Rise and Fall of Nations (Azal-o-Nasab):

Under the law of trial which has been mentioned earlier just as God selects people to make them undergo a trial of patience or of gratitude, in a similar manner He also selects nations for this purpose. As a result of this selection, when a nation once rises among the comity of nations the practice of God with it is that He keeps it on this position until it itself plunges into lowliness with regard to morality and knowledge. This is an unchangeable practice of God and when, after repeated warnings, He decides to humiliate and depose a nation no one can stop Him and no power of this world can help that nation against the Almighty. The whole history of mankind bears witness to this practice of God:

إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ (١١:١٣)

God does not change His dealing with a people unless they themselves change their characteristics and when God decides to afflict them with a misfortune, none can ward it off. And for such people there is none who can help them against God. (13:11)

Consequently, the Quran has said that this phenomenon of rise and fall shall happen with every nation of this world, and as a result some of these nations would be destroyed and others inflicted with great punishment. History tells us that first the Hamites and then the Semites were selected for this purpose and for the past five hundred years, the progeny of Japheth have been chosen for this purpose. These are last peoples on which history will be ending. The Quran says that after this the Day of Judgement shall come:

وَإِن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا كَانَ ذَلِك فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا (58:17)

And there is no nation which We shall not destroy or sternly punish before the Day of Judgement. That is decreed in the Book of God. (17:58)

(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)