Stones Prepared for Unbelievers ?
Satyarth Prakash
8. "If ye be in doubt concerning the revelation which we have send down into our servant, produce a chapter like unto it and call your witnesses, beside God, if ye say truth. But if ye do it not, nor shall ever be able to do it, justly fear the fire whose fuel is men, and stones prepared for the unbelievers." (Surah 2:23,24)
C. ~ Well! Is it impossible to produce a chapter like unto it? Did not Maulvi Fiazi in the time of king Akbar compile a Qoran without making use of any dotted letters in it? What kind of fire is the hell fire? Is not the fire (of this world) to be feared? The fire of this world also consumes anything that may be put into it.
Just as it is stated in the Qoran that stones have been prepared for the non-believers, likewise it is said in the Puraanaas that Malechhas* are doomed to hell. Now, which of these two statements should be accepted as correct? According to each of these, the adherents of one sect go to hell and those of the other to heaven. Both of these statements are therefore false. The truth is that only the good and the virtuous will enjoy happiness, while the wicked will be subjected to pain and suffering which faith they may belong to.
The Response
Indeed it an significant challenge to the deniers of the Quran. As the creation of God is par excellence and cannot be competed with, so is The Word of God. No one can produce anything similar to His Word. Swamiji has not been able to distinguish between a passage without dotted letters and an eloquent passage. I don't know from where he has heard this story. It doesn't merit any detailed response except to ask him that if Faizi did indeed produce something like the Quran then why did Faizi not claim so and apostatize? This is a pure red herring used by Swamiji.
When you are unable to produce a chapter like the Quran, what is holding you back from accepting it as a message from God Almighty, except hatred for the truth? The same fire of hatred is manifested as the fire of hell in the next life, where the unbelievers of truth will burn alongwith the stones they used to worship. This fire of hell has been called Nark in your scriptures. There is no reason for you to take exception to a concept that your own books proclaim. The Vedas speak about hell (Nark) in several places. For example, the whole Sukt 104 of Rig Veda Mandal 7 speaks about burning the wicked in hell. Few verses are worth mentioning,
"Indra and Soma, plunge the wicked in the depth, yea, cast them into darkness (hell) that hath no support, So that not one of them may ever thence return: so may your wrathful might prevail and conquer them." [Rig Veda Mandal 7; Sukt 104; Mantra 3]
Following is the scanned image from hindi translation of Swamiji
Then in Mantra 5 it says
"Indra and Soma, cast ye downward out of heaven your deadly darts of stone burning with fiery flame, Eternal, scorching darts; plunge the voracious ones within the depth (hell), and let them sink without a sound."
Mantra 9 speaks about giving the wicked over to Nirrti, the goddess of hell.
Thus, even after presenting this Vedic evidence if anyone denies it, then in Swamiji's own words, such a person is an atheist and a liar.
Correction: The translation of the Quranic verses in question is dubious. Swamiji has tried to imply that stones are prepared for the unbelievers. This is a distortion of the Quran. The actual translation of verse 24 is
"But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers."
Ibn Kathir commenting on this verse says, "It was also reported that the stones mentioned here are the idols and rivals that were worshipped instead of Allah, just as Allah said",
[إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ]
(Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah,are (but) fuel for Hell!) (21:28).
This ends our 8th response. New points and research might be incorporated if needed.
FOOTNOTES
* Men of faiths other than that of the Pauranic (Hindu). _Tr. (Footnote in the Satyarth Prakash)