Fate of Nations

The fate of nations is divine oriented. The decisive moment, as and when it comes is beyond evasion. No nation faces destruction, unless it’s time is set. The appointed time can neither be brought forward, nor could it be delayed. Vis-à-vis, the fate of nations, it is ordained:

‘’We have never destroyed a town unless it has a set time. No nation can bring its time forward, nor can they delay it’’ (15: 4/5)

The Holy Verses were revealed as Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) faced argumentative response on revealing the message. There were questions on sanity, questions on angels:

‘’And they said, O you who received the message, you are insane. Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are truthful’’ ((15: 6/7)

The answers to these queries were revealed in the message, ordaining that angels do not descend without reason, and when they do come it is to fulfil a divine errand:

‘’We do not send the angels down without reason, and they will not be held back’’ (15:8)

Allah (SwT) does not send down the angels except when the times comes for the manifestations of the results of the actions of the wrong-doers and then no respite is given, as is implicit in the message—they will not be held back.

The Holy Verses that followed the warning on the fate of nations, ordaining that, ‘’We have never destroyed a town unless it has a set time.  No nation can bring its time forward, nor can they delay it’’ were meant to convey not to invite Allah’s wrath by asking for angels, as the descent of angels could herald, what they would hardly imagine. The relevance of message and the stress on preserving it follows:

‘’Surely We revealed the Message, and We will surely preserve it’’ (15:9)