ভূমিকা

The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “Surely you all are the remainders of those who have come before you and the remnants of those who have already passed.

Surely those before you where much greater in power and superior in strength and greater in authority and thus even though they were at the pinnacle of luxury and comforts and even though they had complete reliance on this world, He (Allah) still took them to the next life and the most powerful people of their group and their tribe were not able to prevent them from leaving (this world) and not even offering all the money that they had in ransom prevented them from being taken from this world.

So before you leave this world without any sort of preparation and while you are in a state of negligence, make sure that you prepare something in great amount (that you will be able to use in the next world).” [^1] This tradition is in relation to paying attention to the history of those who have already passed away and this is also an issue that the Noble Qur`an has placed great emphasis upon and which has been alluded to in various verses of the Qur`an.

This tradition tells us that there were nations in the past who were much greater than us in relation to their wealth, children and power and although they had all of this, it still did not stop the Angel 'Izra`il (as) (the Angel of Death), from sparing them, or giving them any respite. Thus, we should fear as well and not be dragged into this same outcome which they were put into of being oblivious to death!

History is one of the six sources of knowledge, since as we know, we are not the first nation of human beings to inhabit this Earth and who have lived on this planet. Before us human beings were on this Earth and there were other nations too who lived here and their remains and effects have stayed behind for us to examine; and they are of two types: 1.