WHY do earthquakes occur?
A student of geology will say they are a result of a sudden release of
energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. That’s the
process of how earthquakes occur, but not an answer to why earthquakes occur.
A better phrased question will be: Who causes earthquakes to occur and why? Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Say: ‘He has power to send torment on you
from above or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in
party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another.’” (Qur’an, 6:65)
Allah sends earthquakes as a punishment for some because of their sins
and as a reminder or warning for others to repent and mend their ways.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And We sent not the signs except to warn…” [Qur’an, 17:59]
Just as Allah sends down blessings for His creation in the form of
rain, good cultivation and abundance of sustenance, He also sends down
warnings and punishments in the form of earthquakes and tsunamis. Allah
says:
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” [Qur’an, 42:30]
The above verse is of particular importance. It shows that whatever
calamity that strikes us is a result of our wrong deeds. Moreover, Allah
pardons a lot. Meaning, the punishment doesn’t come except when people
have crossed all limits. The place where a calamity strikes may have
both good and bad people. When sins rise in a community and a punishment
is sent down, it also affects the good people. While that calamity is a
punishment for the sinners, it becomes a source of purification or a
reminder for the good doers. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to
seek refuge with Allah from His torment and punishment.
Allah Ta’ala says in the noble Qur’aan what means, ‘
Destruction appears in the land and sea by the actions of men that they may suffer the consequences for some of their misdeeds in order that they may return (to Allah in obedience).’ (Rum 41)
In these times of depravity and moral decadence, the punishment of Allah Ta’ ala descending on the disobedient is not a matter to be taken lightly.
Rather, this is an eye-opener and a reminder to all of us to repent to Allah Ta’ala, to return to the Divine injunctions and act upon them as shown to us by the Messenger (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) before we too are seized fro our misdeeds. May Allah Ta’ala save us all from His displeasure and grant us
the wisdom and ability to obey him.
All natural occurances and happenings, including, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, etc. are in the control of Allah Ta’ala. In numerous Aayats of the Qur’aan, Allah calls our attention to this fact that upon
witnessing these signs, we may come to recognize the greatness and might of Allah Ta’ala. The cycle of the sun, moon, the movement of the planets and stars are all signs for us to take heed.
‘For the sun, a fixed cycle. That has been decreed by the Mighty the All-Knowing. And for the moon, we have set stations (to traverse) until she (wanes) to become like a withered date stalk. Not permitted it is, for the sun to catch up the moon, nor for the night to precede the day. Each (just) swims along in it’s (fixed) orbit.’ (Yaseen)
despite being witness to these manifestations of Allah’s power, the Merciful Allah sent His apostles to guide them to the way of submission. Thus, were the Messengers sent to the nations and many were ruined for their refusal to accept the truth. Allah Ta’ala says about the nation of Aad, ‘Concerning the Aad, they walked the earth in arrogance proclaiming, ‘Who could be greater than ourselves in strength’. Could they not realize that Allah Ta’ala, the One to give them existence, He was stronger by far? But they denied our signs, so we loosed upon them an icy wind. An evil omened days to give them a taste of the punishment of humiliation in this very life. (Sajdah). In the same chapter, Allah talks about the nation of Thamood, ‘As to Thamood, We
showed to them the way, but they preferred the blind path to the road of guidance. Thus, were they seized by the Thundercap of a humiliating punishment, in lieu of their deeds.’
Therefore, these natural conditions have been controlled by Allah Ta’ala to punish those who transgress against His law. ‘Say (O Muhammad) He is easily able to loose upon you from above a scourge, or to bring it from beneath your feet.’ (A’araaf)
There can be no doubt that we are suffering these disasters by our own misdeeds. ‘Destruction appears in the land and sea by the actions of men that they may suffer the consequences for some of their misdeeds in order that they may return (to Allah in obedience).’ (Rum 41). ‘Whatever disaster afflicteth you, it be by the earning of your own hands, And Allah forgiveth much.’ (Shuraa)
The Ahaadith have shown us that close to the advent of Qiyaamat, when whole societies will be steeped in sin and evil, the punishment of Allah Ta’ala will become a common occurrence. It is stated in one Hadith, ‘When public property is treated as personal wealth and trust as booty (to be looted) and Zakaat (obligatory charity) is taken as a fine, when knowledge is acquired for motives other than Deen (religious) and a person obeys his wife (in disobedience of Divine command) and disobey his mother (in things lawful), and has a close relationship with his friend yet distancing his own father, when voices are raised in the Musaajid and the leader of a nation is an open sinner, the head of a family is the most mean among them, and a person is
honoured out of fear for his mischief, when dancing girls and music is become rife, wine is consumed greedily by all, and the latter part of this Ummah curses the former, then wait for red winds, the quakes, the swallowing up in the earth, the disfiguring of faces, the pelting of stones from the skies and the signs which will follow one after the other, as do the beads of a necklace whose thread is broken.’ (Mishkaat).
