Earthquakes, Tsunamis and other natural disasters
Question:
A few months ago, strong destructive earthquakes occurred in turkey and Syria. We also read quite often about the frequent tsunamis that occur in different corners of the globe. All these disasters leave hundreds of people dead.
The Quran tells us:
We have not annihilated any village without it having had warners. 26:208
Does that mean that the inhabitants of such destroyed villages also received "warners" but they too denied so God punished them?
Reply:
The answer is that it could be as you wrote.
However, we must also bear in mind that the word "warner" has been used in the Quran for a human messenger and also for the Quran itself:
A.L.R. A Book whose verses have been perfected, then detailed from One who is Wise, All-Aware. "You shall not worship except God. I am a warner and bearer of news from Him to you. 11:1-2
So when we read 26:208 (which you quoted) together with 11:1-2, the picture becomes dismal for the largest majority of the Muslims in the world today. They all received the Quran as a warner, yet 99% of them are committing shirk (12:106)!
The outcome of that, and in accordance with God's words in the 2 verses above, is that the largest majority of them qualify (theoretically) to be annihilated, and not just those in Turkey or Syria.
In fact, it is only due to God's merciful pre-ordained plan that the majority of the human race who are disbelievers (12:103) and the majority of the believers who are committing shirk (12:106) are still alive and are still given a chance to mend their ways and reform. Otherwise, God would have annihilated all of them much earlier:
They ask you to hasten the punishment! If it were not for an already specified term, the punishment would have already come to them. It will certainly come to them suddenly while they are unaware. 29:53