"Time is not only a measure of life but also a witness to the unfolding of Allah’s laws. In Islam, time is integral to Sunnatullah, revealing the consequences of actions over generations," the time traveller moved on. The Qur’an repeatedly swears by time to draw attention to its importance.
وَالْعَصْرِۙ اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ لَفِيْ خُسْرٍۙ اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ ەۙ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ࣖ
'By time (An oath in which Allāh swears by time throughout the ages). Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.' [QS. Al-Asr (103):1-3]
Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1209 CE) in his tafsir of Surah Al-Asr highlighted, 'The swearing by time is an indication of its immense value, as it is the arena in which deeds are performed and consequences unfold in accordance with Allah’s laws.'
Islam encourages intellectual and spiritual reflection to understand Sunnatullah. By observing the natural world, history, and divine revelation, humans can align their actions with Allah’s laws and avoid ruin. The Qur’an also repeatedly calls for reflection on history to understand Allah’s unchanging principles:
اَوَلَمْ يَسِيْرُوْا فِى الْاَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوْا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِيْنَ كَانُوْا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۗ كَانُوْا هُمْ اَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَّاٰثَارًا فِى الْاَرْضِ فَاَخَذَهُمُ اللّٰهُ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ۗوَمَا كَانَ لَهُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ مِنْ وَّاقٍ
'Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who were before them? They were greater than them in strength and in impression on the land, but Allāh seized them for their sins. And they had not from Allāh any protector.' [QS Gafir (40):21]
Islam warns that ignoring Sunnatullah leads to destruction, as seen in the stories of past nations (e.g., Aad, Thamud, Pharaoh). These serve as lessons for humanity to align with divine guidance.
The concept of Sunnatullah (سُنَّةُ اللَّهِ) in Islamic theology refers to the established patterns, laws, and principles that Allah has set in motion to govern the universe and human existence. These divine laws are universal, unchanging, and apply consistently across time and space. They are mentioned explicitly in the Qur'an and are central to understanding the relationship between Divine will, causality, and human responsibility in Islam. The term Sunnatullah combines two words: Sunnah (a way, path, or established practice) and Allah (the proper name of God). Thus, Sunnatullah means 'the way or law of Allah.' Sunnatullah is consistent and does not vary for different people, times, or nations. Allah mentions in the Quran,
سُنَّةَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِيْ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖوَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللّٰهِ تَبْدِيْلًا
'[This is] the established way of Allāh which has occurred before. And never will you find in the way of Allāh any change.' [QS. Al-Fath (48):23]
The patterns apply to both individuals and societies. For instance, the rise and fall of nations are governed by moral and ethical principles such as justice, gratitude, and obedience to divine commands. Sunnatullah often highlights the cause-and-effect relationships in the world, whether in the physical realm (e.g., natural laws like gravity) or the spiritual and moral realms (e.g., the consequences of good or evil actions). Sunnatullah serves as guidance for those who reflect and adhere to it. At the same time, it ensures accountability for actions, as individuals and societies reap the consequences of their deeds.
Sunnatullah encapsulates the wisdom and consistency of Allah’s laws in creation, society, and spirituality. It teaches Muslims to recognize these patterns, live in harmony with them, and take lessons from the consequences of human actions as recorded in the Qur'an and history. Understanding and adhering to Sunnatullah enables individuals and societies to thrive in this world and achieve success in the Hereafter.
The Qur'an provides many examples of Sunnatullah in action, reflecting Divine patterns governing the universe, nations, and individuals. About to change in people’s condition, the Quran states,
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتّٰى يُغَيِّرُوْا مَا بِاَنْفُسِهِمْۗ وَاِذَآ اَرَادَ اللّٰهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوْۤءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهٗ ۚوَمَا لَهُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنِهٖ مِنْ وَّالٍ
'... Indeed, Allāh will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allāh intends for a people ill (i.e., punishment or destruction because of their sins), there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.' [QS. Ar-Ra'd, 13:11]
This verse highlights that societal reform begins with individual and collective self-improvement.
