﴿ وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌۭ ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةًۭ ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ ﴾

“And for all people a term has been set: and when [the end of] their term approaches, they can neither delay it by a single moment, nor can they hasten it.”

According to the creation plan one has the opportunity to perform well or badly in the present world till the period of one’s trial is over. But as far as a community or a nation is concerned, there is no such limit for the enforcement of God’s decision. This decision is taken on the basis of that community’s response after the truth has been introduced to it. The community whose period is over, is sometimes destroyed by the inflicting of an extraordinary retributive punishment and sometimes it is punished by being displaced from its position of honour and supremacy. The decision about Heaven or Hell as the final destination for a man is taken on the basis of his response after the truth has appeared before him, supported by arguments whose rationality is testified to by his intellect. This means conveying the message in the full sense. Even after that, if a man refuses to accept the Truth, he does so out of egotism. His desire to maintain his superiority prevents him from lowering himself in comparison to the Truth. For such a man, before God, there is no fate except Hell.