We have mentioned the unchanging laws that have been established by Allah since the foundation of the world. One such divine law is that Allah will not punish a society for which He has not sent a messenger. This promise is expressed in the following verses:

Your Lord would never destroy any cities without first sending to the chief of them a messenger to recite Our Signs to them. We would never destroy any cities unless their inhabitants were wrongdoers. (Surat al-Qasas: 59)

… We never punish until We have sent a messenger. (Surat al-Isra: 15)

We have never destroyed a city without giving it prior warning as a reminder. We were never unjust. (Surat ash-Shu'ara: 208-209)

These verses show that Allah sends messengers to major cities to warn the people. These messengers announce Allah’s commands, but the disbelievers from the societies of every age have mocked them, accused them of being liars, frauds or madmen, and subjected them to every kind of slander. Allah destroys societies that continue to live in wickedness and immorality through some great disaster, at a time when they least expect it. The destruction of the people of Nuh, Lut, Ad, Thamud and others mentioned in the Qur’an are examples of this form of annihilation.

In the Qur’an, Allah reveals why He has sent prophets: to announce the good news to societies, to provide an important opportunity for their people to abandon their false beliefs, and live their lives according to Allah’s religion and high morality, and to warn people so that they will have no excuse to offer on the Last Day for not having heeded the warnings made to them. In a verse, these goals are stated as such:

Messengers bringing good news and giving warning, so that people will have no argument against Allah after the coming of the messengers. (Surat an-Nisa’: 165)

As it says in verse 40 of Surat al-Azhab, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) is the last Prophet. Muhammad (saas) is “…the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the Prophets…” (Surat al-Azhab: 40) In other words, through the mediation of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), the series of Allah’s revelations to humanity have been completed. In spite of this, the responsibility for communicating and reminding people of the Qur’an delivered by the Prophet (saas) lies with every Muslim until the end of the world.