About the rise and fall of nations, the Qur'an states,
وَمَآ اَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ اِلَّا لَهَا مُنْذِرُوْنَ ۖ ذِكْرٰىۚ وَمَا كُنَّا ظٰلِمِيْنَ
'And We did not destroy any city except that it had warners. As a reminder; and never have We been unjust.' [QS. Ash-Shu'ara (26):208-209]
Allah's law is that nations prosper or face destruction based on their adherence to justice, moral conduct, and divine guidance. About the consequence of Injustice, the Quran states,
وَاِنَّ كُلًّا لَّمَّا لَيُوَفِّيَنَّهُمْ رَبُّكَ اَعْمَالَهُمْ ۗاِنَّهٗ بِمَا يَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِيْرٌ
'And your Rabb would not have destroyed the cities unjustly while their people were reformers.' [QS. Hud (11):117]
As for the cycles of prosperity and decline, the Quran states,
وَاِنْ نَّشَأْ نُغْرِقْهُمْ فَلَا صَرِيْخَ لَهُمْ وَلَاهُمْ يُنْقَذُوْنَۙ اِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا وَمَتَاعًا اِلٰى حِيْنٍ
'And if We should will, We could drown them; then no one responding to a cry would there be for them, nor would they be saved. Except as a mercy from Us and provision for a time.' [QS. Yasin (36):43-44]
The verse reflects Allah’s control over human destiny and survival, emphasizing His mercy and predetermined cycles of trial.
As for unity and division among people, the Quran states,
وَاَطِيْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوْلَهٗ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوْا فَتَفْشَلُوْا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيْحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُوْاۗ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيْنَۚ
'And obey Allāh and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allāh is with the patient.' [QS. Al-Anfal (8):46]
Disunity leads to weakness, while cooperation and patience ensure strength and success.
As for interconnectedness of actions and results, the Quran states,
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ اَيْدِى النَّاسِ لِيُذِيْقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِيْ عَمِلُوْا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُوْنَ
'Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He [i.e., Allāh] may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].' [QS. Ar-Rum (30):41]
This verse reflects the law that human actions have direct consequences on the environment and societal stability.
In Islamic thought, there isn’t a concept of 'karma' as understood in Hinduism, Buddhism, or Jainism—where karma is seen as a cosmic law of cause and effect that dictates one's future life or rebirth based on actions. However, the Quran does contain verses that discuss actions and their consequences, emphasizing accountability and the notion of recompense, which shares some similarities with karma but has key theological distinctions. Sunni scholars interpret these Quranic concepts within the framework of divine judgment, personal responsibility, and the moral consequences of actions, all within a single lifetime leading to a one-time judgment.
The Quran frequently states that individuals will be rewarded or punished in the Hereafter according to their deeds. This concept of divine justice holds that all actions—good or bad—are recorded and will be judged by Allah. Unlike karma, however, the recompense is not a natural law but a direct result of Allah’s will and wisdom.
فَمَنْ يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَّرَهٗۚ وَمَنْ يَّعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَّرَهٗ ࣖ
'So whoever does an atom's weight (or 'the weight of a small ant') of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.' [QS. Az-Zalzalah (99):7-8]
Sunni scholars interpret this as an assurance of divine justice and individual accountability. Every action, no matter how small, has consequences that will be revealed on the Day of Judgment, not through cycles of rebirth but through divine reckoning.
In Islam, each person is personally accountable for their deeds and will bear the consequences of their actions alone. Unlike karma, which may suggest that one's actions affect their rebirth, the Quran states that people’s deeds directly impact their afterlife outcome. In Islam, some scholars recognize that sins and good deeds can have immediate or deferred consequences in this life, which is somewhat similar to the cause-and-effect aspect of karma. However, these consequences are viewed as part of Allah’s decree, meant either as a test or a purification.
Consequences of actions are a direct result of Allah's judgment, not a self-operating cosmic principle. Allah’s justice is balanced with mercy, allowing for forgiveness and repentance. Islam teaches that each soul has one life, followed by death, a waiting period (barzakh), and a final judgment. There is no reincarnation or cycle of lives, as suggested by karma in Eastern religions.
