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Nations to which no Prophet has been sent

Question

What was happening in other parts of the world at the time of Prophet e.g. present day South Africa, Fiji etc,

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

We are not aware of the condition of the nations in these countries when the Prophet Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) was commissioned as a Prophet. Rather, we know from the texts of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) that there has been no nation except that a warner has been sent to it, and no community except that they had a guide.

Allah, The Almighty, says (what means):

• {Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner.} [Quran 35:24]

• {…and for every people is a guide.} [Quran 13:7]

The nation to which no Prophet has been sent is not lacking guidance and warning from the followers of Prophets who establish the evidence of the message of Allah, The Almighty, upon them. Indeed, Allah, The Almighty, will not hold someone accountable or punish anyone except after this evidence has been established against him.

Allah, The Almighty, says (what means): {And Allah would not let a people stray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them what they should avoid. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things.} [Quran 9:115]

Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said (while interpreting the above verse), "Allah says about Himself and His just ruling that He does not lead people astray after the message has been sent to them, until the evidence has been established against them, as Allah says (what means): {And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance.} [Quran 41:17]"

Thus, the person whom the message does not reach, or it reaches him but there is a reason that prevents him from adhering to it, is excused. This is reported in the Hadeeth:

Four types of people will be tested on the Day of Resurrection: a deaf man who cannot hear anything, an insane man, a senile elderly person, and a person who died during the Fatrah (a period of time when no Messenger was sent to people). The deaf man will say: “O Allah, Islam came while I could not hear anything!” The insane man will say: “O Allah, Islam came while the boys used to throw the excrement of animals on me!” The senile elderly man will say: “O Allah, Islam came while I could understand nothing”. And the man who died during the Fatrah will say: “O Allah, I witnessed no Messenger from You”. Then Allah will take a pledge from them to obey Him. Then He will command them to enter Hell, and I swear by the One in Whose Hand my soul is, if they enter it, they would find it peaceful and cool).” [Ahmad and Al-Albaani]

Allah knows best.

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