Twenty-Three Great Objectives of Building the House of Allah — Page 129
130 did not allow Caesar and Chosroe to try their strength against Islam until Islam had gained strength in Mecca and Arabia. But once Islam had gained strength in Arabia, Caesar and Chosroe were also let loose to try their power against Islam as much as they liked; and they did so up to the hilt against Islam, but always faced defeat. The greatest miracle is that at no stage the opponents had been powerful enough to obliterate the Muslim umma absolutely. One section of it sacrificed; from one section God Almighty demanded sacrifice and happily they bore with a multitude of hardships, but the Muslim umma as a whole has always remained under the Divine protection. Now for example, in our times, the forces of Antichrist have become so powerful that if they had wished, or wish, they can slay all the Muslims in the world. But on the one hand where Allah the Almighty showed other types of miracles earlier, now He showed this miracle that He set up angels as guards over human intellect and said to them that this age is not fit to wipe out religion at the point of sword; instead the competition should be made with arguments. They have the power though, but Allah has diverted their attention from endeavouring to obliterate Muslims at the point of power. Thus, if the Antichrist, employing material strength, seek today to kill every Muslim, it has the power to do so; but God declares that notwithstanding the power it wields it will not be allowed to use it against Islam and the Muslims. As the Holy Prophet sa was given the promise of special protection, the Muslim umma has also been