The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 370
370 لم أخَذْتُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ 153. Essence of Islām II. Messengers before thee were also subjected to ridicule, but We gave respite to the disbelievers who mocked, and when they reached the limits in their mockery, We seized them and people witnessed how Our chastisement overtook them. . Again it is said: ومَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَ مَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ 154. The disbelievers devised a plan for wiping out Islām, and We also devised a plan. That is to say, We let them go forward with their plans till they reached a stage of wrongdoing which, according to the way of Allāh, attracts His chastisement. . . . . All these verses show that Divine chastisement is inflicted in this world only when a person transgresses the extreme limits in mischief, wrongdoing, arrogance, haughtiness and exaggeration. It does not happen that a disbeliever is inflicted with the lightning of Divine chastisement who is fearful in the extreme, or that a polytheist may be stoned who is terrified to death on account of his fear. God Almighty is Merciful and. Compassionate to the highest degree. He seizes with punishment in this world only those who provide with their own hands the cause for such punishment. [Anwār-ul-Islām, Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol. 9, pp. 14-16, footnote I]. How Wrongdoers are Punished. God Almighty deals with offenders in two ways, and offenders are of two types. 153 Al-Ra'd, 13:33 [Publisher] 154. Al-Naml, 27:51 [Publisher]