Understanding Divine Punishment in the Modern Era
Question: In the past, many nations were punished severely, but we don’t see such punishments nowadays. Why is that?
Answer: Many nations have existed in the world, but the Quran only mentions the destruction of certain ones. Just because a few nations were destroyed does not mean that Allah destroyed every nation.
Secondly, the Ummah (community) of Prophet Muhammad is unique, as it is the largest and most widespread community across the entire world. There has never been another Ummah before that spread globally like this one because previous communities were limited to specific regions, whereas the Sharia of Prophet Muhammad is for the whole world.
Additionally, divine punishment can take many forms. History records numerous punishments, and even today, we witness events like earthquakes, storms, famines, and killings — all of which are manifestations of Allah’s punishment.
Though this community will not be entirely wiped out before the Day of Judgment, different forms of punishment will continue to appear. The world is vast, and many punishments occur that we neither see nor are aware of.
Moreover, we live in an era filled with immorality and trials, and we should consider the verse in the Quran where Allah grants this community two protections: the presence of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the act of seeking forgiveness (istighfar).
The first protection has ceased as the Prophet has passed away, but the second remains — people continue to seek forgiveness, and thus, the community as a whole will not be destroyed before the Day of Judgment.
Written by: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (May Allah Protect Him)
Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salama – Saudi Arabia
Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail