Natural Disasters or Divine Warnings?

Maliha Shahid

Let me tell you a story. Thousands and thousands of years ago, there was a great man. He was neither a rich man, nor a powerful leader of a tribe. In a time where all the people all around him were lost in social and moral evils, he was the odd one out, always found in worshipping God. Like any good man, he urged his people to do the same but they would not listen. He started building a boat of planks and nails, different from those already in use. The chiefs of his people would ridicule him whenever they passed his place. Yet, he continued to urge them to change their ways and would hammer away. One day, the clouds darkened and down came a raging storm. And yes, the only ones saved were the ones who took shelter in this very man’s boat.

My dear sisters, Assalāmo Alaikum!

Have you have already guessed the name of the great man in the story I just narrated? Yes, he was Hadrat Nūh^as, who was sent as a messenger to guide his people to the path of righteousness. His story is one of many that fulfill the promise made in Chapter 17, verse 16:

“…We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.”

I would like to bring your minds back to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. The Pakistan earthquake in 2005. The Haiti earthquake in 2010. The Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Natural disasters, which occurred less than 100 times in 1975, have occurred almost 1000 just in the last year alone!

During fund-raising efforts for the Haiti earthquake, a fellow university student came up to make a donation. While dropping her loose change into the collection box, she also dropped a question on me. “Do you believe everything happens for a reason?” She inquired. Recalling back to the sixth article of faith, I answered in the affirmative. This led her to ask the question that seemed to be on everyone’s mind: “Then why did this earthquake happen?” At the time I’m sure I gave a partially satisfactory answer but it wasn’t until afterwards when the next disaster occurred, and the frequency of all the other disasters that followed it, which made me truly stop and think about the age old question of “Why (is this happening)?”

In the verse I recited earlier, God promises us that He will not send a punishment until He sends a Messenger. However, if humanity chooses to reject this messenger and continue on in their evil ways, then God may choose to warn them through His punishment or destroy them all together and allow the good people to develop.

Knowing this, how can we explain the 950 natural disasters that happened in the last year alone? Are natural disasters occurring because nature is running its course, or are these events divine warnings?

Let us examine some statistics. Natural disasters have been occurring more and more over the years, and it seems that no country has been spared. Approximately 2.6 billion people were affected by natural disasters over the past ten years, compared to 1.6 billion in the previous decade. That means 2 out of every 5 people were affected by natural disasters in the last decade!

From meteorologists to geologists, from believers to atheists, everyone seems to have their own explanation as to why there are misfortunes descending from skies or erupting from beneath the earth. But what does Islām say about this matter?

According to Islām, there is no doubt that all disasters and misfortunes are caused by natural laws, or man’s effect on it; our actions have a reaction. Indeed the world does attribute the seasonal storms and extreme weather to factors such as climatic changes. But there is more to these occurrences than climate change. In pursuance of the objective of religion, sometimes these very natural means are employed. When this is the case, then these laws can also be used to serve as punishment or a warning lesson through the effect they have on nature. These effects are called divine punishment.

Although God can intervene and prevent the effect, the majority of suffering can be attributed to divine punishment. However, we need to see suffering as a sort of test or trial. Our reaction determines our grade. To get an A+, we need to remain steadfast and put our full trust in God; then we can use these natural disasters as opportunities to get closer to Him. The only way we can flunk this test is if we curse and blame God for our losses; this moves us farther away from Him. As such, if God took away suffering, then He would also be taking away our ability to develop and grow closer to Him. Thus, some natural disasters are a must. They are opportunities for us to fulfill the purpose of our being, which is to attain nearness and devotion to God Almighty.

So how do we achieve this nearness? One thing we must do is accept, and devote ourselves to, the messengers that God sends. The Holy Prophet^sa prophesied the advent of a divine reformer. Hadrat Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad^as claimed to be that long awaited reformer. He claimed to be the Mahdī, Messiah, and any other title associated to the reformer of the latter days. While many accepted him, a vast majority of Muslims opposed him bitterly, and continue to do so today. Those who rejected him were warned of the worst disasters ever witnessed on the face of earth. The Promised Messiah^as has himself written:

“There will be death on such a large scale that rivers will run with blood, and even birds and animals will not escape it. Such destruction will overtake the earth as had not happened since man was born. Most places will be turned upside down as if they had never been inhabited. There will also be other terrible afflictions, both in heaven and earth, and every sensible person will realize that they are no ordinary phenomena, and no trace of them will be found in books of astronomy or philosophy. Then people will be seized by anxiety and they will wonder what is going to happen? Many will be saved, and many will perish.” (Essence of Islām Vol. 5, pg. 148-149)

