Destruction of Peoples

Hüdayi Üsküdarlı

“Has not the news of those before them come to them; of the people of Noah and Ad and Samood, and the people of Ibrahim and the dwellers of Madyan and the overthrown cities; their apostles came to them with clear arguments; so it was not Allah Who should do them injustice, but they were unjust to themselves.” (Tauba 9: 70).

Many people do act heedlessly in this world of examination where they are supposed to live in awareness. This heedlessness and ignorance lead them to a sorrowful defeat. The world becomes a place of deception for them.

The main reasons of disbelief in this world of attraction, where we all will have to face death, the inevitable end, can be cited as being heedless, mindless, ignorant, immoral degenerate, indulgent in the gainings of this world, and leaving heart for the lower-self.

Those who went astray were punished by divine penalties. The arrogant people of Noah, Ad, and Samood; those figures who fought against the prophets such as Pharaoh who was drowned in a handful of water; and Nimrod who was overcome by a single fly; and the people of Lut who lived an immoral life lower than animals were perished with various torments by God.

Disbelief, immorality, and cruelty are reasons why peoples are exposed to divine punishment. Desbelievers and oppressors were exposed to an awful divine torment and revenge when they are in death agony. The city of Pompei today displays an object lesson of immoral people whose bodies were petrified nearly two millennium ago. It displays silhouettes of people who were turned to animals.

The lands of Ad and Samood people who idolized their lower-self and thought that they would live in this world and in their stony castles for good were turned to a rubble. They are to be watched today as a wreckage of sadness.

Not a cry was given and no heart ached after them. On the contrary, they were sent off this world by the curse of the oppressed. The places where they reigned are now inhabited by dogs and owls.

The history of infidelity, oppression, and injustice are full of the examples of divine revenge. It is an inevitable divine law for those who rebel against the way of God and his prophets to face the severe punishment by God.

God endowed his prophets for humanity to cure the deep pains caused by the desires of lower-selves.

Yet, those who fell for the attractions of this world walked off the glorious horizons opened by the prophets, and turned themselves to a rubble. They also turned their society into desolation. They took their misery for felicity, and could not grasp the wisdom and mystery of creation, and also imitated the way animals live, and subsequently faced divine torment, and perished.

The Quran says in this regard:

“And how many a generation have We destroyed before them! Do you see any one of them or hear a sound of them?” (Maryam 19: 98).

“Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than these in prowess, and dug up the earth, and built on it in greater abundance than these have built on it, and there came to them their apostles with clear arguments; so it was not beseeming for Allah that He should deal with them unjustly, but they dealt unjustly with their own souls.” (Rum 30: 9).

These verses refer to such people as Ad and Samood who established a land where they dug out water and mineral, and also made a good cultivation, but were perished by God as they denied the existence of God. They also advise us to take an object lesson from what happened to them.

The feeling of hunger emerges as the body needs materials to live. So is the need for humans to look for God in times of straits. It is of no avail for Nimrod to say “I will not give up my deity; but I will slaughter four thousand neats for your God!..” when he saw that the fire does not burn Ibrahim; and it is also of no avail for Pharaoh to cray the word “Allah” when he realized that he would be perished with water. It is the need for religion in human nature that makes those disbelievers turn to their inner-world when they have none to protect them.

What a sorrowful end is there for those who spent their lives in ignorance and profanity. A pathetic torment begins for them when the angels of death asks them “Where are you up till now!”

Death means annulment of all worldly pleasures, and an end for all transitory dealings. Therefore, pious and learned people live an unearthly life to come closer to reality feeling death momently.

If it is necessary to fear death, we are supposed to tremble with fear when the evening is going on for. Yet, we do have no fear while getting into the mystery of the night as we know that it is a divine law the night is followed by morning.

Thus, it must be natural that death is followed by the morning of reality.

God says:

“O men! Surely the promise of Allah is true, therefore let not the life of this world deceive you, and let not the archdeceiver deceive you respecting Allah.” (Fatır 35: 5).

How foolish is the one who is deceived by the transitory pleasures of this world until the last day of his earthly life.

The religion of Islam decrees that one must look at the universe with an eye of wisdom and live a life of straight way.

God say in the Quran:

“What! did you then think that We had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us?” (Muminun 23: 115).

“So exalted be Allah, the True King; no god is there but He, the Lord of the honorable dominion.” (Muminun 23: 116).

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, we believe, and not be tried?” (Ankabut 29: 2).

“We did test those before them, and God will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” (Ankabut 29: 3).

“Or do they who work evil think that they will escape Us? Evil is it that they judge!” (Ankabut 29: 4).

“Does man think that he is to be left to wander without an aim?” (Qiyamat 75: 36).

The religion of Islam organizes one’s life from craddle to grave making him ready to discern the mysterious of the hereafter and unknown facts of life.

It is a great disappoinment for man being unable to establish a connection between cradle and grave, and being unable to establish his position and duty in the universe, and being unable to grasp the meaning of his journey to grave, and living a life of no aim. Being in this condition is nothing but being drowned in the swirl of death.

God’s torment and revenge come only when His prophet’s humanly powers expire. The Prophet Noah’s patience and endurance came to an end after a long time of struggle as stated in the Quran:

“Therefore he called upon his Lord: I am overcome, come You then to help.” (Qamar 54: 10).

The most dreadful events of life that may turn into a divine threat can be cited as flood, hurricane, quake, famine, clouds of fire, and infectious diseases.

These disasters that are seen as “pure natural occurrences” are not of casual events for they may bear many divine wisdom.

These painful occurrences may come about in consequence of humans’ rebellious and sinful acts, and through them the disasters of divine law are put into practice.

God is not a cruel Being. It is a reality that these disasters befall men as they deserve them. It is an inevitable end for those who stand out against the divine law and heavenly principles to face divine revenge.

The Quran declares that even the fall of a leaf is bound up with the divine fate. If it was not to be so there would occur an anarchy in the universe.

All physical movements have countless mysteries. These mysteries are manifest to prophets and men of heart. Here are some of the pronouncements of the Quran:

“And how many of the generations did We destroy after Nuh! And your Lord is sufficient as Knowing and Seeing with regard to His servants’ faults.” (Isra 17: 17).

“And how many a town have We destroyed which exulted in its means of subsistence, so these are their abodes, they have not been dwelt in after them except a little, and We are the inheritors.” (Qasas 28: 58).

“... and see how was the end of the unjust.” (Qasas 28: 40).

“And how many a generation did We destroy before them who were mightier in prowess than they, so they went about and about in the lands. Is there a place of refuge?
Most surely, there is a reminder in this for him who has a heart or he gives ear and is a witness.” (Qaf 50: 36-37).

“Then We raised after them other generations.” (Muminun 23: 42).

“And how many a town which was iniquitous did We demolish, and We raised up after it another people!” (Anbiya: 21:11).

“And such is the punishment of your Lord when He punishes the towns while they are unjust; surely His punishment is painful, severe.” (Hood 11: 102).

“And certainly We destroyed the towns which are around you, and We repeat the communications that they might turn.” (Ahqaf 46: 27).

“And it is binding on a town which We destroy that they shall not return.” (Anbiya: 21:95).

“Do they not consider how many of the generations have We destroyed before them, because they do not turn to them?” (Ya Sin 36: 31).

“So how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust, so it was fallen down upon its roofs, and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high.” (Hajj 22: 45).

“Have they not travelled in the land so that they should have hearts with which to understand, or ears with which to hear? For surely, it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.” (Hajj 22: 46).

“Do they not consider how many a generation We have destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth as We have not established you, and We sent the clouds pouring rain on them in abundance, and We made the rivers to flow beneath them, then We destroyed them on account of their faults and raised up after them another generation.” (Anam 6: 6).

“And Allah sets forth a parable: (Consider) a town safe and secure to which its means of subsistence come in abundance from every quarter; but it became ungrateful to Allah's favors, therefore, Allah made it to taste the utmost degree of hunger and fear because of what they wrought.” (Nahl 16: 112).

“And certainly We have already destroyed the likes of you, but is there anyone who will mind?” (Qamar 54: 51).

“Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return.” (Rum 30: 41).

“And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and (yet) He pardons most (of your faults).” (Shura 42: 30).

“... and We never destroyed the towns except when their people were unjust.” (Qasas 28: 59).

“And it did not beseem your Lord to have destroyed the towns tyrannously, while their people acted well.” (Hood 11: 117).

“... and Allah does not desire any injustice to the creatures.” (Ali Imran 3: 108).

“Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom...” (Nisa 4: 40).

“Surely Allah does not do any injustice to men, but men are unjust to themselves.” (Yunus 10: 44).

God turned the fire of Nimrod into a rose garden through the faith of Ibrahim; He devastated the reign of Pharaoh through the stick of Moses; He destroyed the soldiers and elephants of Abraha through birds; He fortified the Prophet Muhammad through angels and wind to frighten his enemies. God has an overwhelming force.

The lands where their people were perished with God’s torment in history still keep the signs of what happened to them.

The Prophet speeded up when he was walking between Mina and Marwa for the final pilgrimage of his life. The companions asked him:

“–O the Prophet! What has happened?” He replied:

“It was this place where the armies of Abraha were destroyed by God. I speeded up not to take a share from it!..”

Thus, this place where the Prophet pointed at is not to be played around while making pilgrimage.

Again, the prophet said the companions while they were passing by the place where the Samood People were perished:

“Visit these rocky houses with a feeling of sadness! And do not take anything from here! Because divine torment touched a rampageous people here...”

The companions said:

“–O the prophet! We have already filled our water bottles and we made dough with this water!”

The Prophet answered:

“–Discharge your water bottles, and throw the dough away!”

So, one is supposed to speed up in such places not to be touched by divine torment which still remain there spiritually.

On the contrary, in such places as Qabah, the tomb of the Prophet and pious servants the blessing of God pours forth. Our souls are filled with showers of mercy and blessing in such places.

God sent prophets and books since Adam now and then to save people from the darkness of disbelief and immorality. This is a favor from our Lord to us. The Prophet Muhammad was the last in the line through whom the eternal message was revealed.

The religion of Islam invites man to earnestness. It warns man of the Day of Judgement.

A believer does not act irresponsibly. He does not act in such manners that will derogate his religious and moral honor. He does not measure words with ignorants. He does not dangle after unnecessary adventures. He does not waste his time with absurd, aimless, and aberrant ideologies.

Living a life with no fear of the hereafter is like considering a day without night.

Mawlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi says:

“Do not try to feed and build up your body as it will, in the end, find its way into the grave. Try to fill your soul from the fountain of spiritual power. It is that which will be counted as honored.”

“Do not eat too much faty foods as they feed your lower-self.”

“Do provide your soul with spiritual nourishment!”

May God save us all from pathetic ends and lead us to paradise!

Amen!

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