DESTRUCTIONS MENTIONED IN QURAN

I had set up studying Surah Al Anam (Chapter 6 of Quran) and writing about it today. It had been a long while since I had covered 5 chapters in Quran and tried to bring out what it taught us all.

When I came to Verse 6 of the Surah, it went as follows :

Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them which We had established upon the earth as We have not established you? And We sent [rain from] the sky upon them in showers and made rivers flow beneath them; then We destroyed them for their sins and brought forth after them a generation of others.

Having read that, I wanted to know how many generations of people were actually destroyed by Allah when they disobeyed the commands of the Lord and the teachings sent upon the people through various Prophets spread over several periods of time.

I knew about the Story of Noah and his Ark, which is mentioned in the Bible and Quran. In fact, most of us know about how an entire land was destroyed by floods for making mockery of the Allah’s commandments. I had a faint idea of the Land of Sodom, though not the detailed account of it. And I wanted to know about it and other accounts of destruction mentioned in Quran.

I searched up and found the Story of Lut and his people, the Story of Ad and Ubair, the Story of the people of Pompeii. Most of the accounts taken from the respective references have been kept verbatim and important verses have been chosen to keep it short and concise. For in-depth study, the links mentioned alongside can be referred to.

I am taking up the well-known story of Prophet Noah at the end, and we will study that too in detail for our knowledge and for those who know nothing about it.

DESTRUCTIONS MENTIONED IN SURAH ANAM AND VARIOUS VERSES OF QURAN

People of Lut and the city which was turned upside down

Prophet Lut was sent as a messenger to one of Prophet Ibrahim's neighbouring communities. These people, as the Qur’an tells us, practiced a perversion unknown to the world up to then, namely sodomy. When Lut told them to give up this perversion and brought them Allah's warning, they denied him, refused his prophethood, and carried on with their perversion. In the end, these people were destroyed by a dreadful disaster.

The city where Lut resided is referred to as Sodom in the Old Testament. This is where the word ‘sodomy’ comes from. Being situated at the north of the Red Sea, this community is understood to have been destroyed just as it is written in the Qur’an. Archaeological studies reveal that the city is located in the area of the Dead Sea (referred in ancient history also as ‘Lake of Lut’) which stretches along the Israel-Jordan border.

We also (sent) Lut: He said to his people: “Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you?

For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women : ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.”

And his people gave no answer but this: they said, “Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!”

But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind.

And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): Then see what was the end of those who indulged in sin and crime!

(Surat al-Araf: Verses 80-84)

(This incident also has mention in the Old Testament of Bible)

The destructions and warning and incidents of the destructions brought upon on the people of Sodom, is clearly mentioned in various verses of Surah Al Qamar , Surah Ash Shuara , Surah Al Araf , Surah Al Ankaboot, Surah Al Hijr, Surah Adh Dhariyat, Surah Hud,

Scientific evidence of Destruction of the Destruction of the people of Sodom and Gomarrah (where Prophet Lut lived) :

National Geographic makes the following comment on December 1957;

The mount of Sodom, a barren wasteland, rises sharply above the dead sea. No one has ever found the destroyed cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but scholars believe that they stood in the Vale of Siddim across from these cliffs. Possibly flood waters of the Dead Sea engulfed them following an earthquake. (6)

People of Pompeii

Yes, “no change will be found in Allah’s way (rules)”. Everybody, who stands against His laws and rebels against Him, is subject to the same divine law. Pompeii, the symbol of the degeneration of the Roman Empire, was also involved in sexual perversity. Its end was similar to that of the people of Lut.

The destruction of Pompeii came by means of the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius.

