اَوَ لَمْ یَسِیْرُوْا فِی الْاَرْضِ فَیَنْظُرُوْا كَیْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِیْنَ كَانُوْا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْؕ-كَانُوْا هُمْ اَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَّ اٰثَارًا فِی الْاَرْضِ فَاَخَذَهُمُ اللّٰهُ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْؕ -وَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ مِنْ وَّاقٍ(۲۱)

Did they not travel in the earth so they would see what became of those who preceded them? They were greater than them in terms of strength and in terms of signs that they left in the earth, then Allah seized them due to their sins; and there was no helper for them against Allah.^[1]

O devotees of the noble Prophet! This is a great wisdom behind making this Ummah the last nation, to take lessons from those who perished before. Now ponder! Do we truly take lessons? Sadly! We remain heedless; we fail to take advice. The conditions of past nations are clear before us. We repeatedly hear of the destruction of the people of ꜤĀd, the punishment of the people of Thamūd, and the ruin of the people of Prophet ShuꜤayb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. This is all mentioned in the noble Quran, and the scholars continuously remind us. Yet sadly, we do not take heed; we do not abandon sins and become travelers of the path of righteousness.

Encouragement to take heed

O devotee of the Prophet! The noble Quran encourages us repeatedly to learn lessons. Allah Almighty says in Juzˈ 18, Surah Nūr, Ayah 44:

یُقَلِّبُ اللّٰهُ الَّیْلَ وَ النَّهَارَؕ-اِنَّ فِیْ ذٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّاُولِی الْاَبْصَارِ(۴۴)

Allah changes the night and the day. Surely in this there is a point of understanding for the people of insight.^[2]