28. Al-Qasas Page 392 وَ لَقَدْ And indeed وَصَّلْنَا We have conveyed لَهُمُ to them الْقَوْلَ the Word لَعَلَّهُمْ so that they may یَتَذَكَّرُوْنَؕ remember اَلَّذِیْنَ Those who اٰتَیْنٰهُمُ We gave them الْكِتٰبَ the Scripture مِنْ before it قَبْلِهٖ before it هُمْ they بِهٖ in it یُؤْمِنُوْنَ believe وَ اِذَا And when یُتْلٰی it is recited عَلَیْهِمْ to them قَالُوْۤا they say اٰمَنَّا We believe بِهٖۤ in it اِنَّهُ Indeed, it الْحَقُّ (is) the truth مِنْ from رَّبِّنَاۤ our Lord اِنَّا Indeed, we كُنَّا [we] were مِنْ before it قَبْلِهٖ before it مُسْلِمِیْنَ Muslims اُولٰٓىِٕكَ Those یُؤْتَوْنَ will be given اَجْرَهُمْ their reward مَّرَّتَیْنِ twice بِمَا because صَبَرُوْا they are patient وَ یَدْرَءُوْنَ and they repel بِالْحَسَنَةِ with good السَّیِّئَةَ the evil وَ مِمَّا and from what رَزَقْنٰهُمْ We have provided them یُنْفِقُوْنَ they spend وَ اِذَا And when سَمِعُوا they hear اللَّغْوَ vain talk اَعْرَضُوْا they turn away عَنْهُ from it وَ قَالُوْا and say لَنَاۤ For us اَعْمَالُنَا our deeds وَ لَكُمْ and for you اَعْمَالُكُمْ ؗ your deeds سَلٰمٌ Peace (be) عَلَیْكُمْ ؗ on you لَا not نَبْتَغِی we seek الْجٰهِلِیْنَ the ignorant اِنَّكَ Indeed you لَا (can) not تَهْدِیْ guide مَنْ whom اَحْبَبْتَ you love وَ لٰكِنَّ but اللّٰهَ Allah یَهْدِیْ guides مَنْ whom یَّشَآءُ ۚ He wills وَ هُوَ And He اَعْلَمُ (is) most knowing بِالْمُهْتَدِیْنَ (of) the guided ones وَ قَالُوْۤا And they say اِنْ If نَّتَّبِعِ we follow الْهُدٰی the guidance مَعَكَ with you نُتَخَطَّفْ we would be swept مِنْ from اَرْضِنَا ؕ our land اَوَ لَمْ Have not نُمَكِّنْ We established لَّهُمْ for them حَرَمًا a sanctuary اٰمِنًا secure یُّجْبٰۤی are brought اِلَیْهِ to it ثَمَرٰتُ fruits كُلِّ (of) all شَیْءٍ things رِّزْقًا a provision مِّنْ from لَّدُنَّا Us وَ لٰكِنَّ But اَكْثَرَهُمْ most of them لَا (do) not یَعْلَمُوْنَ know وَ كَمْ And how many اَهْلَكْنَا We have destroyed مِنْ of قَرْیَةٍۭ a town بَطِرَتْ which exulted مَعِیْشَتَهَا ۚ (in) its means of livelihood فَتِلْكَ And these مَسٰكِنُهُمْ (are) their dwellings لَمْ not تُسْكَنْ have been inhabited مِّنْۢ after them بَعْدِهِمْ after them اِلَّا except قَلِیْلًا ؕ a little وَ كُنَّا And indeed, [We] نَحْنُ We الْوٰرِثِیْنَ (are) the inheritors وَ مَا And not كَانَ was رَبُّكَ your Lord مُهْلِكَ (the) one to destroy الْقُرٰی the towns حَتّٰی until یَبْعَثَ He (had) sent فِیْۤ in اُمِّهَا their mother (town) رَسُوْلًا a Messenger یَّتْلُوْا reciting عَلَیْهِمْ to them اٰیٰتِنَا ۚ Our Verses وَ مَا And not كُنَّا We would be مُهْلِكِی (the) one to destroy الْقُرٰۤی the towns اِلَّا except وَ اَهْلُهَا while their people ظٰلِمُوْنَ (were) wrongdoers 28. Al-Qasas Page 393 وَ مَاۤ And whatever اُوْتِیْتُمْ you have been given مِّنْ from شَیْءٍ things فَمَتَاعُ (is) an enjoyment الْحَیٰوةِ (of the) life الدُّنْیَا (of) the world وَ زِیْنَتُهَا ۚ and its adornment وَ مَا And what عِنْدَ (is) with اللّٰهِ Allah خَیْرٌ (is) better وَّ اَبْقٰی ؕ and more lasting اَفَلَا So (will) not تَعْقِلُوْنَ۠ you use intellect
(28:51) We have constantly conveyed them the word (of admonition) that they may take heed.71
(28:52) Those on whom We bestowed the Book before do believe in this (to wit, the Qur'an).72
(28:53) When it is recited to them they say: "We believe in it for it is the Truth from our Lord. Indeed we were already Muslims."73
(28:54) These will be granted their reward twice74 over because they remained steadfast;75 they repel evil with good,76 and spend (in alms) out of the sustenance We provided them,77
(28:55) and when they hear any vain talk,78 they turn away from it, saying: "We have our deeds and you have your deeds. Peace be to you. We do not desire to act like the ignorant."
