Why does the Qur’an give examples from the geography where it is revealed while mentioning about the destroyed tribes/nations? Does this not contradict with the statement that a prophet was sent to every nation/tribe?

Why does the Qur’an give examples from the geography where it is revealed while mentioning about the destroyed tribes/nations? Does this not contradict with the statement that a prophet was sent to every nation/tribe?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Because of The Holy Qur’an’s wisdom, it generally gives examples from the Middle East and nearby places so that the first addressees can easily understand the subject. That is why there is always an emphasis on the tribes of Ad, Thamud, Ayka and the tribes of Hz. Musa and Hz. Isa.

In addition to this, almost all of the prophets that are mentioned in the Qur’an are of Middle Eastern  origin. These prophets are also the most persistent individuals of the human history. Mentioning about these prophets as living examples and who always have a part directly and indirectly in human history means establishing sociological facts.

When divine religions are mentioned today, the three divine religions that come to the mind are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Of course, it is the most appropriate method for wisdom to put these religions that have an impact on the majority of people till the Doomsday and into a different category and to display them as living examples by pointing out the dreadful ends of rebellious ones and the good ends of the obedient ones. Eloquence is defined as follows: “consisting of speaking in conformity with the demands of any situation.” The Qur’an, which is at the highest level of eloquence, gives prominence to “the historical events that its addressees know well” until the Doomsday is a style of eloquence which is in conformity with the demands of any situation.

Besides, mentioning 124 thousand prophets and all of their tribes would be unnecessary. Displaying only the best known and most important examples of the communities who lived the same fate is a requirement of laconic style of expression, which is also the brightest manner of succinct expression that the Qur’an has.

This is informed clearly in the Qur’an; “But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide.” (Rad,13/7), “For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command) "Serve Allah, and eschew Evil!". (An-Nahl, 16/36), “there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past).” (Surah Fatir, 35/24).

With the expression of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi; “Human history goes back in regular fashion approximately three thousand years. This deficient and short view of history is not accurate concerning pre-Abrahamic times. It continues back either as superstition, or as denial, or in very abbreviated form.” (The Flashes / The Sixteenth Flash/The Second Question).

It is strange enough that we compare the Qur’an’s decree, which is the manifestation of Allah (SWT)’s infinite knowledge, with the knowledge of history which is the result of man’s working –more precisely” lack of knowledge and then we say, “there is a paradox here”. Yes, there is a paradox but this paradox does not belong to the Qur’an, it is a paradox caused by the science of history, which is a product of man and which can always fall into error.   

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