Likewise, in another passage, He says:

“So We brought out whoever was there of the believers.

“But We found there only a single household of Muslims.

“And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful punishment.”

And He says concerning Noah’s Ark:

“And We certainly left it as a sign. Is there, then, anyone who will take heed?”

He thus tells us that He left signs—that is, marks and proofs. This shows that the particular accounts of the believers and their good outcome in this world, and of the disbelievers and their evil outcome in this world, constitute signs and proofs from which evidence and lessons may be drawn, yielding both knowledge and admonition. They establish the truth of what the messengers conveyed and provide encouragement and warning. They also demonstrate that Allah is pleased with those who obey Him and honors them, and that He is angry with those who disobey Him and punishes them.

Similarly, His creation in general provides evidence of His power, for an act necessarily entails power on the part of its agent. The perfection of His acts provides evidence of His knowledge, for a perfectly executed act necessarily entails knowledge on the part of its agent. His determining things in their particulars provides evidence of His will, for such determination necessarily entails His willing it. Likewise, His choosing what leads to the most praiseworthy outcome provides evidence of His wisdom, for directing an act toward a praiseworthy outcome necessarily entails wisdom.

His singling out the prophets and their followers for victory and a good outcome, and singling out those who deny them for disgrace and an evil outcome, provides evidence that He commands, loves, and is pleased with what the prophets brought, and that He dislikes and is displeased with the ways of those who denied them. For singling out one of these two groups for honor, deliverance, a good name, and prayers on their behalf, while singling out the other for punishment, destruction, an evil name, and curses, necessarily entails His love for what the first group did and His hatred of what the second group did.