(28:56) (O Prophet), you cannot grant guidance to whom you please. It is Allah Who guides those whom He will.79 He knows best who are amenable to guidance.
(28:57) They say: "If we were to follow this guidance with you, we should be snatched away from our land."80 Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary to which fruits of all kinds are brought as a provision from Us? But most of them do not know.81
(28:58) And how many a town did We destroy whose inhabitants exulted on account of their affluence. These are their dwellings in which very few dwelt after them. Eventually it is We Who inherited them.82
(28:59) Your Lord would not destroy a town until He had sent to its centre a Messenger who would recite to them Our verses. Nor would We destroy any town unless its inhabitants were iniquitous.83
(28:60) Whatever you have been given is a provision for the life of this world and its glitter. But that which is with Allah is better and more enduring. Do you not use your intellect?
71. As far as exhorting people to follow the Truth was concerned, the Qur’an had done all that was needed. Only those who can eschew stubbornness and who are ready and willing to accept the Truth are guided by it.
72. This does not mean that all the People of the Book — the Jews and the Christians — in fact believe in it. This verse actually refers to a particular incident which took place at the time this surah was revealed and which was meant to jolt the Makkans into making their ingratitude known: God had done them a great favor by raising someone from amongst them as a Prophet. Their rejection of him was their shame. Conversely, those from far-off places outside Makka were making their way to the city, recognizing as they did the Prophet’s true worth from whom they derived immense benefit. _ Ibn Hisham, Bayhaqi and others reported this particular incident on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ishaq. After the Migration to Abyssinia when news about the Prophet (peace be on him) had spread to that land, a delegation of 20 Christians came to Makka and met with the Prophet (peace be on him) in the Holy Mosque. A crowd of the Quraysh stood around to witness the event. The delegation asked certain questions and the Prophet (peace be on him) answered them. Then, the Prophet (peace be on him) invited them to Islam and recited a few verses of the Qur’an. No sooner had they heard the recitation, than tears streamed from their eyes. They testified that it was the Word of God, and then they accepted Islam. After this incident, when they were leaving the Mosque, Abu Jahl and a few of his companions overtook them, refuting them severely, saying: “We have never seen a more foolish people than you. You were sent by your people to investigate about the life of this person so that you could inform them about the truth, but you came here, heard him [i.e. the Prophet] speak, and then you gave up your religion.” To this they replied: “Peace be upon you, brothers, we do not want to argue with you. Let us tread our path and you tread your path. We cannot remain blind to guidance and goodness.” (See Ibn Hisham, Sirah, Vol. 1, p. 392 and Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 3, p. 82.) (For more details see al-Shu‘ara’ 26: n. 123 above — Ed.)
73. That is, they already believed in the Prophets and Divine Books and, hence, their Religion could have been none other than Islam. Now when a Prophet had come with a Book from God — the Qur’an — they naturally believed in the new Prophet as well. Thus, there had been no change in their Religion. They were Muslims before and they were Muslims now.
