They symbolize realistic problems of corrupt societies!!

[aabdul]

Salaam!

If there are any problems in the analysis, conclusions, interpretation of verses, etc made hereunder, appreciate pointing them out to me for my learning purpose.

The destruction of previous communities as explained in the Quran through various ?natural calamities?, for instances, a powerful instantaneous sound from the sky, showering of rocks from the sky, causing the earth to swallow, earthquakes, drowning in rising water, etc are not necessarily real natural disasters. They symbolize realistic problems that born in corrupted societies. Here is the proof from Quran.

Firstly, the Quran does not consider any event in history to be without a cause. It tells that the field of history is governed by definite laws and norms and if we are aware of these laws, we can influence them, otherwise these laws will certainly overpower us. There are several verses in the Quran that call upon us to make a thorough investigation of historical events in order to find out historical trends and norms.

Have they not travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? (14 109, 4710)

The Quran further confirms that as the death of an individual has an appointed time and is governed by a law and a system, similarly societies also have their appointed time and are governed by certain laws of their own. Here are some of the verses.

And We destroyed no township, but there was a known decree for it. No nation can outstrip its appointed time, nor can they lag behind. (154-5)

For every nation there is an appointed time. When their time comes, then they cannot put it back an hour, nor can they put it forward. (1049, 734)

No nation can outstrip its appointed time, nor can they lag behind. (2343)

If Allah were to take mankind to task for their wrongdoing, He would not leave a single living creature on the face of earth, but He reprieves them to an appointed time, and when their appointed time comes, they cannot put it off an hour nor can they advance it. (1661, also 3545)

Are the Norms of History Changeable?

On the basis of this norms the Qur'an says When a warner came to them, it aroused in them nothing but repugnance, arrogance in the land, and plotting evil; and the evil plot encloses only the men who make it. Then do they expect the application of a law different from that which applied to the people of the old? You will not find any change in Allah's law, nor will you find any case of its failure. (35 42-43)

Allah criticizing these people, asks them why they expect that there should be an exception in their case with regard to the norms of history?

They indeed wish to scare you from the land so that they may drive you out from there. In that case they will not be able to stay there for long. Same has been our method in the case of Our Messengers whom We sent before you, and you will not find Our method to be changing. (1776)

This verse also lays stress on the norms of history. It says You will not find Our method (Our law) to be changing. In other words, Allah assures that the way He treated the former Prophets is still valid because His law never changes.

From the above short analysis, the point must be clear that no nation survives or dies away whimsically (without cause or reason. The nations decide themselves their own fate. The Quran says in 309-10, ?Do they not travel through the earth, and see what the end of those before them was? They were superior to them in strength they tilled the soil and populated it in greater numbers than these have done there came to them their messengers with Clear (Signs). (Which they rejected, to their own destruction) It was not Allah Who wronged them, but they wronged their own souls?. The destiny of a nation is collectively in the hands of the people. A nation florishes or destroys itself based on the rule that Allah will not change any community unless and until they change themselves.

The destruction of ancient societies-

There is one point to be clarified first. While the Quran recognizes the existence of verifiable mutual relationship between various historical events in this world, Allah attributes to Himself all the happenings in the field of historical events. It is like; sometimes a man may say that it rains by the will of Allah. In this case he puts Allah's will in the place of natural causes. Another man may say that the phenomenon of rain requires some cause and it is connected with other natural event. This series of natural events again represents Allah's wisdom and His good management of the affairs of the world, and there is no contradiction between the two explanations, although in the first explanation the mundane causes of the phenomenon have been ignored and the phenomenon has been attributed direct to Allah, which is the style of presentation the Quran has adopted laying stress on the fact that all the happenings in the world, including the norms of history are not beyond the scope of the power of Allah. Their materialization depends on His will. Man has to be always conscious of his dependence on Allah so that there may exist a close link between science and faith and man may look at scientific phenomena with the conviction of his faith in Allah.

The above would clarify the point why Allah attributes to HIMSELF the destruction of ancient societies when they deviated from divine laws. The typical types of destruction of ancient societies that are listed in the Quran by way of ?natural disasters?, for instances, rocks falling from the sky, a powerful instantaneous sound from the sky, earthquakes, drowning in rising water, etc, actually they are not real ?natural disasters?. They symbolize realistic problems that born in corrupted societies. This is simile exposition, just a way of symbolic telling. It is widely used in Quran. Please note that the fact that a story in its literal form is correct doesn't imply it does not have symbolic meaning, and also if a story is symbolic it doesn't mean that it does not have physical manifestations. The Quran clearly states that symbolic stories are sometimes used to make understanding easier to humans what is hard to comprehend for them. For example, in verse 5921 Quran says

Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitude which We propound to men, that they may reflect .

Here imply that what is stated need not be taken in literal sense. This simile expression can be explained in the way that If Allah had put this Quran in the heart of a mountain (and given it the faculty of consciousness), you would have seen it (the mountain) trembling in humility, just from the very thought of violating Allah's Law. And it would have burst under the sense of responsibility!!

