Quran Garden

Session 465

Chapter 3

Verse 137

Similar traditions came to pass before you, so travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers.  (Chapter 3: Verse 137)

God is telling us that we need to learn from history.  "Came to pass" means "happened before," that is, you can look through the past and find multiple examples of people who abandoned God's teachings and failed and others who followed them to ultimate success.  

The word "traditions" is translated from the Arabic origin سُنَنٌ (Sunan).  It refers to how God runs the universe for the good of the creation and, more specifically, the benefit of humankind – the masters of this universe.  But where does the benefit of humankind lie?  We answer that we all win when the truth prevails and dominates all aspects of life.  Humanity can find harmony when we operate under the principles of truth and honesty.  Only then would our affairs run as smoothly as the affairs of all the creations that do not have free will. 

Let me clarify.  All creations in the universe are deprived of free will and subjugated to your service.  Inanimate objects, plants, and animals serve our needs, and have little choice to object.  Regardless of their faith, any person with a plot of land suitable for cultivation can do the necessary work and enjoy an excellent harvest.  The earth never said to a person, "You are a disbeliever, so I will not give you sustenance."  Allah subjugated the earth to serve humankind as long as they did the necessary work.  Likewise, animals are at your service, not by your will or ability to harness them, but because God subdued them for you.  He says:

Do they not see the cattle, among the things We have fashioned by Our power, which they own and whom We made subservient to them, so that some of them they ride and some they eat? (36:71-72)

A farmer may use a horse to carry piles of manure in the morning, then he rides it around town in the afternoon, and, at sunset, he may spend some time grooming the horse and beautifying it with bridles and saddles.  Did the horse refrain from hauling the manure?  Did it refuse to carry the farmer or buck at the saddle and bridle?  No, you can utilize it however you wish, for it has no choice.  Likewise, plants have no free will, nor do inanimate objects.  Only human beings were granted free will and superiority over other creations.  I say "granted," so you are not under the false illusion that you have true sovereignty over your affairs or that free will is an intrinsic ability. 

Remember that God did not grant you freedom in all matters; He kept many in His hand.  For example, you have no control over the day of your birth or the time of your death.  You cannot control accidents that may happen to you or diseases that strike your body.  You have no say in who your parents or relatives are and so on.  The things God left under your control are matters of belief and actions.  You can ponder and choose what to believe in and what to do each day.

Now, close your eyes and think about all the creations that have no free will.  They operate under the system God created for them.  You will quickly realize that matters that run according to God's plan are in perfect order and beautiful harmony.  Consider, for example, the animals we used as means of transportation, such as camels, horses, or donkeys.  They travel in both obedience and awareness.  If two horses are heading toward each other, they avoid collision and protect their riders.  There are countless stories of animals that delivered the rider home even when they were asleep or dead.  No matter how busy the road is, animals navigate around each other and around holes and obstacles.  The waste of horses is an excellent fertilizer for the soil, and when the horse dies its body replenishes the earth.  

Now think about all the matters that suffer from corruption or imbalance.  They are the ones where humans are in charge.  Why?  Because humans often go contrary to the teachings of their Creator.  Let's again consider the human modes of transportation.  We have amazing cars driven by people, and every day there are thousands of violations, accidents, and deaths related to driving.  The planet is suffering from air pollution and groundwater contamination from exhaust and engine fluids.  There are millions of junkyards filled with old cars. 

So, if you want matters to be run right, you should follow God's guidance.  Only then can you enjoy the same harmony as the rest of creation.  When Allah commands or prohibits, you must believe and obey. 

We said that people never complained of a sun or wind crisis, but we have plenty of food and water crises.  Why?  Because humans have a hand in producing and distributing food and water, while the sun and wind are God's domain.  When humans neglect the mandate of their Lord they inevitably go down a path of greed and lies, while the rest of the universe is based on the truth.  God says:

We have created them only with truth, but most people do not know.  (44:39)

It is man's whims that bring about corruption.  For this reason, God preserves the universe in a way that makes it clear that the truth is far superior.  When the truth clashes with falsehood, it prevails, whereas falsehood withers and vanishes.  God says:

And say: "The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished.  Surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish by its very nature." (17:81)

Hence, the verse "Similar traditions came to pass before you, so travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers" is an invitation to consider history.  Look at the result of every conflict, not between man-made systems but between falsehood and the Divine Truth.  What happened to the mighty civilization of the pharaohs when it went up against the Divine Truth?  God says:  

To the people of Madian, We sent their brother Shuayb.  He said, "My people, serve God and think ahead to the Last Day.  Do not commit evil and spread corruption in the land." They rejected him, and so the earthquake overtook them.  When morning came, they were lying dead in their homes.  And the tribes of 'Ad and Thamud: their history is made clear to you by what is left of their dwelling places.  Satan made their foul deeds seem alluring to them and barred them from the right way, though they were capable of seeing.  And Qarun, Pharaoh, and Haman: Moses brought them clear signs, but they behaved arrogantly on earth.  They could not escape Us.  We punished each one of them for their sins: some We struck with a violent storm; a sudden blast overcame some; some We made the earth swallow; and some We drowned.  It was not God who wronged them; they wronged themselves. (29:36-40)

Indeed, every divine message sent by God was opposed by the people of falsehood because the heavens only intervene when corruption is widespread, and a large group of powerful elites is benefiting from sin and having a strong interest in defending it.  Thus, the Divine Truth intervenes to challenge falsehood and its supporters.  Such is the moment of the clash.  God says, "Similar situations came to pass before you."  As such, the conflict between truth and falsehood occurred in nations that preceded us.  So whoever wants confirmation should go and see the ruins of Saleh, traces of 'Ad, and Pharaoh's pyramids.  They never recovered from their defeat.  And do not, for one moment, think that such interventions from the heavens are ancient history that will not repeat in our modern world.  God says:

And with the Pharaoh, who had formidable strongholds, all of whom were tyrants in their lands, and caused much corruption, so your Lord poured on them lashes of punishment.  Behold!  Your Lord is always on the watch.  (10:14)