This statement explains that Islam is not merely the name of the Religion brought by Muhammad (peace be on him), nor does the term “Muslim” denote only those who follow him. Rather, all the Prophets brought one and the same Religion and their followers have, at all times, been Muslims. However, if people refused to accept the Prophet who was raised after the one they initially followed, then, they ‘ceased to be Muslims. As for those who believed in the previous Prophets and who also accepted the new Prophet when he was raised, there was no interruption in their Faith; they were Muslims before and continued to be so after their believing in the new Prophet.
It is rather strange that some of the great scholars of Islam have missed this point, even though this verse is quite clear in its import. Jalal! al-Din al-Suyuti, for instance, has written a whole treatise on the subject in which he argues that the term “Muslim” can only be applied to the followers of Muhammad (peace be on him). When Suyuti came across the present verse, he was somewhat baffled.
However, he prayed to God to “open his heart” on this matter. Eventually, instead of revising his opinion, he stuck to his opinion even more firmly and explained away this verse by subjecting it to all kinds of meaningless interpretations.
One of his reasons for holding this opinion was that the words “inna kunna min qablihi muslimin” in the present verse mean according to him that they were already inclined to become Muslims even before the coming of the Qur’an.
This because they had received information through their own Scriptures that the Qur’an would be revealed and, hence, had decided that when the Qur’an was revealed, they would accept Islam.
Another argument advanced by Suyuti was that, the word bihi after the word Muslimin is omitted in this verse. Therefore, it actually means that they already believed in the Qur’4n because they were expecting it to be revealed; in other words, they had already put their Faith in it even before its Revelation. They were, therefore, Muslims not because they believed in the Torah and the Evangel, but because they believed in the Qur’an even prior to its Revelation.
A third argument was also put forward by Suyuti as follows: “We were destined to be Muslims; it was written in our fate that we will accept Muhammad (peace be on him) and the Qur’an as soon as they would come and, therefore, in reality, we were already Muslims.” None of these arguments, however, show any trace of the “opening of the heart” for which he had prayed! The fact of the matter is that the Qur’an enunciates this basic principle not only here but at several places: that the True Religion is only Islam (submission to God) (Al Imran 3:19), that from the very beginning, every Prophet brought the same Guidance, the same Religion, and the same Message and that all Prophets had always been Muslims and had always urged their followers to be Muslims.
In like manner, all those who accepted and followed them and who submitted to the command of the Almighty, were Muslims in all times. Here are a few examples in support of this in the Qur’4n itself: And whoever seeks a way other than this way of submission (Islam), will find that it will not be accepted from him and in the Life to Come he will be among the losers (Al ‘Imran 3:85). (Emphasis added.) Noah said: ... my reward lies only with Allah, and I am commanded to be of those who totally submit (to Allah) (Yunus 10:72). (Emphasis added.) Furthermore, God says of Abraham and his children: Such was Abraham that when his Lord said to him: “Submit”, he said: “I have submitted to the Lord of the Universe.” And Abraham enjoined the same upon his children, and so did Jacob: “My children! Behold, Allah has chosen this religion for you. Remain till death in submission (to Allah).” Why, were you witnesses when death came to Jacob? He asked his children: “Whom will you serve after me?” They said: ‘We shall serve your God, the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, the One God, and unto Him do we submit (al-Baqarah 2:131-3). (Emphasis added.) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he was a Muslim, wholly devoted to God ... (Al ‘Imran 3:67). (Emphasis added.) Abraham and Ishmael prayed to God as follows: Our Lord! Make us submissive to You and make out of our descendants a community that submits itself to You ... (al-Bagarah 2:128).
