Verse of Holy Quran translated: **”And those towns (the towns of the past nations) We destroyed when they committed wrongs; and We have fixed a time for their destruction.”**

Q: Can you name the nations, people who were punished in past and what wrongs were done by them for their punishments?

A: The Quran contains numerous accounts of past nations that were punished for their persistent wrongdoing and rejection of divine guidance. These stories are presented not merely as history, but as moral lessons for humanity.

Here are some of the prominent nations and peoples mentioned, their transgressions, and their punishments:

1. The People of Noah (Nuh)

• Wrongs Done: Persistent disbelief and ridicule of Prophet Noah. They were steeped in idolatry and rejected the message of monotheism for centuries. They arrogantly refused to follow a prophet they deemed to be “only a man like themselves.”
• Punishment: The Great Flood. They were drowned, while Prophet Noah and his followers who believed were saved in the Ark.
• Reference: Quran 71:1-28, 7:59-64, 11:25-48

2. The People of ‘Ad

• Wrongs Done: Arrogance due to their physical strength and monumental architecture. They were powerful and tall in stature but oppressed others and spread corruption in the land. They rejected their prophet, Hud, and demanded to see the punishment they were threatened with.
• Punishment: A devastating, violent windstorm that lasted for seven nights and eight days, destroying everything and leaving them lifeless like hollowed-out palm trunks.
• Reference: Quran 7:65-72, 11:50-60, 41:15-16, 69:6-7

3. The People of Thamud

• Wrongs Done: Known for their skill in carving homes out of mountains, they became arrogant and wealthy. They rejected their prophet, Salih, and demanded a miracle—a she-camel from a rock—which he produced by God’s will. They were then commanded not to harm it, but they hamstrung and killed it.
• Punishment: A catastrophic earthquake and a violent blast (of sound) from the sky that struck them dead, leaving them lifeless in their homes.
• Reference: Quran 7:73-79, 11:61-68, 26:141-158, 91:11-15

4. The People of Lot (Lut)

• Wrongs Done: Widespread homosexuality and public engagement in sinful, lewd acts. They were also known for highway robbery and evil deeds. They rejected Prophet Lot’s message and even threatened to drive him out of the city.
• Punishment: The cities were utterly destroyed by a rain of stones of baked clay. The land was turned upside down.
• Reference: Quran 7:80-84, 11:77-83, 15:57-77, 26:160-175

5. The People of Pharaoh (Firawn)

6. The People of Shu’ayb (often associated with the people of Madyan)

• Wrongs Done: Economic corruption and fraud. They were known for giving short measure and short weight in trade, deceiving people in their commercial dealings. They also worshiped a deity called Al-Ayka (The Woodland) and rejected Prophet Shu’ayb’s call to worship God alone and be fair in business.
• Punishment: A dreadful blast (of sound), an earthquake, and a cloud of punishment from the sky that overtook them while they were in their homes.
• Reference: Quran 7:85-93, 11:84-95, 26:176-189

• Wrongs Done: The ultimate symbol of arrogance and tyranny. Pharaoh claimed divinity for himself (“I am your lord, most high”). He oppressed the Children of Israel, enslaving them and killing their newborn sons. He rejected the clear signs brought by Moses (Musa) and Aaron (Harun) through miracles and persisted in disbelief.
• Punishment: Drowned in the Red Sea while pursuing Moses and the Israelites. His body was preserved as a sign for later generations.
• Reference: Quran 2:49-50, 7:103-137, 10:75-92, 20:43-79, 28:3-40

7. The People of the Sabbath (From the Children of Israel)

• Wrongs Done: They were tested by God. Fish would come to them abundantly on their Sabbath (day of rest when they were forbidden to work) and be scarce on other days. They openly defied the commandment by devising schemes to catch the fish on the Sabbath while technically avoiding the law.
• Punishment: They were transformed into despicable apes as a punishment and example.
• Reference: Quran 2:65, 7:163-166

Common Themes in Their Transgressions:

The Quran emphasizes that these punishments were not for minor sins but for persistent, universal crimes:

1. Shirk: Associating partners with God (Idolatry).
2. Kufr: Arrogant rejection of truth and denial of God’s signs and messengers.
3. Istikbar: Arrogance and tyranny against people.
4. Fasad: Spreading corruption and injustice on Earth.
5. Transgression of Limits: Violating clear moral and divine laws.

The Quran repeatedly states that these nations were given ample warning and chances to repent before the punishment finally seized them. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder of the consequences of unchecked arrogance and corruption.

Q: can you share explanation of the above verse “

Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18), Verse 59**

**Arabic Text:**

وَتِلْكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا۟ وَجَعَلْنَا لِمَهْلِكِهِم مَّوْعِدًۭا

**Translation from Tafheem-ul-Quran (English rendering of Maududi’s translation):**

> **”And those towns (the towns of the past nations) We destroyed when they committed wrongs; and We have fixed a time for their destruction.”**

### **Explanation (Tafseer) from Tafheem-ul-Quran:**

The context of this verse in Surah Al-Kahf is crucial. Syed Abul Ala Maududi explains that this verse is part of Allah’s response to the disbelievers of Makkah who were demanding that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) should bring punishment upon them immediately if he was truly a prophet.

