Thus, He addressed the jinn and humankind, and those addressed acknowledged that messengers had come to them, recounting His verses to them and warning them of the meeting on the Day of Resurrection.

Then He said:

“That is because your Lord would not destroy communities unjustly while their people were unaware.”

That is, this was for that reason. It is therefore known that He does not punish anyone who is unaware unless a warner has come to him. What, then, of a child who has no faculty of reason?

This also indicates that doing so would be injustice, from which He—Glorious is He—is exalted. Otherwise, if injustice were simply that which is intrinsically impossible, it would be inconceivable for Him to destroy them unjustly. Indeed, however He destroyed them, it would not constitute injustice according to the deterministic Jahmiyya.

Allah Most High says:

“Your Lord would never destroy communities until He had sent to their principal city a messenger reciting Our verses to them. Nor would We destroy communities unless their people were wrongdoers.”

[Surah The Stories: 59]

Allah Most High also says:

“Your Lord would never destroy communities unjustly while their people were reformers.”

[Surah Hūd: 117]

And Allah Most High says:

“Whoever performs righteous deeds while being a believer need fear neither injustice nor deprivation.”

[Surah Tā Hā 112]

The commentators said: injustice means that another person’s evil deeds are laid upon him, while deprivation means that his good deeds are diminished. He—Glorious is He—thus deemed His punishing a person for another’s sin to be injustice and declared Himself exalted above it.

There are many passages of this kind, such as His words:

“It will have whatever good it has earned, and bear whatever evil it has incurred.”

[Surah The Cow 286]

And His words:

“No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.”

[Surah The Cattle: 164]

Likewise, His words:

“Do not dispute in My presence, for I had already given you the warning. My word cannot be changed, nor am I unjust to My servants.”

[Surah Qāf 28–29]

Thus He—Glorious is He—made clear that He had already given—