A similar verse is 2943, which after comparing those who take protectors other than Allah as spider, who builds flimsiest of houses, the Quran goes on to say;

And such are the Parables We set forth for mankind , but only those understand them who have knowledge.

Again the very term is used in Quran at different places like;
Verse 16112 (And God sets forth the parable of a city which enjoyed security and peace; its provisions come to it in plenty from every quarter (

Verse 1675 (God sets forth for you the parable of a slave who is owned, having no power over anything; and a free man

The same phrase is used at different places also like 1424, 1676, 3929, etc. And after mentioning the destruction of Pharoah, the people of Noah, Thamud, the Companions of the Rass, and many a generation between them through verse 2535-38, Allah says in the very next verse, 39, (for each We struck similitudes, and each We ruined utterly). So there is a possibility that the different modes of destructions are provided in Quran through various similitude.

A few interesting verses-

?If the people of the township had believed and refrained from evil, surely We should have opened for them blessings from the sky and from the earth. But they denied, and so We seized them on account of what they used to earn?. (7 96)

Also verse 66, ?See they not how many of those before them We did destroy? - generations We had established on the earth, in strength such as We have not given to you - for whom We poured out rain from the skies in abundance, and gave (fertile) streams flowing beneath their (feet)* ; yet for their sins We destroyed them, and raised in their wake fresh generations (to succeed them).
*Symbolic narration of abundance of wealth and blessings from Allah (from sky and the earth)

And as opposite to ?blessings from the sky and from the earth? it is mentioned in Quran;

?Say, 'He has the power to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet? (665).

From the above it is clear that the Quran uses terms like ?blessings from the sky and from the earth? against ?punishment from the sky and beneath your feet?. It is perfectly possible that the specific punishments given to former people are symbolically narrated by way of Allah sending natural disasters like, a powerful instantaneous sound from the sky, showering of rocks from the sky, causing the earth to swallow, earthquakes, etc., symbolizing the realistic problems the corrupt societies faced resulting in their complete annihilation.

Regards,
Abdul

PS I recently watched a youtube documentary on finding reasons for natural catastrophe looking at planetary scale.....it says we all owe our life to the processes that produce the natural calamities like the storms, volcanic eruptions, etc (not the natural calamities caused by acts of human being). The video explains How the natures unseen forces interconnect in extraordinary ways, and ultimately how they sustain life on earth.
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVsflNruGP4
O our Preserver! You haven?t produced (all) this wrongfully (3189-191)

[Jafar]

Another type of "Natural Calamities" a.k.a "God Calamities" (as the terms Natural and God is actually interchangeable in this context) is destruction through invasion and warfare.

The Tanakh, Gospel and Quran are in agreement on this one.

Example in the Quran..
"And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance.
When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.
Then did We grant you the Return as against them We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power.
If you did well, you did well for yourselves; if you did evil, (you did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power. It may be that your Lord may show Mercy unto you; but if ye revert (to your sins), We shall revert (to Our punishments)"
Quran 174-8

The Quran cited the 'history' of Israelites as a 'sign' to reflect upon.

The first warning are comprehensively recorded in the Tanakh and the "Our servants given to terrible warfare" was the Babylonian invasion lead by Nebucadnezzar, this event is also being recorded comprehensively in the Tanakh.

The second warning is being recorded in the Gospel (Jesus's dark prophecy).

This time around it was the "Roman Punitive Annihilation of Judea", after failed attempt of rebellion by the Israelites only few decades after Jesus lifetime. Hundred of Thousands Judeans (including women and children) were being massacred and others are sold as slaves.

There are hundreds of documentaries citing the details of such event, look it out on the YouTube. This event is being mentioned in the Quran around 500 years later as "point of reflection" for its readers.

And now we have comprehensive archive of histories, we should learn from the past events, trying to avoid the mistake made by people of the past.

This "destructive event" is not exclusively happened to the Israelites, there are hundreds of destroyed societies and nations, The Quran named few surrounding Arabian tribes such as "The Ad" and "The Thamud", from history we know the destruction story if the Aztecs, the Incans, The Celts, The Romans to name a few and also the "Caliphate".

The Caliphate was being destroyed through foreign invasion, this time by The Mongols around 600 years after the Quran. Millions were being massacred in nearly the entire middle east, from Baghdad to Judea to Egypt, including women and children.

And as if it wasn't enough only few decades later, another massive killing were being delivered through the Plague of "Black Death". It spread not only in Middle East but to Europe as well and it killed nearly half of the total population in Middle East and Europe at that time (estimated to be around 75 to 100 million death).

Perhaps it will be interesting to discuss the "why" such thing happened?
What went wrong during the Caliphate era?
Why they deserve such punishment?

It will be a contextual discussion as the situation today in Middle East is not so great either..
Will there be another total destruction happening in the near future?

Salam / Peace