|
Reason for Calamities
1 – Disasters and calamities are a test of the believer’s patience. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “Or think you that you will enter Paradise without
such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with
severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who
believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes! Certainly,
the Help of Allah is near!”
[al-Baqarah 2:214]
2 – This is a sign of man's weakness and his need for his Lord, and shows that he
cannot succeed unless he realizes his need for his Lord and starts beseeching Him.
3 – Calamities are a means of expiation of sin and raising one's status. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is nothing that befalls a
believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah will record one good deed for
him and will remove one bad deed from him.”
Narrated by Muslim.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said: “Trials will continue to befall the believing man and woman,
with regard to themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allah with
no sin on them.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2280.
And it was narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered
affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had
been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
2402. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 2206.
4 – One of the reasons for calamities is so that people will not feel content only with
this world. If the world were free of calamities, man would love it more and feel
content with it, and would forget about the Hereafter. But calamities wake him up from
his negligence and make him strive for the place in which there are no calamities or
trials.
5 – One of the greatest reasons behind calamities and trials is to warn against falling
short in some matters, so that man can make up for the areas in which he has fallen
short. This is like the warning that is issued to an employee or student who is falling
short. The purpose behind it is to make him make up for his shortcomings. If he does
that, then all well and good, otherwise he deserves to be punished. The evidence for
that includes the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized
them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so
that they might humble themselves (believe with humility).
When Our Torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe with
humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan (Satan) made fair-seeming
to them that which they used to do”
[al-An’aam 6:42]
Another reason… is as a punishment for those who were previously warned, but did not
benefit from the warning and mend their ways, and persisted in their sin. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“…so We destroyed them for their sins …”
[al-Anfaal 8:54]
And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And indeed, We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong, while their
Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe!
Thus do We requite the people who are Mujrimoon”
[Yoonus 10:13]
“And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order
(to obey Allah and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number
those of its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and
thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with
complete destruction”
[al-Isra’ 17:16]
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Grief may be accompanied by that for
which a person will be rewarded and praised, so it may be good in that sense, not that
grief is good in and of itself, such as one who feels sad for falling short in religious
matters or for calamities that befall the Muslims. In this case a person will be
rewarded for what is in his heart of loving good and hating evil, and so on, but grief
in itself, if it leads to failure to do that which is enjoined, namely patience, jihad,
seeking benefits and warding off harm, is forbidden, but if the person does not give it
up, and it is not recorded as a sin for him then he is fine.”
So the one who wishes that Allah would change his situation without any effort on his
part and that of others like him needs to understand this.
6 – Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And We seized
them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so
that they might humble themselves (believe with humility)”
[al-‘An’aam 6:42]
al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (This means) We sent (Messengers) to the
nations who came before you, and they disbelieved in Our Messengers and rejected Our
signs. So We seized them with poverty, sickness, calamities and disasters as a mercy
from Us to them, so that they might humble themselves before us and turn to Us at times
of hardship.
And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the
hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He (Allah) may make them
taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting
to Allah, and begging His Pardon)”
[al-Room 30:41]
al-Sa’di interprets the word fasaad (translated here as “evil”) as referring to the
disasters that develop on land and sea, which are making people’s lives difficult and
causing a lot of problems with regard to their livelihood and well-being.
And the disasters that befall them themselves, such as diseases, plagues and the like,
which happen because of the things their own hands have wrought of evil deeds that can
only lead to bad consequences.
This phrase “that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done”
means, so that they might know that Allah is requiting them for their deeds, so He gives
them a foretaste of the recompense of their deeds in this world, “in order that they may
return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon)” i.e., repent from their deeds
that have had this bad effect on them, and set their affairs straight.
Glory be to the One Who blesses by means of His punishment, for if He were to make
them taste all that they have done, no living creature would be left alive on earth.
7 – Worship at times of hardship and tribulation has a special flavour and a special
reward.
It was narrated from Ma’qil ibn Yasaar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said: “Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating
to join me.” Narrated by Muslim, 2948.
Al-Nawawi said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
‘Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join me.’
The reason why worship at such times is of such great virtue is that people become
negligent about worship and are distracted from it, and no one focuses on worship
except a few.”
Al-Qurtubi said: “Tribulation and great hardship will happen until the matter of
religion is taken lightly and people will care about nothing but their worldly affairs
and how to earn a living. So worship becomes very important at times of tribulation,
as Muslim narrated from Ma’qil ibn Yasaar in the marfoo’ report: ‘Worshipping at times
of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join me.’”
8 – Blessings that come after pain, hardship and calamity are more precious to people.
So then they appreciate the blessings of good health and safety as they should be
appreciated.
Another of the benefits of calamity is a reminder of how Allah has blessed man, because
the man who is created with sight – for example – forgets the blessing of sight and
does not really appreciate it, but if Allah tests him with temporary blindness, then
restores to him his sight, he will fully understand the value of this blessing. If
things are always easy a person may forget this blessing and not be grateful for it,
so Allah takes it away and then restores it, as a reminder to him to be grateful for it.
Calamity may remind the person to whom it happens and others of the blessings of Allah.
So when a person sees one who is insane, he appreciates the blessing of sanity; when he
sees one who is sick, he appreciates the blessing of sound health. When he sees a kaafir
who is living like cattle, he appreciates the blessing of faith. When he sees an
ignorant man he appreciates the blessing of knowledge. Only the one whose heart is open
will feel this. Those who have no heart do not give thanks for the blessings of Allah,
rather they are arrogant towards the creation of Allah.
9 – The benefit of calamity is that it rescues man from negligence and alerts him to his
shortcomings in keeping his duty to Allah, so that he does not think that he is perfect,
which would lead to hardening of his heart and negligence.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“When Our Torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe with
humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan (Satan) made fair-seeming to
them that which they used to do”
[al-An’aam 6:43]
10 – One of the benefits of tribulations and hardships is purification.
Hardships reveal how people really are, and distinguish the good from the bad, the true
from the false, the believer from the hypocrite. Allah says of the Battle of Uhud and
what happened to the Muslims on that day, explaining part of the wisdom behind this
trial (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He
distinguishes the wicked from the good”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:179]
So the true nature of all things is shown clearly.
11 – When Muslims help those Muslims who have been afflicted by calamity, they will be
rewarded for that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The
likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and compassion is that of the
body; when one part of it suffers, the rest of the body joins it in staying awake and
suffering fever.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6011; Muslim, 2586.
And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes
until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 13; Muslim, 45.
12 – At times of hardship and war we see the true meaning of the words of Allah
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)”
[al-Maa'idah 5:2]
| 