Three Questions by a Christian and their Answers — Page 32
32 Why are you such an insignificant little group of people who are soon going to be annihilated? And if you are indeed true, then why does no punishment come down upon us?" The Holy Quran’s reply to these taunts, at a time when the Muslims were in such a desperate state, forms the second premise which helps us to understand the true grandeur of this prophecy. It was a very trying time for the Holy Prophet sa and his Companions; they were always fearful for their lives and failure stared them in the face from all sides. It was at such a time that the unbelievers demanded the signs of chastisement and were told, in clear and unequivocal terms, that they would soon be shown the sign of the triumph of Islam and of their own chastisement. And Islam—which was no more than a seed at the time—would manifest itself in the form of a great tree. Those who demanded the sign of chastisement would be killed by the sword. The Arabian Peninsula would be cleared of all disbelief and all non-believers, and the gov- ernance of the whole of Arabia would fall into the hands of the believers. God Almighty would establish the faith of Is- lam to such an extent that idol-worship would never recur in the land. The current state of fear and insecurity would give place to peace and tranquillity. Islam would gain strength and continue to dominate until it would become victorious over other lands, and its triumph would spread far and wide. A great kingdom would be born which would not see decline till the end of the world. When a person first looks at these two premises, and dis- covers that the time when this prophecy was announced