Playing God

"All rights of this book are reserved for the publisher and the author. This copy is for reading purpose only. This copy cannot be uploaded on any website except those of the publisher and the author." Playing God: Misreading a Divine Practice 13 Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?” ‘If I find forty-five there,” He said: “I will not destroy it.” Once again he spoke to him: “What if only forty are found there?” He said: “For the sake of forty, I wil l not do it.” Then he said: “May the Lord not be ang ry, but le t me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered: “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” Abraham said: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said: “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” Then he said: “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found th ere?” He answered: “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis, 18:23-32) iii. The Judgement Phase This phase is the culmination of a messenger’s preaching mission. By now, the believers have become discrete and distinct from the disbelievers and organized as a separate unit. It is in this phase that the messenger decides the fate of his nation. It is in reality the Almighty who determines this task as pointed out before. It is evident from the Qur’ ā n that in the Judgement phase, the punishment of the disbelievers normally takes two forms depending upon the situation that arises. If a messenger has very few companions and he has no place to migrate from his people and attain political power, then the messenger and his companions are sifted www.javedahmadghamidi.com www.a -mawrid.org