Overview (Verses 10 - 11)

God’s Message is Met with Derision

This passage concludes with a reference to what happened to those who derided God’s messengers. The new rejecters of the faith are called upon to reflect on the fate of those who preceded them. They are told to travel all over the earth to see for themselves the fate of earlier unbelievers, because that tells them of God’s law which never fails: “Indeed other messengers have been derided before your time, but those who scoffed at them ventually overwhelmed by the very thing they have derided.” (Verse 10)

Having shown their attitude as stubborn rejection and their suggestions as marks of total ignorance, and having established that God’s refusal to act on their suggestions is an aspect of His mercy and forbearance, the surah refers to the treatment received by earlier messengers. Such reference has a dual purpose. It firstly provides some solace to the Prophet who was at the receiving end of their obstinate rejection of the truth. It reassures him that God will certainly punish those who deride and scoff at His messengers. It tells him that such rejection is not a new phenomenon. Earlier messengers received similar treatment from their peoples, but those who scoffed at them Were soon to suffer God’s punishment. Ultimate victory belongs to the Truth.

Secondly, it reminds the Arabs who rejected the Prophet’s message of the fate of their earlier counterparts. A similar fate awaits them if they persist in their ridicule and rejection. God’s punishment destroyed earlier genarations who were much more powerful and who enjoyed greater wealth. This reference, then, shakes hearts violently.

Let us reflect a little here on this Qur’ānic directive: “Say: Go all over the earth and see what was the fate of who denied the truth.” (Verse 11) To travel all over the earth for the simple objective of reflection and drawing lessons on the basis of past events and on history told by one generation to the next was something totally new to the Arabs. It shows how great was the gulf between their level of ignorance and the much higher level of intelligence, knowledge and reflection to which Islam carried them. They used to travel for trade and to earn their living. Travelling to gain knowledge and draw lessons was unheard of. This new Islamic method took them by the hand, elevating them from the depths of their ignorance and gently coaxing them along the road to the high zenith they were soon to achieve.

Moreover, it was totally new for mankind in that period of time to try to interpret human history according to methodical and well-defined rules based on cause and effect, such as those pointed out by the Quran to the Arabs. All people can easily observe these laws and formulate their own concept of premises, stages and results. Up to that period in time, the best that people knew of history was the recording of events narratives about customs and social habits. No particular method, whether analytic or synthetic, was followwed to determine links between events or to relate results to premises. The Qur’ān elevated mankind to new horizon and gave them a method to analyse and reflect upon the events of human history. This method does not represent a stage in the development of human knowledge. Rather, it is the only methodwhich can give us a true picture of human history.

A period of one quarter of a century is insufficient to bring about a dramatic development in economic conditions. Those who are amazed at the great advances achieved by the Arabs in such a short period of time from the outset of the Islamic message will cease to be amazed if they switch their attentions away from seeking economic factors for this change. They should try instead to discover the secret of this advancement in the new Divine method which God, in His wisdom, gave them through His Messenger, Muĥammad(peace be upon him). It is in this method that the secret of the miracle experienced by the Arabs lies. Any attempt to find the secret with the false deity created by modern materialism, namely, economy, will remain furtile. For what dramatic economic development took place in Arabia to explain the formulation of new concepts and beliefs, systems of government, methodical thought, moral values, new social status and new fields of knowledge which the Arabs witnessed within just a quarter of a century? None, it was simply the Qur'an and its message.

The Qur’ān established a new system of thought. Totally unknown to man previously, this system was and is both unique and valid for all times. It is the one pointed out by numerous Qur’ānic verses, such as with which this passage concludes: “Say: Go all over the earth and see what was the fate of those who denied truth.” (Verse 11)