Why do the calamities that visited on the former communities not happen now?
Submitted by on Sat, 26/06/2010 - 14:46
Dear Brother / Sister,
One of the reasons why this community is not destroyed as a whole and why they are not punished with various severe punishments is that it is the community of the Last Prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him.
In the verse translated as “But God would not punish them so long as you were among them; and God is not to punish them (or other people) while they implore Him for forgiveness for their sins.” (The Qur’an, Al-Anfal 8:33), it is emphasized that Prophet Muhammad is a prophet of mercy.
Allah sent Islam as the last call for all the humanity until the Final Hour. He wants people to believe in Him not out of fear of destruction if they do not believe but because they find it reasonable and because it satisfies their needs.
This Divine Will was contrary to the desires of the idolaters and their wishes could not be accepted quickly. Other than this general principle, there were two other factors which prevented partial or overall destruction and calamity:
- The Prophet (PBUH) was among them, in the same community and city.
- The idolaters abandoned obstinacy and repented, and they asked for forgiveness by accepting the rightful religion.
After the Prophet passed away, as there is always the possibility that either the unbelievers or their offspring can repent and accept belief, “imploring for forgiveness” in the verse has been understood as “the continuous possibility of imploring for forgiveness” as well as the actual one, and based on certain narrations that mention the same issue, it has accordingly been asserted that punishing with calamities will never take place. (Ibn Kathir, Elmalılı, explanation of the related verse)
However, it is not contrary to this verse, nor to the Divine Will and Justice that the idolaters are punished with partially destructive calamities and in other ways, except for rains of stone or other calamities which would destroy them as a whole. When the Prophet migrated to Madinah, the idolaters lost the first reason for security. What remained was belief and repentance; whoever held onto that, was saved; but those who persisted in unbelief were punished in the world, being defeated, captured, wounded and killed; and they will be punished in the Hereafter, cast into the Hell.
These explanations lead those whose minds are not veiled with prejudice to this conclusion: The Qur’an came from God; there is no need for rains of stone to prove it. However, the disorder of the End of Time, which is an exception, may bring about quite different events.
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