of civilisation; in the latter case, they have fallen behind other
people, have decayed and ultimately have been supplanted by
others. In this process, a causal relation is indicated. Each way of life
produces its own consequences. The set of regulations which
governs these results is the Law of Requital. As you sow, so shall you
reap. This law is as relentless and inexorable in its working as any
other law of nature. The Qur'an has repeatedly affirmed this law
and, drawing upon human history, has provided copious
illustrations of its working. A nation which adopts a way of life that
accords with the moral order of the universe, achieves success in
every field of activity. It wins both wisdom and material prosperity.
A nation whose way of life is opposed to this order, inevitably
decays and disintegrates.
History is a record of the rise and fall of nations. It tells us about
the nations that flourished in the past – their way of life, the goals
they pursued, the values around which their culture was organised,
their actions and the consequences of those actions. History taken
not merely as a chronicle of events but as assessment of working of
values can help us solve our own problems. This assessment would
give us power – power of prediction and power of control – in the
sphere of collective affairs. We can avoid pitfalls. If we find
ourselves following a course that has brought nations to a
calamitous end, we can check ourselves in time, retrace our steps
back to the crossroad and choose a better path, if not the right one.
We can thus have not only a guiding light to judge our own way of
life, our thinking and our actions, but also an insight into the future
of other nations from the ideals pursued by them. In short, if we
wish to make the best of life, there is no escape from a study of
history relating the conduct of the people with the fate that befell
them. That is why the Qur'an exhorts us to go round the world and
see for ourselves "the fate of those who defied God," i.e., His Laws.
Wealth, power, numbers, nothing could save them when they ran
afoul of the higher values. History has judged them, as it will, in
time, judge us. The prognosis is within our grasp:
Verily, we have sent down for you revelations that make plain, and the
example of those who passed away before you. An admonition unto
those who wish to be secured from the pitfalls in the way of life
(24:34).
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 263