I waited too long for the replies...

I waited too long for the replies, but I received none except one reply from Zaynol Aabidin bin Ali the president of the Republic of Tunisia, who expressed to me his sincere thanks. Once in a press conference in India when I mentioned this story, I was asked, “Do you think that President Zaynol Aabidin has read your book?” I replied, “The president is so busy that he has no time to read a book, but if he has read it, he is thanked for that, and if not, he is excused.

The important thing is that he was the only one, from among the kings and presidents to whom I sent the book, who replied to my letter.” While waiting for the replies and before receiving the reply of President Zaynol Aabidin, I traveled to Tunisia and there were two hundred copies of ‘ Then I was Guided’ with me in my car. At the port, the custom officials hesitated to detain the copies of the book.

They sent for their boss, who said when he saw the book, “Is this the Green Book?” I said, “Its color is green, but it is not the Green Book of al-Qadhdhafi.” He said to me, “Do you not know that letting books pass in this quantity is forbidden and it requires a permit of import?” I said, “O brother, this is my book and I am its author. I have offered a copy as present to his Excellency the President.” He took a copy of the book and compared the name of the author to the name in my passport.

When he became certain, he said to me, “I too want you to give me a copy as gift.” I said, “With great pleasure! What is your noble name?” As I was writing a dedication to him, he was signing the permit. I arrived in Tunis, the capital and gave some copies as present to some of my friends there. Then I traveled to my birthplace the city of Qafsah, where I met my relatives and old students. After two or three days, half of the copies were distributed.

I thought of my traditional opponents too, and gifted each one a copy of the book with a dedication by name and with some nice words of courtesy, out of my belief in the saying of Allah: And not alike are the good and the evil. Repel (evil) with what is best, when lo! he between whom and you was enmity would be as if he were a warm friend . Qur'an, 41:34 I said to myself that they might be guided to the truth and leave fanaticism, or at least they might refrain from troubling me.

Then, I traveled to some neighboring towns and villages and distributed the rest of the copies.