Sunnah of Istidraj
In this Sunnah, one is gradually drawn to the abyss of decline and destruction as a result of disobedience to God and insistence on sin.
In Istidraj, such groups of people as deniers and infidels receive divine punishment.
Many peoples who rejected their prophets’ calls were struck by Istidraj. Unlike some divine punishments that come swiftly, Istidraj happens gradually.
The issue of Istidraj is discussed in two verses of the Quran:
Verse 182 of Surah Al-A’raf: “As for those who belie Our verses, We will draw them on little by little, from where they cannot tell.”
Verse 44 of Surah Al-Qalam: “Leave those who reject the Quran to Me and I shall lead them step by step to destruction, without their being aware of it.”
These verses describe how a person, after rejecting divine verses, falls into the trap of Istidraj and is drawn into sins little by little so that there is no hope for his salvation.
The Quranic concept of Istidraj is about gradually moving away from God as a result of forgetting Him. Those who reject divine guidance and repeatedly fail in divine tests are ultimately left alone, and the way is even paved for their downfall, so that they may approach their ominous end and receive divine punishment.
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The Sunnah of Istidraj has certain signs. For example, it is not activated in times of difficulty and hardship, but it is activated in a declining society in times of blessing and joy.
Based on this Sunnah, God gives wrongdoers time to prepare the ground for the intensification of their punishment in the hereafter. Receiving blessings necessitates thankfulness. Otherwise, God leaves the person to himself and punishes him in accordance with the Sunnah of Istidraj.
A sign of punishment based on the Sunnah of Istidraj is that while the person is in good worldly conditions, he completely forgets God and there is no trace of spirituality and righteousness in his life. So if one has worldly wealth and good conditions in life and spends these blessings on the path of God, this will not be the Sunnah of Istidraj.
Translated by Seyed Hossein Beheshti Shakib
