Part 1
Author: Mufti Bashir Ahmad Muhajir
الحمد لله رب العالمین والصلوة والسلام علی رسوله محمد الأمین وعلی آله وصحبه اجمعین، امابعد!
فأعوذ بالله من الشیطن الرجیم
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Translation: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family and companions. To proceed: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ” (الأنفال:46)
Translation: “And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you lose courage and your strength departs; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Surah Al-Anfal: 46)
Since the time Allah Almighty created this world, He has brought forth various nations, some of which possessed immense strength and power, were physically imposing, and intellectually superior to later generations.
However, Allah has a universal law: He does not value humans based on their power, intellect, or knowledge but rather on their obedience to Him and His Messenger (peace be upon him). According to the divine law, the most successful and powerful person is the one who adheres to the commands and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him).
If we examine history, we find that many nations inhabited the earth, excelling in strength, intellect, and wisdom. Yet, when they abandoned the obedience of Allah and His Messengers, Allah subjected them to severe humiliation and disgrace. Some of these nations remain perpetually disgraced, such as the Jews, while others faced divine punishments, like the nations of ‘Aad, Thamud, and the people of Lut.
This happened because these nations forsook the obedience of Allah and His Prophets and turned towards the ways of Satan. Allah has promised to cast Satan and his followers into Hellfire together.
For instance, consider the strength, power, and intelligence of certain nations. Their physical build was so immense that a towering tree appeared to them as a small plant appears to us today. Regarding them, Allah says:
“الم تر کیف فعل ربک بعاد، ارم ذات العماد، التي لم یخلق مثلها في البلاد” (سورة الفجر: ۶,۷,۸)
Translation: “Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with `Ad— [the people of] Iram, who had lofty pillars, the likes of whom had never been created in the earth?”
(Surah Al-Fajr: 6–8)
This verse highlights the physical and structural prowess of the tribe of Iram (a clan of `Ad). Despite their strength, when they disobeyed Allah and His Prophets, Allah sent upon them a devastating windstorm. A storm lifted them into the air, flung them down, and shattered their bodies.
Their intellectual achievements were unparalleled. The engineers of their time had capabilities that modern experts cannot match, even with today’s advanced technology. Allah mentions another nation in the following verse:
“وثمود الذین جابواالصخر بالواد” (سورة الفجر: ۰۹)
Translation: “And [the people of] Thamud, who cut out (Huge) rocks in the valley.”
(Surah Al-Fajr: 9)
In this verse, Allah Almighty explains that He gave the people of Thamud a punishment similar to that of the people of Aad. Now, let us explore who the people of Thamud were.
The people of Thamud were a skilled and intelligent tribe renowned for their expertise in stone carving. They were pioneers in this field of engineering, carving mountains to construct homes within them. Additionally, they crafted statues and engravings in the mountains. This form of engineering surpassed the capabilities of present-day engineers.
One notable example of their craftsmanship can be observed in the Buddhas of Bamiyan, which were carved nearly 2,500 years ago. Despite advancements in technology, contemporary engineers are unable to replicate such structures. But when this nation turned away from Allah’s guidance, He dispatched Angel Jibreel (Gabriel, peace be upon him) to obliterate them. With a single scream, they were eradicated in their dwellings, leaving behind remnants that serve as a lesson to this day.
To be continued…
