The Ayah: quot;Say: 'If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between me and youqu

Q 13: How can we reconcile the Ayah (Qur'anic verse) which reads: Say: "If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between me and you, but Allâh knows best the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)." with the Hadith which is authentically reported in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim) on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that she asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): 'Have you ever experienced a day harder than the day of the Battle of Uhud?' He (peace be upon him) replied, 'I suffered at the hands of your people (i.e. The disbelievers from among the Quraysh tribe) and the worst that I suffered at their hands was on the Day of Al-`Aqabah when I went to Ibn `Abd Yalil ibn `Abd Kulal with the purpose of inviting him to Islam, but he made no response (to my call). So I departed with deep distress. I did not recover until I arrived at Qarn Al-Tha`alib. There, I raised my head and saw a cloud which had cast its shadow on me. I saw in it (Part No. 3; Page No. 156) Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) who called me, and said, 'Indeed, Allah (Exalted be He) heard what your people said to you and the response they made to you. He has sent you the angel in charge of the mountains to order him to do to them what you wish.' Then the angel of the mountains called me, greeted me and said, 'O Muhammad, Allah listened to what your people had said to you. My Lord has sent me to you so that you may give me your orders. (I will carry out your orders). If you wish I will bring down on them Al-Akhshabayn (two huge mountains located in Makkah).' But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their descendants people who will worship Allah and not associate any partner with Him.' ?

A: There is no contradiction between the Ayah and Hadith that are quoted in the question. This is because the Ayah implies a threat that if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had the torment that the disbelievers were impatiently asking for, the matter would have been settled at once between him and them.At the same time, Allah (Glorified be He) knew that His Prophet would not like the two huge mountains at the extremities of Makkah to be brought down to crush the people of Makkah, for Allah (Exalted be He) sent His Prophet Muhammad only as a mercy for the whole universe. Thus, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to the angel: "I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their descendants people who will worship Allah Alone and not associate any partner with Him." May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.