Unlike karma, which operates mechanically, Islamic teachings emphasize that Allah can forgive sins through repentance. This means that one’s ultimate outcome is not solely bound by past actions but is influenced by sincere repentance and divine mercy.
Surah Ar-Ra’d, verse 5 (13:5) is often understood by Sunni scholars as one of the Quranic verses that reject the idea of reincarnation, as it emphasizes the resurrection and the final return to Allah, rather than a cycle of rebirth. The verse states:
وَاِنْ تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ ءَاِذَا كُنَّا تُرٰبًا ءَاِنَّا لَفِيْ خَلْقٍ جَدِيْدٍ ەۗ اُولٰۤىِٕكَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا بِرَبِّهِمْۚ وَاُولٰۤىِٕكَ الْاَغْلٰلُ فِيْٓ اَعْنَاقِهِمْۚ وَاُولٰۤىِٕكَ اَصْحٰبُ النَّارِۚ هُمْ فِيْهَا خٰلِدُوْنَ
'And if you are astonished (at those who deny resurrection O Muḥammad) - then astonishing is their saying, 'When we are dust, will we indeed be [brought] into a new creation?' Those are the ones who have disbelieved in their Rabb, and those will have shackles iIron collars to which their hands are chained) upon their necks, and those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.'
This verse is understood to refute the concept of reincarnation, where a soul is reborn in different forms across various lifetimes. Instead, the verse points to the concept of a one-time resurrection where Allah will bring everyone back to life in a new creation after death, regardless of how their bodies have decayed. This rebirth is a single event in the hereafter, not a repeated cycle. The verse reflects the doubts expressed by disbelievers who could not comprehend the resurrection, particularly after physical bodies have disintegrated into dust. Sunni scholars interpret their astonishment at resurrection as a form of disbelief in Allah’s power to bring the dead to life. This disbelief is met with the assurance that Allah is capable of recreating any form after its end, countering the idea of souls returning in different earthly forms. The verse explicitly mentions the punishment of the disbelievers in the Fire, where they will abide eternally. This eternal outcome contrasts with the idea of reincarnation, where a soul would continually experience various lives. In Islamic eschatology, the afterlife is an everlasting final state—either in Paradise or Hell—based on one's deeds and beliefs in this life.
Sunni scholars emphasize that in Islam, each soul is granted a unique life in this world as a test. After death, there is a waiting period (barzakh) until the Day of Judgment, when each individual will be judged and either rewarded or punished accordingly. Reincarnation contradicts this belief by implying that souls return repeatedly to be tested, which is not supported by Islamic teachings.
Ibn Kathir interprets this verse as a clear indication of the finality of life and the impossibility of returning to this world in different forms after death. He explains that the disbelievers' questioning about becoming "dust" and being brought back to life again is rooted in their denial of resurrection. The verse addresses their denial by emphasizing the absolute power of Allah to recreate them in a new form, once and for all.
Al-Razi explores the disbelief shown by those who reject the resurrection. He states that their astonishment stems from a misunderstanding of Allah's infinite capabilities. Al-Razi interprets their disbelief as a form of spiritual ignorance that fails to comprehend the reality of the afterlife and the one-time resurrection.
Al-Tabari also clarifies that this verse refutes the idea of multiple lifetimes. For Al-Tabari, the verse’s mention of punishment for disbelievers on the Day of Judgment emphasizes that there is no cyclical return to life but rather a decisive end followed by the hereafter.
Sunni interpretations of Surah Ar-Ra'd, verse 5, agree that it affirms resurrection as a one-time event and rejects reincarnation. The verse clarifies that each soul lives once, dies, and then will be resurrected for final judgment. Reincarnation, as understood in other belief systems, is seen as incompatible with Sunni Islamic theology, which emphasizes a linear progression of life, death, barzakh, and resurrection. This framework underscores the uniqueness and finality of each soul’s test in this life, leading to eternal consequences in the afterlife."
