47وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسولٌ ۖ فَإِذا جاءَ رَسولُهُم قُضِيَ بَينَهُم بِالقِسطِ وَهُم لا يُظلَمونَMuhammad AsadNOW every community has had an apostle; and only after their apostle has appeared [and delivered his message] is judgment passed on them, in all equity;1 and never are they wronged.Lit., "and when their apostle has come, a decision is made between them in all equity". This verse stresses (a) the continuity of religious revelation in mankind's history and the fact that in the long run no community, period or civilization (which latter is one of the meanings attributable to the term ummah) has been left without prophetic guidance, and (b) the doctrine that God does not punish "a community for its wrongdoing so long as its people are still unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong]: for all shall be judged according to their [conscious] deeds" (6:131-132).