IV. Doom of the NationsHistory bears testimony to the fact that the conduct of nations,
as that of individuals, is governed by the Law of Requital. A nation
which lives and acts in accordance with the moral order and furthers
the development of man, prospers and grows strong. An unjust and
reactionary nation, on the other hand, heads for ruin. Each succeeds
or fails as a consequence of its own acts. The events of history are
not unrelated and arbitrary but are truly determined by an
unalterable standard. History is not the sport of a capricious fate
but is a lawful, orderly process. If a nation suffers, it has brought the
suffering on itself. It cannot blame it on any outside agency. "He
who has to perish," says the Qur'an, ''perishes by a clear proof, and
he who has to survive, survives by a clear proof" (8:42). Success or
failure are the eventual consequences of our good or bad conduct.
The Qur'an makes this clear:
God does not do injustice to anyone. It is the people who do injustice
to themselves (11:101).
It is man who often acts against his best interests:
Why should God punish you if you are grateful? (4:147).
In another place, the Qur'an puts it still more clearly. "When
misfortune befalls man, he exclaims: "my Rabb has abased me for no
reason. "The Qur'an replies that God is never unjust in His dealings
with men. "If you suffer, it is because you, on your part, never
succour the orphan and the lonely, and urge not the feeding of the
poor, and you devour the heritage with greed, and love wealth with
abounding love" (89:16-20). These are the causes of their
misfortunes. In this connection, the Qur'an lays down a significant
principle:
In truth my Rabb was not one Who would destroy the townships
tyrannically while their people were doing right (11:117).
Only those are punished who deviate from the right path (46:35).
The "doom of nations" is a recurrent theme in the Qur'an. It is
worthwhile to determine the exact meaning of this term. Some
nations have, in fact, been completely forgotten. It is not, however,
to this fact that the Qur'an directs our attention. The Qur'an wants
us to ponder over the plight of a nation, which, through its
misdeeds, has lost its independence and is living in a condition of
Rise and Fall of Nations 270