(Emphasis added.) In connection with Lot’s story, the Qur’an says: Except for one, we did not find any house of Muslims in the habitat of Lot (al-Dhariyat 51:36). (Emphasis added.) And Yusuf (peace be on him) prayed to His Lord: Cause me to die in submission (musliman) to You, and join me, in the end, with the righteous (Yusuf 12:101). (Emphasis added.) Moses also said to his people: My people! If you believe in Allah and are truly Muslims, then place your reliance on Him alone (Yunus 10:84). (Emphasis added.) Again, it was pointed out that the True Religion of Israel was not Judaism but Islam; everyone, whether friend or foe, knew this. Hence the last utterance of Pharaoh before he was drowned was: I believe that-there is no god but Allah in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am also one of those who submit to Allah’ (wa and min al- Muslimin) (Yanus 10:90). (Emphasis added.) The religion of all the Prophets of Israel was also Islam. Surely We revealed the Torah, wherein there is guidance and light. Thereby did Prophets - who had submitted themselves (to Allah) — judge for the Judaized folk ... (al-Ma’idah 5:44), (Emphasis added.) This was also the Religion of Solomon. When the Queen of Sheba accepted his Faith, she said: | oe Now I submit mfcelf with Solomon, to Allah, the Lord of the whole Universe (aN nl 27:44). (Emphasis added.) Islam was also the Religion of Jesus’ disciples: And recall when I revealed to the disciples to believe in Me and in My Messenger, they said, “We do believe, and we bear witness that we indeed are the ones who submit to Allah” (al-Ma’idah 5:11 1). (Emphasis added.) The contention that the Arabic words “Muslim” and “Islam” could not have been used in other languages is not a solid argument against these evidences. For what is being said here is not about these particular Arabic words, per se, but rather about what they mean. What is being said in the Qur’ an is this: The True Religion prescribed by God is neither “Christianity”, not “Mosaism”, nor “Muhammadanism”; rather, it is the Religion of surrender and submission to the command of God communicated through the Prophets and the Scriptures. All those who adopt this attitude, at whatever time it might be, are followers of the same universal, primordial Religion of Truth. For those who correctly and sincerely accepted this Religion and believed in Jesus after Moses and in Muhammad after Jesus did not change their Religion. It was a natural and logical corollary of their commitment to follow the True Faith. Distinguishable from these sincere believers were those who had thoughtlessly entered into the fold of some Prophet or other or who were simply born into it without giving any serious thought to the matter. For them racial, national or tribal considerations were no less important than sincere religious affinity. Such people ended up becoming mere “Christians” or “Jews”. The advent of Muhammad (peace be on him) _ exposed their inadequacies when they refused to accept him as God’s final Prophet. Their refusal only underlined the fact that they had not truly submitted to God; rather, they were either infatuated with the personality of one or other Prophet, or they had made a religion of blindly following their forefathers.
74. They would receive double reward: one for their believing in Jesus (peace be on him) and the other for believing in Muhammad (peace be on him). The same was stated in a hadith reported in Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, whereby the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “Three persons will receive double reward: one of them is he who is from among the People of the Book and who believed in his own Prophet and then believed in Muhammad.” (See Bukhari, ‘K. al- ‘Iim’, ‘Bab Ta‘lim al-Rajul Amatahu wa Ahlahu’. See also Muslim, ‘K. al-iman’, ‘Bab Wujub al-Iman bi Risalat Nabiyyina Muhammad ... wa Naskh al-Milal bi Millah’ - Ed.)
75. Those people will receive double reward because they followed the True Religion and kept themselves above national, racial and tribal prejudices. Later, when the new Prophet (peace be on him) came onto the scene they faced a serious test regarding their fidelity to God. They proved themselves to be truly worshippers of God, rather than worshippers of Christ.
Hence when a new Prophet came after Jesus with the same Islam which had earlier been expounded by Jesus, they followed the Guidance of the new Prophet. They did not hesitate to accept it and chose to abandon the path of those who clung to Christianity.
76. One of their characteristics is that they do not return evil with evil; they return it with good. They do not return a lie with another lie, but with truth. They do not act with injustice in response to injustice, but with justice and fairness. They do not respond to meanness with meanness, but rather with magnanimity.
77. Another characteristic of theirs is that they make monetary sacrifices in the cause of Truth. Possibly, this also alludes to the fact that when they heard about the advent of a new Prophet, they travelled all the way from Abyssinia to Makka, spending their money, time and effort for no other purpose than to seek the Truth. In doing so, they were animated by the idea that if they found him to be a genuine Prophet they would affirm their belief in him so that they were not deprived of True Faith and Right Guidance.
