“There is a lesson in the stories of such people for those who understand.”

Last updated on: September 5, 2018 at 9:52 am by Dan Peterson

“There is a lesson in the stories of such people for those who understand.” 2018-09-05T09:52:42-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The ruins of Palmyra (Arabic: “Tadmor”) as they appeared in 2008
Wikimedia Commons

This is marvelous news for Brigham Young University’s Arabic program and its Arabic students, and a spectacular tribute to those who have brought the program to its current level of national and international prominence — among whom I emphatically do not include myself:

“Arabic Flagship to take students to the next level”

***

This news is very much less positive:

Approximately one million Uighur (or Uyghur) Turks have been forced into Chinese “reeducation” camps.

“China Is Treating Islam Like a Mental Illness: The country is putting Muslims in internment camps—and causing real psychological damage in the process.”

“Why the Muslim world isn’t saying anything about China’s repression and ‘cultural cleansing’ of its downtrodden Muslim minority”

***

The Qur’an frequently calls upon those who hear (or read) its message to consider the lessons of history. Here are two representative passages on that theme:

“Do they not realize how many generations We destroyed before them? We established them in the earth more firmly than you, sent down abundant rain on them from the sky, and made running rivers flow at their feet, yet We destroyed them for their misdeeds and raised other generations after them. . . . Messengers have been mocked before you [Muhammad], and those who mocked them were engulfed by the very punishment they had mocked. Say, ‘Travel throughout the earth and see what fate befell those who rejected the truth.’” (6:6, 10-11)

“We relate to you [Muhammad] such accounts of earlier towns: some of them are still standing; some have been mown down. We did not wrong them; they wronged themselves. Their gods, which they called on beside God, were no use to them when what your Lord had ordained came about; they only increased their ruin. Such is the punishment of your Lord for towns in the midst of their sins: His punishment is terrible and severe. There truly is a sign in this for anyone who fears the punishment of the Hereafter.” (11:100-103)

“Have the [disbelievers] not travelled through the land and seen the end of those who went before them? For those who are mindful of God, the Home of the Hereafter is better. Do you [people] not use your reason? When the messengers lost all hope and realized that they had been dismissed as liars, Our help came to them: We saved whoever We pleased, but Our punishment will not be turned away from guilty people. There is a lesson in the stories of such people for those who understand.” (12:109-111)

“Have they not travelled through the land and seen how their predecessors met their end? They were mightier than them: they cultivated the earth more and built more upon it. Their own messengers also came to them with clear signs: God did not wrong them; they wronged themselves. Later the evildoers met a terrible end for rejecting and [repeatedly] mocking God’s revelations.” (30:9-10)

Posted from Seaside, Oregon

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 31, 2018

The Latter-day Saints and “Stalinist Art” Revisited (Part Two)

Next Post

September 1, 2018 The Latter-day Saints and “Stalinist Art” Revisited (Part Three)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many animals did Moses take on the Ark?

Select your answer to see how you score.

One of each None Two of each Seven of each