The Detroit Address — Page 5
5 it fare with you? Shall we force it upon you, while you are averse to it?” “And O my people, I do not ask of you any wealth in return for it. My reward is only with Allah. And I am not going to drive away those who believe. They shall certainly meet their Lord. But I see that you all are an ignorant people. ” “And O my people, who would help me against Allah, if I were to drive them away? Will you not take heed? “And I do not say to you, ‘I possess the treasures of Allah’ nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say, ‘I am an angel. ’ Nor do I say concerning those whom your eyes despise, Allah will not bestow any good upon them’—Allah knows best what- ever is in their minds. Surely, in that case, I should be of the unjust. ” These verses from the Holy Quran, which I have just recited, do not merely narrate an ancient historical episode, but along with other Quranic verses and historical evidence, these verses are meant to describe a permanently established psychological phenomenon. Time and time again, condi- tions of N uh ’s as [Noah’s] era are repeated, and every time, human response to them remains the same. As indicated by the Holy Quran, a great civilization and rich culture flour- ished at N uh ’s as time. The Promised Messiah as has elaborated in detail that a rare and magnificent civilization existed in the age of N uh as. One of the arguments put forward by the people to reject N uh as was, as described in these verses: