wrists by Brahmans, by way of a blessing. The chiefs and nobles adopted the same practice in imitation of him, and presented on that day pearls and precious stones, suitable to their respective wealth and station. It became the current custom also to wear the rak'hi on the wrist, which means an amulet formed out of twisted linen rags. Every precept which was enjoined by the doctors of other religions he treated as manifest and decisive, in contradistinction to this Religion of ours, all the doctrines of which he set down to be senseless, and of modern origin, and the founders of it as nothing but poor Arabs, a set of scoundrels of highway-robbers, and the people of Islam as accursed. But in the course of time the truth of this verse in its hidden meaning developed itself: “Fain would they put out the light of God with their mouths! but, though the Infidels abhor it, God will perfect his light.” By degrees the affair was carried to such a pitch that proofs were no longer considered necessary for abolishing the precepts of Islam.