The explanation highlights several key points:

1.  **The Law of Delay:** Allah does not punish people instantly for their disbelief. He gives them a long respite, sends messengers with clear signs, and provides them with ample opportunity to repent and reform.

2.  **A Fixed Appointment for Destruction:** The phrase **”We have fixed a time for their destruction”** means that the punishment of a nation is not a random event. It is a decree from Allah that comes to pass only when a nation has completely exhausted its chances and become utterly entrenched in its wrongdoing and rejection of the truth. This appointed time is known only to Allah.

3.  **A Warning to the Quraysh:** This verse was a severe warning to the disbelievers of Makkah. It told them that their demand for immediate punishment was foolish. The punishment would surely come, but at its own pre-ordained time, and when it arrived, it would be inescapable. They were, in essence, foolishly asking for their own doom to be hastened.

4.  **Connection to the Previous Verse:** This verse (18:59) is directly linked to the one before it (18:58), which states: *”And your Lord is Most Forgiving, full of mercy. If He were to take them to task for what they have earned, He would have hastened their punishment. But they have an appointed time from which they will find no escape.”* Verse 59 then provides evidence for this statement by pointing to the fate of past nations.

Q: Were there any lessons in these divine messages given for future generations/ powers?

A: The Quran consistently presents the stories of destroyed nations not as mere historical accounts, but as profound lessons (‘ibar) with clear moral imperatives for future generations, including contemporary global powers.

The core message is that divine law operates on universal, timeless principles. The rise and fall of nations are not random events but are governed by a consistent divine law (Sunnat Allah – the Way of God), which does not change.

Here are the key lessons derived from these divine messages for all future generations and powers:

1. The Law of Moral Accountability

Lesson: No nation, regardless of its power, wealth, or technological advancement, is beyond accountability. Might does not make right.
Explanation: The Pharaohs, the people of ‘Ad and Thamud, were at the peak of their material civilization when they were destroyed. Their power did not exempt them from the consequences of their moral and ethical corruption. This serves as a stern warning that every nation will be judged based on its justice, ethics, and treatment of the vulnerable.

2. The Peril of Arrogance (Istikbar) and Tyranny

Lesson: Arrogance and the oppression of others are primary causes of a nation’s downfall.
Explanation: The recurring sin of these nations was arrogance born from power and wealth. Pharaoh said, “I am your lord, most high” (79:24). ‘Ad and Thamud were powerful and built magnificent structures but became tyrants. The lesson is that sustainable power is rooted in humility before God and justice towards people, not in brute force and domination.

3. The Rejection of Truth Leads to Destruction

Lesson: Willfully rejecting truth, evidence, and prophetic guidance due to pride or attachment to tradition has severe consequences.
Explanation: These nations did not merely “not believe”; they actively rejected clear signs and messengers who came with rational arguments and miracles. They clung to the ways of their forefathers and mocked the truth. The lesson is that intellectual rigidity and the refusal to accept truth when it is presented are fatal flaws for any civilization.

4. Economic Corruption is a Cause of Ruin

Lesson: A corrupt economic system built on fraud and exploitation is a major factor in societal collapse.
Explanation: The people of Madyan, to whom Prophet Shu’ayb was sent, were punished primarily for economic crimes: defrauding people in weights and measures. This shows that economic justice and fair dealing are not just political issues but are of divine concern and fundamental to a society’s survival.

5. Widespread Moral Decay has Societal Consequences

Lesson: Societies that normalize and promote widespread immorality and public indecency inevitably face collapse.
Explanation: The people of Lot are the prime example, destroyed for their open engagement in homosexual acts and highway robbery. The lesson is that the moral fabric of a society is essential to its health. When transgression becomes a cultural norm, it leads to societal breakdown.

6. The Illusion of Invincibility

Lesson: No matter how secure a nation feels in its fortified castles, mountains, or military might, it cannot escape the decree of God.
Explanation: The people of Thamud felt secure in their mountain homes, and Pharaoh in his vast army. Their destruction came suddenly, from a source they could not predict or defend against. The lesson is that material preparations are ultimately futile if a society is morally and spiritually bankrupt.

7. The Ultimate Triumph of Truth and the Oppressed

Lesson: The final outcome belongs to the righteous and the oppressed, not the oppressors.
Explanation: A consistent theme in these stories is the “inheritance” of the earth. As stated in the verse from Surah Al-A’raf (7:137), “And We made the people who were oppressed the inheritors of the east of the land and the west of it.” This provides hope and assurance to those suffering injustice that the divine law ultimately favors justice and truth.

Conclusion: A Timeless Warning and Guide

These stories are a divine guide for humanity. They outline a clear framework for a sustainable and successful society:

• Successful Societies are built on Tawhid (acknowledgment of one God), justice, ethical economic practices, moral integrity, and acceptance of truth.
• Doomed Societies are characterized by arrogance, oppression, rejection of truth, economic corruption, and moral decay.

For future generations and modern powers, the Quranic message is clear: the laws governing the rise and fall of civilizations are immutable. Technological progress does not suspend these moral laws. Therefore, any nation or power that seeks longevity must align its policies with these principles of justice, humility, and truth.