When each and every one of these vices is prevalent in our society, it is indeed only the Mercy of Allah that the punishment has not seized us as yet.
How long can we remain fearless of this? ‘What the are the people of the villages fearless that our punishment will not descend upon them at night whilst they slumber.’ (A’raaf)
These frightening occurrences are indeed an eye opener to us all. How long are we going to remain in Allah’s disobedience. ‘Has not the time come for the believers that their hearts submit to the mention of Allah and the revealed truth?’ (Hadeed). Now is the time to repent and avail ourselves of Allah’s Mercy, before we too suffer the consequences of our deeds.
May Allah Ta’ala save us all from His displeasure and grant to us the wisdom and the ability to obey Him.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
The Sunnah (way, methodology) of Allah, the Mighty & Majestic, as it relates to His servants, is that He will treat them in accordance with their actions.
Therefore, when the people have taqwa (fear) of their Lord, the One who
created them and provides for them, He causes blessings from the
heavens to descend upon them, and He brings out for them, the good
things from the earth. Just as He glorified is He, has stated:
{And
if the people of the towns had believed and had taqwa (piety),
certainly, We would have opened for them blessings from the heaven and
the earth…} [Al-a’raf 7:96]
In addition, He, the Most High said,
{If
they (non-Muslims) had believed in Allah, and went on the right way
(i.e. Islam) We should surely have bestowed on them rain in abundance.} [al-Jinn 72:16],
and when the servant rebels against the
legislation of Allah, and deviate away from His commands… the
chastisement and punishment is brought upon them from the Magnificent,
the Supreme.
Thus, whenever the servants are obedient
to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, obedient to His legislation…He
showers upon them His blessings, and removes from them His
afflictions/punishments.
Whenever the condition of the servants
shift from obedience to disobedience, and grateful to ungrateful, then
afflictions and punishments befall them and the blessings are removed from them.
Therefore, all of what occurs to the
slaves from severe trial and afflictions, natural disasters, and
calamities…then it is due to what their (own) hands have earned, and He
pardons much, just as He, the Most High, has stated
{and whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned, and He pardons much.} [Ash-shuraa 42:30]
Even if we don’t bear witness to it, from
these universal signs of Allah. It makes the believer one who connects
with Allah… talking to him, thanking Him for His blessings; one who
seeks refuge with Him, fearing His punishment and His displeasure.
He, the Mighty and Majestic, said: {And how many signs in the heavens and the earth they pass by, while they are apathetic towards them} [Yusuf 12:105] Meaning that they do not ponder and reflect over them, nor do they take a lesson or warning from them.
‘O slaves of Allah, verily from the
blessings of Allah upon us, is this air in which we breathe and due to
our severe need of it, Allah has made it free and accessible to the
creation in every place, and without cost or wealth, but when this air
becomes polluted by the Divine Decree (of Allah), and benefitting from
it is no longer possible then verily the state of the people will become
difficult and constricted. Perhaps he will reach conditions of
unconsciousness, or suffocation.
It has certainly come upon us,
continually, in these days, severe winds accompanied by thick dust. The
people have been harmed, and they have suffered damages from it and it
has become evident/clear, their inability to repel it and defend against
its harm, even by locking the doors and windows. So therefore, it
reaches every place even if they were locked.
‘O
Believers, verily the wind is an army, from the armies of Allah- the
Most High- which nothing is able to withstand. Therefore, when it
exceeds its normal velocity- By the permission of its Lord- cities are
annihilated, building are demolished, trees are uprooted, and thus
become a punishment for the one whose home it fell upon.
Therefore, when the people of ‘Ad became
insolent and they said: (Who is more severe than us in strength). Allah
sent down upon them the barren wind; so He- the Mighty and Majestic
said: {and in ‘Ad (there is also a
sign) when We sent against them the barren wind; it spared nothing that
it, but blew it into spreads of rotten ruins} [Az-zariyat 51:41-42]
Baghawi said: “It is
that which has no good in it, or blessing, nor does it pollinate any
trees. It does not spare anything that it encounters from their persons,
(i.e. themselves) their livestock, their cattle, and their wealth
except that it makes it like broken spreads and rotten ruins. Meaning:
like anything worn out/ decayed ruined, and destroyed: Also like the
nabaat (plants, trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grass, vines, green
algae, fem, etc.) of the earth when it has been dried out and trampled
upon. Mujahid said: like dry, waterless straw or hay. (Tafsir
al-Baghawi)
Surely, Allah- Most High- named this wind عَاتِيَةٍ Atiyah (violent, furious, strong) in His statement.