The removal of Pompeii from the face of the earth by such a disaster was not purposeless. The historical record shows that the city was exactly a center of dissipation and perversity

It was no more than a single mighty Blast, and behold! they were (like ashes) quenched and silent. (Surah Yaseen)

Reference:

http://www.islamicity.com/science/QuranAndScience/destruction/GeneratedFilesnoframe/ThePeopleofLutandTheCitywhichwasTurnedUpsideDown.htm

People of ‘Ad and Ubair and the Atlantis of Sand

Another people who were destroyed and who are mentioned in various Surah of the Qur’an is ‘Ad, who are mentioned after the people of Nuh (Prophet Noah). Being sent to ‘Ad, Prophet Hud summoned his people, just like all the other prophets had done, to believe in Allah without ascribing partners to Him and to obey Him, the prophet of that time. The people reacted to Hud with animosity. They accused him of imprudence, untruthfulness, and attempting to change the system their ancestors had established.

In Surah Hud, all that passed between Hud and his people is told in detail;

To the Ad People (We sent) Hud, one of their own brethren. He said: “O my people! worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him. (Your other gods) ye do nothing but invent!

O my people! I ask of you no reward for this (Message). My reward is from none but Him who created me: Will ye not then understand?

And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him (in repentance): He will send you the skies pouring abundant rain, and add strength to your strength: so turn ye not back in sin!”

They said: “O Hud! No Clear (Sign) that hast thou brought us, and we are not the ones to desert our gods on thy word! Nor shall we believe in thee!

We say nothing but that (perhaps) some of our gods may have seized thee with imbecility.”

He said: “I call Allah to witness, and do ye bear witness, that I am free from the sin of ascribing, to Him, Other gods as partners! so scheme (your worst) against me, all of you, and give me no respite. I put my trust in Allah, My Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature, but He hath grasp of its fore-lock. Verily, it is my Lord that is on a straight Path.

If ye turn away,- I (at least) have conveyed the Message with which I was sent to you. My Lord will make another people to succeed you, and you will not harm Him in the least. For my Lord hath care and watch over all things.”

So when Our decree issued, We saved Hud and those who believed with him, by (special) Grace from Ourselves: We saved them from a severe penalty.

Such were the Ad People: they rejected the Signs of their Lord and Cherisher; disobeyed His messengers; And followed the command of every powerful, obstinate transgressor.

And they were pursued by a Curse in this life - and on the Day of Judgment. Ah! Behold! for the 'Ad rejected their Lord and Cherisher! Ah! Behold! removed (from sight) were 'Ad the people of Hud!

(Surah Hud: Verses 50-60)

The people who showed animosity to Hud and rebelled against Allah, were indeed destroyed. A horrible sandstorm annihilated ‘Ad as if they had “never existed”.

And the 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious Wind, exceedingly violent. He made it rage against them seven nights and eight days in succession: so that thou couldst see the (whole) people lying prostrate in its (path), as they had been roots of hollow palm-trees tumbled down! (Surat al-Haaqqa: 6-7)

The details of disaster are also mentioned in some verses of Surah Al Qamar, Surah Al Ahqaf.

Scientific Proof :

At the beginning of 1990, there appeared press-releases in the well-known newspapers of the world declaring “Fabled Lost Arabian city found”, “Arabian city of Legend found”, “The Atlantis of the Sands, Ubar”. What rendered this archaeological find more intriguing was the fact that this city was also referred to in the Qur’an. Many people who, since then, thought that ‘Ad recounted in the Qur’an were a legend or that their location could never be found, could not conceal their astonishment at this discovery

Reference:

http://www.islamicity.com/science/QuranAndScience/destruction/GeneratedFilesnoframe/ThePeopleof145AdandUbartheAtlantisoftheSands.htm

Noah and his Ark

For many generations Noah's people had been worshipping statues that they called gods. They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'auq, and Nasr. They thought that these gods were possessed.

{They (idolaters) have said: "You shall not leave your gods nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwa, nor Yaghuth, nor Ya uq nor Nasr (names of the idols)."} [Surah Nuh : Verse 23]

Originally these were the names of good people who had lived among them. After their deaths, statues of them were erected to keep their memories alive. After sometime, however, people began to worship these statues. Later generations did not even know why they had been erected; they only knew their parents had prayed to them. That is how idol worshipping developed. Since they had no understanding of Allah the Almighty Who would punish them for their evil deeds, they became cruel and immoral

When Noah approached the people of his land to accept and follow in the Oneness of Allah, he was rejected and mocked at.

