Surah 15. Al-Hijr, Ayah 4

Lit., "unless it [the community] had a known divine writ (kitab ma'lum)" - i.e., unless the people in question had been shown through a divine writ the meaning of right and wrong, and had deliberately rejected this divine guidance: cf. the statement, in 26:208 , that "never have We destroyed any community unless it had had its warners", or in 6:131 , that God "would never destroy a community for its wrongdoing so long as its people are still unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]".

Kitabun ma'lum: literally, "a writing known". There are many shades of meaning implied, (1) For every people, as for every individual, there is a definite Term assigned: their faculty of choice gives them the opportunity of moulding their will according to Allah's Will, and thus identifying themselves with Allah's Universal Law. During that Term they will be given plenty of rope; after that Term is past, there will be no opportunity for repentance. (2) Neither the righteous nor the ungodly can hasten or delay the doom: Allah's Will must prevail, and He is All-Wise. (3) The destruction of a people is not an arbitrary punishment from Allah: the people bring it on themselves by their own choice; for the fixed Law or Decree of Allah is always made known to them beforehand, and in many ways.