Page 80 - Quick Grasp of Faith 1

78 QUICK GRASP OF FAITH - 1

the call of the prophets. Allah, therefore, meted out a harsh
punishment to them from unexpected quarters and wiped
some of them off the face of the earth.
One of the most important reasons why past nations are
mentioned in the Qur’an is to ensure that the people of today
avoid falling into the same error. Assessing the disasters that
befell past nations and their archaeological remains merely as
historical data without learning any lessons from them would
be very wrong. Allah ordered us to take guidance from the
calamities that befell these nations:
How many generations far greater in prowess have We
destroyed before them! They scoured many lands, but
did they find any way of escape? There is a reminder in
this for anyone who has a heart, or who listens well,
having seen the evidence. (Surah Qaf: 36-37)

91. For what purposes were the jinn created?
Allah refers to the existence of jinn in many verses. Jinn,
too, are beings that are created by Allah to worship Him. They
live in a different dimension from that of man. As related in
certain verses, people cannot see them, but they can see
people. A wrong but widespread belief holds that jinn can
supply information about the future. In the Qur’an, however, it
is stated that they have no such ability. Also, we are told in the
scriptures that the jinn are also held responsible for the safe-
guarding of the Qur’an. Allah states that the jinn were created
with the same purpose as people:
I only created the jinn and man to worship Me. (Surat
adh- Dhariyat: 56)