Why do the wrongdoers sometimes still succeed in the world?

Why do people who do wrong sometimes seem to be left by Allah SWT without any cash in return in the world?

 

Basically, every injustice will surely end in destruction. Allah SWT says:

 

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَلُ الظَّالِمُونَ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ

“And don’t you (Muhammad) think that Allah is heedless of what the wrongdoers do. Verily, Allah gave them respite until the day when (their) eyes were wide open.” (Surah Ibrahim 42).

 

Please the wrongdoers do everything they can to fortify their injustice, Allah will make sure it will be destroyed. Because, all injustice does not only violate the Shari’a, but also the sunnatullah. Whatever power it was, if it violated His provisions it would surely be destroyed.

 

What is the power of Pharaoh still lacking at that time? It ended in a very sad way. God drowned him in the Red Sea.

 

 The people of Aad and Thamud were also crushed with harsh punishments. The people of Thamud were destroyed by thaagiah (a very loud voice), while the people of Aad were destroyed by a very cold and strong wind storm for seven nights and eight days (Surah Al Haqqah: 5-8). That’s a lesson so that after that there will be no more wrongdoers.

 

In Surah Al Fajr 6-14, after mentioning the previous people who were punished, Allah SWT describes the order in which the punishment befell them.

 

First, for perpetrating the thagha. From this deviation comes the second, a lot of damage, such as adultery, corruption, murder, and so on. Then there was the third, namely the descent of the punishment of Allah SWT, “Fashabba alaihim rabbuka sautha azaab”.

 

Here Allah SAW ensures that no matter how small the wrongdoing is still under His supervision, “Inna rabbaka labil mirshaad”.

 

That is, believers who are in the truth are optimistic that a victory will always come, continue to be patient in obedience, make efforts as much as possible, “Wal aaqibatu limuttaqiin.” (Victory will surely be on the side of who is right) (Surah Al Araf 128).

 

This verse is actually part of Prophet Musa’s advice to his people to stay with Allah and be patient when being chased by Pharaoh and after that they witnessed firsthand how Allah won them and drowned Pharaoh in humiliation.

 

So, there is no need to be prejudiced against Allah, by saying why the wrongdoers were left and the Jews in Palestine remained entrenched? In the formula of the Koran there is the term istidraj.

 

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ 

“And those who deny Our verses, later We will draw them gradually (towards destruction), in a way they do not know.” (Surat al-Araf 182).

 

That when a person makes his worldly affairs easier while he is getting more and more tyrannical, it is being stretched. That is, Allah deliberately makes it easy for him so that his sins are balanced with the punishment that Allah has prepared. Allah says:

 

فَمَهِّلِ الْكَافِرِينَ أَمْهِلْهُمْ رُوَيْدًا  “Famahhilili kaafriin amhilhum ruwaida

 

(Suspend the disbelievers, postpone it just a little) (Surat At Tariq 17) because God deliberately suspends it gradually.