Life of Ahmad — Page 221
as VISIT TO ALIGARH 221 they it is who are the losers. They ask thee to hasten on the punishment and, had there not been a term named, the punishment would have come upon them and it will surely come upon them unexpectedly, while they preceive not. The words make it clear that unbelievers want to see the signs of punishment and destruction and God refers them to the signs of mercy which He has shown. Nowhere does the Quran say that the Holy Prophet sa is given no sign. What it lays down is that, God does not show the kind of signs which unbelievers ask for. That God does show signs is clear from a large number of verses. (See Al-Qamar 54:3) i. e. but if they see a sign they turn away and ( A l-e-‘Imr a n 3:106) i. e. after the signs had come to them). It was Jesus as who refused to show signs (See Mark 8:11, 12). The second passage referred to in the objection is: (Ban i Isr a ’ i l 17:59, 60) 'There is not a township but we shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or chastise it with a severe chastisement. That is written down in the Book. And nothing has hindered us from sending signs save that the former people rejected them. And We gave the Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign. But they wronged her. We send not signs save to warn. '