Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "The idolators said: `O Muhammad, you claim that before you there were Prophets, among whom was one to whom the wind was subjugated, and another who could bring the dead back to life. If you want us to believe in you, ask your Lord to turn As-Safa' into gold for us.' Allah conveyed to him by inspiration (Wahy): `I have heard what they have said. If you wish, I will do what they say, but if they do not believe after that, the punishment will come down upon them, because after the sign has been sent, there is no room for speculation. Or if you wish, I will be patient with your people and give them more time.' He said:

آ«ظٹظژط§ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگ ط§ط³ظ’طھظژط£ظ’ظ†ظگ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…آ»

(O Lord, give them more time.)'' This was also narrated by Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and others. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The people of Makkah asked the Prophet to turn As-Safa' into gold for them, and to remove the mountains (from around Makkah) so that they could cultivate the land. It was said to him (by Allah): `If you wish, I will be patient and give them more time, or if you wish, I will do what they are asking, but if they then disbelieve, they will be destroyed as the nations before them were destroyed.' He said,

آ«ظ„ظژط§طŒ ط¨ظژظ„ظگ ط§ط³ظ’طھظژط£ظ’ظ†ظگ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…آ»

(No, be patient and give them more time.) Then Allah revealed:

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظ…ظژظ†ظژط¹ظژظ†ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ† ظ†ظ‘ظڈط±ظ’ط³ظگظ„ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظٹظژظ€طھظگ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژظ† ظƒظژط°ظ‘ظژط¨ظژ ط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظˆظ‘ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat but that the people of old denied them. ) An-Nasa'i also reported this from the Hadith of Jarir. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: The Quraysh said to the Prophet , "Ask your Lord to turn As-Safa' into gold and we will believe in you.'' He said,

آ«ظˆظژطھظژظپظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژطںآ»

(Will you really do that) They said, "Yes.'' So he asked his Lord, and Jibril came to him and said: "Your Lord conveys His Salam to you and says, `If you wish, I will turn As-Safa' into gold for them, then whoever of them disbelieves after that, will be punished with a torment the like of which has never be seen in creation; or if you wish, I will open the gates of repentance and mercy for them.''' He said,

آ«ط¨ظژظ„ظ’ ط¨ظژط§ط¨ظڈ ط§ظ„طھظ‘ظژظˆظ’ط¨ظژط©ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژط©آ»

(Rather the gates of repentance and mercy.)

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظ†ظڈط±ظ’ط³ظگظ„ظڈ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظٹظژظ€طھظگ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ طھظژط®ظ’ظˆظگظٹظپظ‹ط§﴾

(And We sent not the signs except to make them afraid (of destruction).) Qatadah said, "Allah makes people afraid with whatever signs He wills, so that they may learn a lesson and remember and return to Him. We were told that Al-Kufah was shaken at the time of Ibn Mas`ud, who said: `O people, your Lord is rebuking you, so pay heed!''' Similarly, it was reported that Al-Madinah was struck by several earthquakes at the time of `Umar bin Al-Khattab. `Umar said: "You have changed, by Allah, and if such a quake were to strike again, I will subject you to such and such.'' The Prophet said, in a Hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon:

آ«ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ ط¢ظٹظژطھظژط§ظ†ظگ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط¢ظٹظژط§طھظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظ„ظژط§ ظٹظژظ†ظ’ظƒظژط³ظگظپظژط§ظ†ظگ ظ„ظگظ…ظژظˆظ’طھظگ ط£ظژط­ظژط¯ظچ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ ظ„ظگط­ظژظٹظژط§طھظگظ‡ظگطŒ ظˆظژظ„ظژظƒظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظژ ط¹ظژط²ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ„ظ‘ظژ ظٹظڈط®ظژظˆظ‘ظگظپظڈ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظژط§ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظژظ‡ظڈطŒ ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط±ظژط£ظژظٹظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظپظژط§ظپظ’ط²ظژط¹ظڈظˆط§ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط¯ظڈط¹ظژط§ط¦ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط§ط³ظ’طھظگط؛ظ’ظپظژط§ط±ظگظ‡ظگ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ: ظٹظژط§ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژط©ظژ ظ…ظڈط­ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط¯ظچ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظگ ظ…ظژط§ ط£ظژط­ظژط¯ظŒ ط£ظژط؛ظ’ظٹظژط±ظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظگ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ ظٹظژط²ظ’ظ†ظگظٹظژ ط¹ظژط¨ظ’ط¯ظڈظ‡ظڈ ط£ظژظˆظ’ طھظژط²ظ’ظ†ظگظٹظژ ط£ظژظ…ظژطھظڈظ‡ظڈطŒ ظٹظژط§ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژط©ظژ ظ…ظڈط­ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط¯ظچ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظگ ظ„ظژظˆظ’ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ…ظژط§ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ظ„ظژط¶ظژط­ظگظƒظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژظ„ظگظٹظ„ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژظ„ظژط¨ظژظƒظژظٹظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ظƒظژط«ظگظٹط±ظ‹ط§آ»

(The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah, and they are not eclipsed for the death or life of anyone. Allah uses them to make His servants afraid, so if you see them, hasten to remember Him, call on Him and seek His forgiveness.) Then he said: (O Ummah of Muhammad, by Allah, no one has a greater sense of jealousy than Allah if He sees His servant, or female servant, committing Zina (illegal sexual intercourse). O Ummah of Muhammad, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.)

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظ’ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظژظƒظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظژظƒظژ ط£ظژط­ظژط§ط·ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط³ظگ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظڈط،ظ’ظٹظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژطھظگظ‰ ط£ظژط±ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظƒظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظپظگطھظ’ظ†ظژط©ظ‹ ظ„ظ‘ظگظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط³ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژط¬ظژط±ظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظ’ط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژط©ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ‚ظڈط±ظ’ط،ظژط§ظ†ظگ ظˆظژظ†ظڈط®ظژظˆظ‘ظگظپظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژظ…ظژط§ ظٹظژط²ظگظٹط¯ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط·ظڈط؛ظ’ظٹظژط§ظ†ظ‹ط§ ظƒظژط¨ظگظٹط±ظ‹ط§ ﴾

(60. And (remember) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind.'' And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, and (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur'an. We warn and make them afraid but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.)