Question: Why have Past communities gone astray?

ANSWER

The simple reason is that they failed to heed the command of ALLAH to believe in His messengers. Each community, after believing in their messengers, put a stop to their belief in future messengers, against the command of ALLAH. ALLAH is the only One who is THE LIVING AND ETERNAL, and He communicates with His creation through the messengers - this being part of His system as we see through 22:75.

22:75 - ALLAH chooses from among the angels messengers, as well as from the people. ALLAH is Hearer, Seer.

When people disbelieve in the most important command and fact, they hurt their own souls by being devoid of ALLAH's Guidance, which they could have received free of any charge by believing in ALLAH's messengers and would stay as part of the "ONE CONGREGATION" of ALLAH.

21:92 - Your congregation is but one congregation, and I alone am your Lord; you shall worship Me alone.

23:52 - Such is your congregation - one congregation - and I am your Lord; you shall reverence Me.

Here is a verse that applies to the children of Israel to believe in future messengers.

1. Children of Israel

5:12 - ALLAH had taken a covenant from the Children of Israel, and we raised among them twelve patriarchs. And ALLAH said, "I am with you, so long as you observe the Contact Prayers, give the obligatory charity, and believe in My messengers and respect them, and continue to lend ALLAH a loan of righteousness. I will then remit your sins, and admit you into gardens with flowing streams. Anyone who disbelieves after this, has indeed strayed off the path."

Here is a verse that applies to the Christians to believe in future messengers.

2. Christians

4:171 - O people of the scripture, do not transgress the limits of your religion, and do not say about ALLAH except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was a messenger of ALLAH, and His word that He had sent to Mary, and a revelation from Him. Therefore, you shall believe in ALLAH and His messengers. You shall not say, "Trinity." You shall refrain from this for your own good. ALLAH is only one god. Be he glorified; He is much too glorious to have a son. To Him belongs everything in the Heavens and everything on Earth. ALLAH suffices as Lord and Master.

Here is a verse that applies to the followers of the Quran to believe in future messengers.

3. Followers of Quran

7:35 - 7:37 - O children of Adam, when messengers come to you from among you, and recite my revelations to you, those who take heed and lead a righteous life, will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. As for those who reject our revelations, and are too arrogant to uphold them, they have incurred Hell, wherein they abide forever. Who is more evil than those who invent lies about ALLAH, or reject His revelations? These will get their share, in accordance with the scripture, then, when our messengers come to terminate their lives, they will say, "Where are the idols you used to implore beside ALLAH?" They will say, "They have abandoned us." They will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

Here is verse 3:179 that applies to the believers who have believed up to the last messenger, advising them to believe in future messengers from ALLAH. This becomes a major test for Submitters to ALLAH through the Quran.

4. Existing Submitters

3:179 - ALLAH is not to leave the believers as you are, without distinguishing the bad from the good. Nor does God inform you of the future, but ALLAH bestows such knowledge upon whomever He chooses from among His messengers. Therefore, you shall believe in ALLAH and His messengers. If you believe and lead a righteous life, you receive a great recompense.

40:70 - They are the ones who have disbelieved in the scripture, and in the messages we have sent with our messengers. Therefore, they will surely find out.

57:8 - 57:9 - Why should you not believe in ALLAH when the messenger is inviting you to believe in your Lord? He has taken a pledge from you, if you are believers. He is the One who sends down to His servant clear revelations, in order to lead you out of the darkness into the light. ALLAH is Compassionate towards you, Most Merciful.

Belief in Day of Resurrection through ALLAH's messengers

64:6 - 64:8 - This is because their messengers went to them with clear proofs, but they said, "Shall we follow humans like us?" They disbelieved and turned away. ALLAH does not need them; ALLAH is in no need, Praiseworthy. Those who disbelieved claimed that they will not be resurrected! Yes indeed, by my Lord, you will be resurrected, and you will be held accountable for everything you had done. This is easy for ALLAH to do. Therefore, you shall believe in ALLAH and His messenger, and the light that We have revealed herein. ALLAH is fully cognizant of everything you do.

Comment

Note the use of the word, "messengers," in plural. This is one of the most important aspects of Submission (to believe in the messengers of ALLAH), after belief in ALLAH and not to make any distinction amongst them. Disbelief in ALLAH's messengers and opposing them guarantees the punishment of Hell.

18:106 - Their just requital is Hell, in return for their disbelief, and for mocking My revelations and My messengers.

9:63 - Did they not know that anyone who opposes ALLAH and His messenger has incurred the fire of Hell forever? This is the worst humiliation.

What do the Revealed Numbers mean?
Click here for a table of gematrical values for important words