And Allah has promised such of you as believe and act according to
His programme that He will surely give them power in the land even as
He gave power to those who were before them; and that He will surely
establish for them their Deen, which He has approved for them and will
surely change for them their fear into security (24:55),
The above verse raises the question of the rise and fall of nations.
A nation suddenly rises to a position of power and glory and then,
after a short or long period, falls into decay and is supplanted by
another more vigorous nation. Here too we see the working of an
unalterable law, the law of survival of nations. This is basically a
moral law. As long as a nation, by its achievements in the fields of
knowledge and action, helps forward the progress of humanity, it
continues to flourish and prosper. The moment its activities impede
the development of mankind, it is doomed to decay and extinction.
We see this law operative throughout human history. The lives of all
nations are governed by this law. The fate of nations depends on
moral value and not on the possession of brute force. Note what the
Qur'an says about this:
We (thus) caused you to inherit their land and their houses and their
wealth, and land ye have not yet trodden (33:27).
That nation inherits the earth which has, of its own accord, joined
the Order of Rububiyyah and has implemented its programme by
fostering and developing the absolute values and creating the
proper atmosphere for the development of free selves. Such a
nation, on entering upon its inheritance, exclaims, in the words of
the Qur'an:
Thanks to God Who has fulfilled His promise to us and has made us to
inherit the land ..... We may dwell in Jannah wherever we please. So
bounteous is the reward of those who work (39:74).
This verse reveals the true nature of Jannah and stresses the
continuity between this life and the Hereafter. It is clear that Jannah
is a state of existence and although the good enter on it only after
death, they can, when their life is attuned to the Divine Will, enjoy a
foretaste of it even in this life. The fact that it can be anticipated in
this life shows that it is not to be regarded as a locality. The
characteristic of this plane of existence is that the basic needs of the
physical self are provided for, so that the real self is free to develop
and seek fulfilment. The following verse, addressed to Adam refers
to this point:
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 191