Life-of-Muhammad

34Life of Muhammad saSay, "Each one is waiting; wait ye, therefore, and you willknow who are the people of the right path and who followtrue guidance" (20: 134-136).The Meccans complained of lack of Signs. They weretold that the prophecies about Islam and the Prophet sarecorded in earlier books should be enough. HadMeccans been destroyed before the Message of Islamcould be explained to them, they would have complainedof lack of chance to consider the Signs. The Meccansmust, therefore, wait.Revelations promising victory for believers and defeatfor disbelievers were being received every day. When theMeccans looked at their own power and prosperity andat the powerlessness and poverty of Muslims, and thenheard of the promises of divine help and of Muslimvictories in the Prophet's sa daily revelations, theywondered and wondered. Were they mad or was theProphet sa mad? They were hoping that persecutionwould compel the Muslims to give up their faith andreturn to the Meccans, that the Prophet sa himself andhis closest followers would begin to have doubts abouthis claims. But instead of this they had to listen toconfident affirmations like the following:Nay, I swear by all that you see, and by all that you see notthat it is surely the message brought by an honouredMessenger sa . And it is not the word of a poet; little is it thatyou believe; nor is it the utterance of a soothsayer; little isit that you heed. It is a revelation from the Lord of theworlds. And if he had forged any sayings in Our name, Wewould surely have seized him by the right hand, and thensurely would We have severed his life-artery, and not oneof you could have held Us off from him. And surely it is anadmonition for the God-fearing. And, surely, We knowthat some of you reject Our Signs. And, surely, it is asource of anguish for the disbelievers. And, surely, it is thetrue certainty. So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Great(Qur’an 69:39-53).