{As for Ad, they were destroyed by furious violent wind!} [Al-Haqqah 69:6]
The scholars of Tafsir said: It was
brought upon them without mercy or blessing, and it said: It was brought
upon the storage places (i.e. for wealth) then it left it bankrupt!
How could this not be the case!? And it
is an army from the armies of Allah…He assists with it (i.e. His army)
whomever He wishes from His believing slaves, just as it occurred in the
conquest (battle) of the trenches.
Allah, Most High said: {‘O
you who believe! Remember Allah’s favor upon you, when there came
against you hosts and We sent against them a wind and forces that you
saw not (i.e. troops of angels during the battle of Al-Ahzab [the
confederates]). And Allah is ever All-seer of what you do. [Al-Ahzab]
Narrated ibn Abee Najih from Mujahid (1),
he said: It is the east wind. It turned their cooking pots over and
took away their tents until it made them decamp/ leave. (Meanings of the
Qur’an by: Abu Ja’far An-Nihas).
[1]
It has been collected by Bukhari and
Muslim, and other than them, from the Hadith of ibn Abbas, who said: The
Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم said “the help came from the Saba, and Ad was destroyed by the daboor” (the sabaa, it is the eastern wind, and the daboor, it is the westernly wind.) [Explanation of Nawawee]
Narrated ‘Aisha رضى الله عنها, she said concerning the messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم.
“If it
was a day of wind and clouds- the concern would show on his face, and he
would turn and slip away. Then if it rained, he was happy with it, and
that caused him to forget about it. Aisha said: “So I asked him about
this; he said: “I fear that there will be a punishment inflicted upon my
nation.” (Collected by Muslim)
When a wind would blow violently, the prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم used to say
(‘O
Allah! Verily I ask you for the best good of it, and the best of what
is in it, and the best of what You have sent with it, and I seek refuge
with You from the evil of it, and the evil of what is in it, and the
evil of what you sent with it.” (Recorded by Muslim)
Allah said about the people of Hud, when He sent upon them the wind: “Then,
when they saw it as a dense cloud coming toward their valleys, they
said, “This is a good cloud bringing us rain!” Nay, but it is that
(torment) which you were asking to be hastened! A wind wherein is a
painful torment!” [Al-Ahqaf 46:24]
Therefore, they did not think about the
cloud which overshadowed them, except that it had an apparent
form/existence, perhaps caused by the downpour of rain. Particularly,
since they were barren, people who were in need of rain. However, this
nebula or cloud was nothing except punishment! Ibn Katheer has conveyed
in his tafseer on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar, he said: “Wind is
eight (i.e. has eight parties): four from it is mercy and four from it
is punishment.
So as for the winds of mercy:
Then they are the winds that scatter clouds, and those winds precede
the rain, the winds that come in succession, and the winds that scatter
dust.
As for the winds of punishment:
Then they are the barren wind, and the violent winds, both of them are
in the mainland; and the storm wind, and the roaring wind with thunder,
and they are both in the sea.
So if he willed, Glorified is He, to set
it in motion with a merciful movement, then He would make it
comfortable, generous and a sign of His impending Mercy, and the
pollination for the clouds, just as He uses the man to pollinate the
woman for pregnancy.
And if Allah wills, He sets it in motion
with movements of punishments, then makes it barren, and it brings a
grievous punishment…making it a trial upon whomever He wills from
amongst His slaves. Then He makes it violent & furious, and causing
decay & ruin when it passes through out.
(Tafsir Ibn Katheer) {Volume 3 p. 43 Arabic only version}
’O Muslims, just as the wind is an army
from the armies of Allah (that) He inflicts it upon whomever He wills.
