Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/101)

of the Torah: whenever a prophet was branded a liar, Allah would take vengeance on His enemies with a punishment from Himself—He drowned the people of Noah, sent the biting wind against the people of Hūd, destroyed the people of Ṣāliḥ with the mighty blast, annihilated the people of Shuʿayb under the overshadowing cloud, pelted the people of Lot with stones, and likewise drowned the people of Pharaoh.

The Exalted said:

“We certainly gave Moses the Scripture after We had destroyed the former generations, as insights for mankind, and as guidance and mercy, so that they might take heed.” (al-Qasas 28:43)

When the Torah was sent down, He ordered the People of the Scripture to wage jihad; some of them recoiled, while others complied. Thus the very purpose of the message could only be achieved through knowledge and power, just as He—glorified be He—said:

التَّوْرَاةِ، إِذَا كُذِّبَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ يَنْتَقِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، كَمَا أَهْلَكَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ بِالْغَرَقِ، وَقَوْمَ هُودٍ بِالرِّيحِ الصَّرْصَرِ، وَقَوْمَ صَالِحٍ بِالصَّيْحَةِ، وَقَوْمَ شُعَيْبٍ بِالظُّلَّةِ، وَقَوْمَ لُوطٍ بِالْحَاصِبِ، وَقَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ بِالْغَرَقِ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الْأُولَى بَصَائِرَ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ} [القصص: ٤٣] . فَلَمَّا أَنْزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ، أَمَرَ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ بِالْجِهَادِ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ نَكَلَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَطَاعَ. وَصَارَ الْمَقْصُودُ بِالرِّسَالَةِ لَا يَحْصُلُ إِلَّا بِالْعِلْمِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: