Crime & Punishment

No change should there be in the creation of Allah [Quran 30:30] 

Mission of the Messengers-V

Abstract

Corruption of creation is a crime so severe that it has to be punished in this world, in the interest of saving humanity. Yet, God, the Most Compassionate, sends His Messengers to warn to the people, so that those who WILL can willingly choose to be saved.  

Full Text

فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

So was cut off (the) remnant (of) the people [those] who did wrong. 

And all praises and thanks (be) to Allah Lord (of) the worlds. 

[Al-Qur'an 6:45 Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] 

[Al-Qur'an 30:47 Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] And verily, We sent before you Messengers to their people, and they came to them with clear proofs; then We took retribution from those who committed crimes. And it was incumbent upon Us (to) help the believers.

Whenever the crimes of a nation become so grave that they must be stopped, God sends His Messengers with warnings of the impending punishment. If they halt and reform, they will be excused, however if they persist in their crimes and reject the Messengers and their Message, they are eventually punished for their crime. 

[Al-Qur'an 28:59, Translation: Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev 1985)] Nor was thy Lord the one to destroy a population until He had sent to its centre a messenger, rehearsing to them Our Signs; nor are We going to destroy a population except when its members practise iniquity.

Prophets and Messengers

God has sent several Prophets and Messengers for the guidance of bani Adam (the progeny of Adam). God, the Most Compassionate, sends His Messengers to warn to the people, so that those who WILL can willingly choose to be saved. Though all Prophets and Messengers preached belief in, worship and obedience of the one true God, an essential distinguishing characteristic of the Messengers was that they served notice of imminent punishment. Every civilization was given a fair warning, and only after clear signs and extensive warnings was the punishment executed. Unfortunately, out of all the civilizations warned, the only civilization that heeded the warning, and thus was spared, was the nation of Prophet Jonah. 

[Al-Qur'an 17:15, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] Whoever (is) guided then only he is guided for his soul. And whoever goes astray then only he goes astray against it And not will bear one laden with burden, burden (of) another. And not We are to punish until, We have sent a Messenger.

Noah warned for several centuries before the Flood overtook all the wrongdoers. Hud warned the People of Aad, Saleh warned the People of Samood, Shoaib warned his people to establish Justice and not upset the Balance; each Messenger and those who believed with him were saved, and the criminals all destroyed. Abraham warned his people, they tried to burn him, he was saved, he migrated for the sake of God, while his persecutors were destroyed. Lot was saved while the people who had been heedless to his warnings were completely annihilated. Moses and the bani Israel were saved, while Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned. Jews didn’t accept Jesus, and it was decreed that till the end time those who believed in Jesus would be superior to those who didn’t. Muhammad warned for two decades, treaty was declared annulled, a notice of war was given four months in advance, and eventually Makkah was secured without any major resistance or bloodshed.

Peace and blessings upon all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, and all those who believed in their message.   

Crime

All the civilizations that were destroyed were indulging in corruption. The world today is also indulging in corruption. The question that arises is why was their crime so grave as to be punished so severely that they have been completely wiped away, and more essentially, why are we then not being punished right away? Or was the nature of their crime different or more intense?

About the Aad, Samood and Pharoah, it is stated:

[Al-Qur'an 89:11, 89:12, 89:13, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] Who transgressed in the lands, And (made) much therein corruption. So poured on them your Lord scourge (of) punishment. 

Adam tried to achieve Immortality and A Kingdom that Never Decays by eating off the Forbidden Tree. People of Noah indulged in crossbreeding humans and dJinns. People of Lot went even further in their corruption and crossbred males of all the worlds. Experiments in crossbreeding are going on even today. Plants and animals are being crossbred. Scientists in lab coats, using hi-tech equipment are trying to tinker with the genome of all creatures, including the human genome. Though widely different in methodology, the intention and objective is essentially the same: each one aims to improve upon God’s creation! Adam ended up corrupting his genome, and there is no reason why the scientists may not err and corrupt it further.

[Al-Qur'an 30:29, 30:30, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] Nay, follow those who do wrong, their desires, without knowledge. Then who (can) guide (one) whom Allah has let go astray? And not for them any helpers. So set your face to the religion upright. Nature (made by) Allah (upon) which He has created mankind [on it]. No change (should there be) in the creation (of) Allah. That (is) the religion the correct, but most men (do) not know.

Punishment

Corruption of creation is a crime so severe that it has to be punished in this world, in the interest of maintaining the Balance and saving humanity. Each of the civilization destroyed in the past was warned about the consequence of their actions, as well as given respite for a while to give them a chance to mend their ways.

  

[Al-Qur'an 54:4, 54:5, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] And certainly has come to them of the information wherein (is) deterrence, Wisdom perfect, but not will avail the warnings. 

[Al-Qur'an 8:24, 8:25] O you who believe! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to what gives you life. And know that Allah comes (in) between a man and his heart, and that to Him you will be gathered. And fear a trial not which will afflict those who do wrong among you exclusively. And know that Allah (is) severe (in) the penalty. 

It is simply our arrogance combined with our ignorance that we assume that the civilizations of the past were less in knowledge or might. In fact, if one studies the scriptures and contemplates on the historical evidence, it is amply clear that those were mighty civilizations with advanced technologies, such that we probably cannot even comprehend.

[Al-Qur'an 30:42, 30:43, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] Say, "Travel in the earth and see how was (the) end (of) those who (were) before. Most of them were polytheists." So set your face to the religion right, before [that] comes a Day not (can be) averted [it] from Allah. That Day, they will be divided.  

[Al-Qur'an 6:67, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] For every news (is) a fixed time, and soon you will know.

[Al-Qur'an 6:130, 6:131, Translation: Literal (Word by Word)] O assembly (of) [the] jinn and [the] men! Did (there) not come to you Messengers from (among) you, relating to you My Verses and warning you (of the) meeting (of) this day of yours?" They will say, "We bear witness against ourselves." And deluded them the life (of) the world, and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers. That (is because) [that] not is your Lord one who destroys the cities for (their) wrongdoing while their people (are) unaware. 

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Last updated on: August 26, 2018