he overwhelmed them and showed them things that even a little reflection would tell them lay beyond their powers and anything they could accomplish through their techniques.

Likewise, through the Quran and the wonders it contains, our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, removed every pretext from the eloquent among his people and left them without any excuse. They could see that it surpassed the utmost eloquence they had attained in their languages, woven into their poetry, and elaborated in their speeches. Through Allah’s proofs and clear evidence, he demonstrated the falsity of the beliefs held by all the groups previously mentioned to whom he was sent. Through Allah’s conclusive proofs and signs, he established the truth of what he called them to, until none of them had any doubt concerning it. What he, peace be upon him, had done in this regard required no further contribution from anyone else.

Had this not been so, he, peace be upon him, would have had no proof against them all, nor would obedience to him have been binding upon them, given their contentiousness and fierce obstinacy. They would have used this as an argument against him and denied him any grounds that would require