Then verily it is also a creation from the creation of Allah…He makes it
subservient to whomever He wills from amongst His slaves. He, the
Master, The Blessed & Most High said, “And
to Solomon (we subjected) the wind, strongly raging, running by His
command towards the land which We have blessed; and of everything We are
the All-Knower.” [Al-Anbiya 21:81]
He, the Most High, also said, “And
to Solomon (We subjected) the wind, its morning (stride from sunrise
till midnoon) was a month’s (journey) and its afternoon (stride from
midday decline of the sun to sunset) was a month’s journey. (Saba 34:12) Therefore, he traveled, in one day, the distance of 2 months. (Zad- al- Maseer Vol. 6 p. 43 Ibn al-jawzee)
Verily, many of the countries, nations,
and societies…the majority of them do not pay attention to these winds
and hurricanes, considering accountability (punishment). Therefore, they
read the weather conditions, and predict the time and place of its
occurrences and take precautions because of it. While they busy
themselves with precautionary measures and preparation of
shelter/refuge… but with all of this, it does nothing, except that it
leaves them with nothing but loss and misfortune in their lives, wealth,
and total destruction of their possessions!
“O Muslims, verily, from what is
befitting is to warn against the attribution of these manifestation to
nature…Just like some call it (the anger of nature) likewise some of
them say, “Verily, this is a manifestation of nature.” The reasons for
it are well known. No connection (is made) to it with regard to the
actions of the people and their disobedience. Likewise, it is on the
tongues of the some of the journalists and those in charge of notifying
the people…to the extent that the people are at the point where they are
not afraid of its occurrences, nor do they take a warning from it.
The eminent scholar, Ibn Uthaimeen (May Allah have mercy on him) said:
“And
we do not negate the fact that there are tangible reasons for it, but
who is the one who provides these tangible reasons? Verily, the
tangible reasons do not exist, except with the command of Allah, the
Mighty, and Majestic. Allah, by His wisdom, has made for everything, a
reason, or a tangible reason. Like this Allah’s Sunnah happens…Almighty
and Majestic.
I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed satan “
so We punished each (of them) for his sins, of them were some on whom
We set hasib (a violent wind with shower of stones) [As the people of
Lut (lot)], and of them, were some who were overtaken by as-saihad
(torment-awful cry, (as Thamud’s or Shuaib’s people)], and of them were
some whom We caused the earth to swallow [as Qarun (Korah)], and of them
were some whom We drowned [ as the people of Nuh (Noah), or the Firaun
(Pharaoh) and his people]. It was not Allah who wronged them; rather
they wronged them-selves. [Al-‘Ankabut 29:40]
‘O Muslims! Verily from amongst the
people is he who complains when he sees wind and dust, and perhaps he
had become insolent, so he cursed it and reviles it… and this is a
matter that the messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم has forbidden…where he
said: “(Do not revile(abuse) the wind.
So if you have seen what you dislike then say; Verily, we ask you for
the best of this wind, and the best of what is in it, and the best of
what you ordered it with, and we seek refuge with you from the evil of
this wind, and from the evil of what is in it, and the evil of what you
have commanded with.)At- Tirmidhi 7315
He also said: “Do
not abuse/revile the wind, for verily, it is from the spirits sent from
Allah, the Most high. It brings forth mercy and it brings forth
punishment, therefore ask Allah for the best of it and seek refuge with
Allah from the evil of it” [Collected by Ahmad and it has been declared authentic by Albani 7316]
From what is befitting is the warning
against the statements of some of the people. Such as, “’O Allah! Make
it a mercy and do not make a punishment. ‘O Allah! Make it multiple
winds (breezes) and do not make it a (violent) wind.) This is an
extremely weak narration. [This Hadith has been graded da’eef al-jaami,
by Shaykh Al-bani 4461] The only thing that has been confirmed from
the Sunnah of the messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم is what we mentioned
previously…
Therefore, let us fear Allah,’O Muslims,
and let us take the means of success, for verily, the destruction of the
people and their success is restricted to what their (own) hands have
earned. So let us take a lesson from those around us, and let us take a
lesson from what occurs to the people, other than us.
Ibn Mas’ood was speaking in the masjids,
“Verily, the One who is wretched is he who becomes wretched in the belly
of his mother, and the one who is happy, is he who takes a lesson from
others.” (Shades of paradise)
Their argument about earthquakes being the result of natural
geological activity only holds no more ground than a claim that this
published article on paper or website is a result from the functioning of a machine (printer or computer) without any effort of a human brain behind it that has made it make sense.
We ask Allah that He guides the
misguidance of the Muslims, that He provides us all with the
understanding of the religion, and that He makes you and us from the
righteous servants!
(1) He is Abee Ja’far an-nihas, who died in 338h. in
Fustat aka Misr-al-Fustat. Fustat is a part of old Cairo in Egypt.
Related topics:
Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke... 
(Quran, 41:11)