78. This alludes to the mean behavior of Abu Jahl and his companions mentioned in n.72 above.
79. This sentence occurs after mentioning the acceptance of Islam by the Abyssinian Christians. Although the statement is ostensibly addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), it is actually meant for the Makkan unbelievers. It exposes their folly and virtually tells them: “See, how unfortunate you are! Others are coming from distant lands to receive the benefit of True Guidance from the spiritual stream which is flowing in your own land, and yet you remain deprived of it.” But the manner in which it has been said is as follows: “O Muhammad, you wish that your people, your kith and kin, your fellow-tribesmen should benefit from this spring of life; but your wishes do not matter for Guidance ultimately rests with God and He grants it only to those who are worthy of receiving it. If your relatives are not worthy of that Guidance, how can they receive it?” According to Bukhari and Muslim, this verse was revealed with regard to Abu Talib, the Prophet’s (peace be on him) uncle. When his last moment came, the Prophet (peace be on him) tried his best to persuade him to pronounce the shahadah, “There is no god but Allah”, so that his end might be good. But Abu Talib preferred to die with the religion of his ancestor, ‘Abd al-Muttalib. It was in this context that God revealed the present verse: “You cannot grant Guidance to whom you please. It is Allah Who guides those whom He wills.” (See Bukhari, ‘K. al-Tafsir’, ‘Bab “Innaka la Tahdi man Ahbabta wa lakinna Allah Yahdi man Yasha’ ”, Muslim, ‘K. al-Iman', ‘Bab al-Dalil ‘ala Sihhat Islam man Hadarahu al-Mawt ... wa la Yunqidhuhu min dhalik Shay’ min al-Wasa’il’ — Ed.)
As we know, traditionists and Qur’anic commentators are wont to mention the specific events in the Prophet’s (peace be on him) life to which a Qur’anic verse applies as the “occasion” of its Revelation. It is in this light that we should view ‘the above tradition as also other traditions on the same subject in Tirmidhi and Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s Musnad on the authority of Companions such as Abu Hurayrah, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, “Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar and others. (See Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 5, p. 433. Also see Tirmidhi, ‘K. Tafsir al-Qur’an’, ‘Bab Surah al-Qasas’ ~ Ed.) If we bear this in mind, there is reason to feel sure, on the grounds of these traditions, that the present verse was necessarily revealed at the time of Abu Talib’s death. All that we can be sure about is that the significance of this verse was felt most intensely on that occasion. The Prophet (peace be on him) was desirous that everyone should become a believer and, thus, his efforts in this regard were directed towards all. But if someone’s death in a state of non-acceptance of True Faith would agonize him most, it would be Abu Talib’s. This because of the Prophet's intense personal attachment to his uncle. If the Prophet (peace be on him) did not even have the power to make his uncle accept God’s Guidance, then obviously he did not have this power with regard to anyone else. Enabling someone to believe lies entirely in Allah’s Hand, it is He Who dispenses this grace not on the grounds of any kinship or other affiliation, but in consideration of a person's capacity to appreciate, and because of his sincere readiness to accept the Truth.
80. This is what the Qurayshite unbelievers used to say as an excuse for not accepting Islam. When we reflect on this, we realize that this was indeed the main reason for their denial. In order to appreciate this fully, we should bear in mind the position of the Quraysh in those times, a position which they felt would be undermined if they were to accept Islam.
What initially lent eminence to the Quraysh in Arabia was their descent from Ishmael (peace be on him). There was no doubt, according to Arab genealogists, in this. When, thanks to the sagacity of Qusayy ibn Kilab, the Quraysh became the custodians of the Ka ‘bah and settled down in Makka, their importance grew.
This because they were now responsible for the upkeep of the most sacred shrine in all Arabia and were seen as the religious guides for all the tribes. Further, on account of the rites of Hajj, there was no tribe which did not have any relations with them. The Quraysh used their eminence to gradually bolster their position through trade and commerce. They were able to make good use of the political rivalry then obtaining between the Romans and the Persians, which further enhanced their importance in the field of international trade. In those days, all trade caravan routes between Rome, Greece, Egypt, Syria, China, India, Indonesia and East Africa had. been blocked by the Persians. The only route left was by way of the Red Sea which was also blocked after the Persian occupation of Yemen.
Thus, only one option was left: that the Arab traders carry the merchandise stemming from the Roman territories to the ports of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf and carry the merchandise stemming from the eastern lands to the territories under Roman control.
