—by virtue of these nations entering his religion and affirming his message, while those who have not yet embraced it remain, within every people, the merest minority (1). So where do the present-day Christians who deny his prophethood even stand when compared with the vast Christendom that existed before his advent?!

The same is true of the Jews, the Magians, and the Sabeans: those who reject his prophethood after his mission are nothing when set beside the total number of each community prior to his being sent.

Allah, exalted is He, has spoken about the nations that unanimously repudiated the messengers and were therefore destroyed:

“Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Whenever their messenger came to a nation, they denied him, so We caused them to follow one another in destruction and turned them into mere stories. Away with a people who will not believe!” ⦗al-Mu’minun 44⦘.

Thus He informs us that these peoples agreed upon denying their messengers, and that He encompassed them all with ruin.

He also says: “Likewise, whenever any messenger came to those before them, they would say, ‘A sorcerer, or a madman!’ Have they passed this saying down to one another? No—rather, they are a rebellious people.” ⦗al-Dhariyat 52–53⦘.

It is absolutely certain that Allah did not destroy those numerous nations until guidance had been made clear to them and they chose unbelief instead. Had guidance not been made evident, He would never have destroyed them, as He, the Most High, says:

“We never destroy a township except while its people are wrongdoers.” ⦗al-Qasas 59⦘.

And He says: “If only there had been a single town that believed so that its belief benefited it—apart from the people of Jonah; when…”