{Indeed We sent Noah to his people (he said): "I have come to you as a plain Warner that you worship none but Allah, surely, I fear for you the torment of a painful Day." the chiefs of the disbelievers among his people said: "We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they too followed you without thinking. And we do not see in you any merit above us in fact we think you are liars.}[Surah Hud:25-27]

Noah appealed to them: {O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allah. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are ignorant. O my people! Who will help me against Allah, if I drove them away? Will you not then give a thought? And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allah nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say I am an angel, and I do not say of those whom your eyes look down upon that Allah will not bestow any good on them. Allah knows what is in their inner selves (regards to Belief). In that case, I should, indeed be one of the Zalimeen (wrongdoers, oppressors).}

[Surah Hud: Verses 29-31]

Noah continued to call his people to believe in Allah for nine hundred fifty years. Allah the Almighty said: {Indeed We sent Noah to his people and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years (inviting them to believe in the Oneness of Allah (Monotheism) and discard the false gods and other deities)} [Surah Al Ankabut: Verse 14]

Noah saw that the number of believers was not increasing, while that of the disbelievers was. He was sad for his people, but he never reached the point of despair.

There came a day when Allah revealed to Noah that no others would believe. Allah inspired him not to grieve for them at which point Noah prayed that the disbelievers be destroyed. He said:

"My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers on the earth. If you leave them, they will mislead Your slaves and they will beget none but wicked disbeliveers." [Surah Nuh:Verse 27]

Allah the Exalted ordered His worshipper Noah to build an ark with His knowledge and instructions and with the help of angels. Almighty Allah commanded:

We revealed to him: "Build the Ship under Our supervision and as We reveal. When Our command comes and water bubbles up from the earth, load into it a pair of every species, and your family-except for those among them against whom the word has already gone ahead. And do not address Me concerning those who do wrong. They shall be drowned." [Surah Hud:Verse 37]

{As he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said : "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking. And you will know who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace and on whom will fall a lasting torment.} [Surah Hud :38-39 ]

{So it was till then there came Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the earth). We said: "Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, and those who believe." And none believed him except a few.} [Surah Hud : 40]

O Earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky! Withhold (your rain). The water was diminished (made to subside) and the Decree (of Allah) was fulfilled (the destruction of the people of Noah). And it (the ship) rested on Mount Judi, and it was said: "Away with the people who are Zalimeen (polytheists, and wrongdoing)!}

{O Noah! Come down (from the ship) with peace from Us and blessings on you and on the people o\who are with you(and on some of their offspring), but (there will be other) people to whom We shall grant their pleasures (for a time), but in the end a painful torment will reach them from Us.}

[Surah Hud:verses 41-48 ]

This is how another community of people who had gone astray from the part of Allah were destroyed.

Scientific evidence :

In recent times, the discovery of a large amount of evidence concerning Nuh's Flood has come to the attention of the world's most prominent archaeologists and historians. The Flood, believed to have occurred around 3000 B.C., destroyed an entire civilisation and allowed an entirely new one to be founded in its place. That evidence of the Flood was preserved for thousands of years provides a deterrent to those people who have come after this punishment of the wicked.

Many excavations have been carried out to study the flood, which was localised on and around the Mesopotamian Plains. Digs in the region have encountered traces of a flood in four main cities on the Mesopotamian Plain: Ur, Erech, Kish and Shuruppak. Excavations in these cities have shown that these cities were hit by flooding around 3000 B.C.

Reference :

http://en.islamstory.com/prophet-nuh.html

http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/historical_06.html

All those regions who wronged, mocked the prophets and refused in the oneness of GOD and committed acts of immorality in large numbers, were destroyed by God through various disasters, which wiped them off the land. So let us all save ourselves from the wrath of Allah and follow the Right Path, the path of Siratul –Mustaqeem. Ameen.