This made Makka a very important center for international trade and the Quraysh enjoyed a virtual monopoly over it. But the lawlessness which prevailed in Arabia at that time made it necessary for the Quraysh to establish good relations with the tribes through whose territories they had to travel in connection with this trade. The Quraysh leaders did not merely rely on their religious position for this purpose, but also concluded agreements of safe-passage with those tribes.
The Quraysh also passed on a portion of their profit to these tribes and kept their leaders and chieftains happy with gifts. Moreover, they had built up a network of usurious money-lending chains which embraced the traders and chieftains of almost all the neighboring tribes. In these circumstances, when the Prophet (peace be on him) invited the Quraysh to Islam, they felt doubly threatened: their ancestral religion was under threat as were their worldly interests. Even if it were logically more appealing for them to accept tawhid, it would be disastrous to do so because this would give rise to large-scale opposition throughout Arabia. As a result, they would be deprived of their privilege as custodians of the Ka ‘bah and their good relations with idolatrous tribes would come to an end, jeopardizing the safety of their trade caravans. Thus, they feared that their religious eminence as well as their material prosperity would vanish. It was also possible that, in such circumstances, the other tribes of Arabia might even expel them from Makka. One sees here a strange lack of foresight on the part of people who become obsessed with their material interests. The Prophet (peace be on him) assured the Quraysh, over and over again, that if they accepted this Religion, they would have ascendancy over Arabia as well as beyond. They, however, could perceive in Islam nothing else but the potential for their utter destruction.
(For further details see Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 4, pp. 316-17.) They thought that, contrary to what the Prophet (peace be on him) said, they would be deprived of their wealth and influence; that as soon as they accepted Islam, they would be left helpless and vulnerable. They could not visualize that within a few years, the whole of Arabia would be united under a central government with the Prophet (peace be on him) as its head; that within the life-span of their own generation, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Egypt would become parts of that government and within a century, the descendants of the Quraysh would rule over vast territories stretching from Sindh to Spain and from the Caucasus to the coasts of Yemen.
81. This is God’s first answer to the excuse they offered. This response amounted to saying: “Because of whom has peace and order come to prevail in the sacred territory? Because of whom does their sanctuary enjoy that eminence which is attracting merchandise from all parts of the world? Who has brought this about, you or God? Two thousand_ five hundred years ago, a servant of God arrived in this barren land with his wife and an infant child. He built a sanctuary with stones and mortar, proclaimed that God had made His House inviolable, and invited all to circumambulate it. Is it not because of God’s special blessing and favor that this place has come to enjoy peace and tranquility in the midst of the tumult and violence which - engulf the whole of Arabia? Is it not because of God’s special favor that it is looked upon with respect and veneration by all, and every year thousands of people come to it as pilgrims? It is thanks to this favor that you have become the leaders of Arabia and the major beneficiaries of the flourishing international trade of your time. Do you think that by rebelling against God Who, in the first place, bestowed this favor on you, you will prosper, and that you will be instantly destroyed if you follow God’s Religion?”
82. This is the second answer to-their excuse. It suggests that the wealth and prosperity, of which they were so proud and for the sake of which they cling to falsehood and turn away from the Truth, was at one time in the possession of the ‘Ad, the Thamud, the peoples of Saba’ and Midian and Lot. Did their wealth and prosperity save them from destruction? After all, the attainment of a higher standard of living is not the only pursuit available to man. It should not become the pursuit for the sake of which he disregards questions of Truth and falsehood. Nor should man decline to follow True Guidance because of some imaginary fear that material prosperity will be lost. Was there any guarantee that the Quraysh would be spared the destruction inflicted on those prosperous nations of the past which had succumbed to conceptual errors and moral corruption? Was there any guarantee that they would not meet a similar fate?
83. This is the third answer to their excuse. Those nations that had earlier been destroyed were steeped in injustice and iniquity. But before destroying them God sent His Messengers to warn them. However, when they did not give up their evil ways, they were totally annihilated. The - Makkans were now in the same predicament. They had become unjust and a Messenger was sent to warn them. If they still persisted in their rejection of the True Faith, what would happen would be contrary to their expectations. They would not be able to safeguard their prosperity; in fact, they would expose it to great risk. The Makkans had feared that a huge calamity would come upon them if they embraced the True Faith. Instead, the truth of the matter was the exact opposite: they would be seized by a great calamity for rejecting it.