How do we reconcile what is commonly known, that Allah lifted the torment of eradication after the revelation of the Torah, with the Angel of the Mountains seeking permission from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his saying: "You will be afflicted with what afflicted those who disbelieved before you"?

After the revelation of the Torah, Allah did not punish the disbelievers with the comprehensive, wholesale destruction that befell previous nations. Instead, He legislated jihad for the believers. This is supported by Quranic verses and prophetic traditions. In a hadith narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned that Allah did not destroy any people with a torment from the heavens after the revelation of the Torah, except for the people of the town who were transformed into apes. This is substantiated by the Almighty's saying: (And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture after We had destroyed the former generations as enlightenment for the people and guidance and mercy that they might remember). As for the incident where the angel of the mountains offered to crush the people of Mecca between the two mountains (Al-Akhshabayn) for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and also the Quraysh's request for Allah to turn Mount Safa into gold, these incidents do not contradict this principle. This is because these offers were merely a response to a request for immediate destruction and did not convey a factual reality. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, rejected that destruction, hoping for the faith of their descendants. Furthermore, the lifting of the extermination punishment after the revelation of the Torah was linked to the legislation of jihad, which was not available during the Meccan phase of the Prophet's call. This made the situation of the disbelievers in Mecca similar to that of the previous nations who were punished.