Āl ‘Imrān

قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ سُنَنٌ فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذَّبِينَ

137. "Indeed, there have been institutions before you, therefore travel in the earth and see what has been the end of the rejecters."

In former times, as today, every nation had always some traditions. Therefore, those nations had a destiny according to their own deeds and their own qualities.
The sample of some institutions, which the former people had, is as follows:

a- The acceptance of right and their rescue. b- The existence of denial in them and their destruction. c- The Divine trials upon them. d- The Unseen helps. e- The period of grace and respite for the transgressors. f- The perseverance of godly persons and attaining to their goals. g- The evil plots of the disbelievers and their nullification by the Lord.

Explanations

1. The history of the past is a torch over the way of the lives of the coming generations. (The history of human kind has a mental and cultural connection with together. The yesterday changes have a reflection over the affairs of today, and, in turn, those affairs of today are effective in the lives of future dynasties).

2. Journeys with definite goal and visiting the effects of transgressors together with contemplation can be the best class, the best teacher and the best trainee for human beings.

3. There is no difference between you and other nations from this point of view. (The factors of glory or destruction, in this regard, are all the same).

4. As individuals have the state of development, splendour, and oldness in their own lives, societies and nations have the periods of development, splendour, weakness, and destruction, too.

5. In studying the history, splendours are not so important, but the fate of those people is important.