Hearing this chilling forewarning, I’m sure we all want to know why this will happen. The Promised Messiah^as answers this by saying:

“[All of] this will happen because men have given up the worship of their God, and all their thoughts and their designs and their resolves are diverted towards the world. Had I not come, these calamities might have been delayed for a while, but with my coming the secret designs of God’s wrath that had long been hidden have been manifested.” (Essence of Islām Vol. 5, pg. 149)

By paying heed to this wise guidance from the Promised Messiah^as, we should see the recent world disasters as cautionary signs. The strength of this warning from the Promised Messiah^as comes out of compassion to guide us on the right path. He further states:

“O Europe! You are not secure, O Asia! You are not secure, O you who dwell in the Islands, no artificial God will come to your aid. I see the cities falling and I see the habitations in ruin. The One and the Unique has long remained silent. Abominations were committed before His eyes and yet He remained silent. But now He shall reveal His countenance in a dreadful manner. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The hour is not far. I tried to bring everyone under the security of God, but the decrees of destiny had to be fulfilled. Assuredly, I say that this country’s turn is also drawing near. The days of Noah shall appear before your eyes, and you will see with your own eyes what happened to the land of Lot. But God is slow to wrath, repent so that you are shown mercy. He who abandons God is a worm, not a man, and he who does not fear Him is dead, not alive.’ (Haqīqatul Wahī, Rūhānī Khazā’in Vol. 22, pg. 269)

Currently, while witnessing all these calamities, it is time, more than ever, for us to repent with sincerity. Quite often, after natural disasters occur, we feel its power envelope us. We eagerly make the mosque our home and utter words of supplication and forgiveness to the Almighty God. Yet no significant change occurs in our lives. Hadrat Khalīfatul Masīh IV^rh has said that “the transitory attention paid to God Almighty passes away from [these peoples] hearts and minds like a traveller - now you see them, now you do not.” We should be mindful that God does not need anyone who remembered Him only in calamities and returns to their bad practices when troubled times were over. A true believer’s repentance should be real and lasting.

The best example for us to follow is that of the Holy Prophet^sa. Hadrat `Ā’isha^ra narrates: ‘Whenever there was a strong wind, the Holy Prophet^sa used to say: ‘O Allāh! I ask You for what is good in it, and the good which it contains, and the good of that which it was sent for. I seek refuge with You from what is evil in it, what evil it contains, and the evil of that what it was sent for.” And whenever there was thunder and lightning in the sky, his colour underwent a change, and he went out and in, backwards and forwards; and when the rain came, he felt relieved, and Hadrat `Ā’isha^ra would notice a sign of relief on his face. She asked him about this and he answered: ‘It may be that these clouds are like those that had overcast the people of `Ad. When they saw a cloud formation coming to their valley they said, ‘It is a cloud which would give us rain.’ However, the cloud brought them a calamity.” Such was the attitude of the perfect man^sa. He was aware that no calamity would befall his life, in fact others were protected because of him. Yet, he would feel concern and he feared that the arrogance of people and their misconception of God’s power may destroy the whole nation.

The people of Hadrat Lot^as were not so lucky. In Chapter 15 of the Holy Qur’ān, we read of the volcanic eruptions that were sent down on them:

“Then the promised chastisement seized them (the people of the Lot) at sunrise. We turned the city upside down and We rained upon them stones of clay. Surely, in this are Signs for those who can read signs.” (15:74-76)

My dear sisters, even after examining this direct proof from God that we must follow His path in order to avoid punishment, we as humans are often quick to dismiss these stories as old tales that no longer apply to us. However, we must remember that it is only natural that history repeats itself. The stories of God’s prophets exist as lessons to us that we must not ignore them. The most important feature of a divine punishment is that it has been foretold by a Prophet. When people reject Prophets and the messages that they bring, they distance themselves from God - until God finally warns them with His punishment, or even destroys them.

The Promised Messiah^as talks about these signs from God by writing:

“The manifestation of signs has been going on from the very beginning. Anyone who stays in my company can witness some of them upon the condition that he remains truthful and steadfast. In the future, too, God will not leave this Jamā`at [Ahmadīyya Muslim Community] without His signs, nor will He withdraw His support. On the contrary, He will continue to show fresh signs at their proper time and in accordance with His holy promises. This He will do until He has made manifest beyond doubt the differences between good and evil. (The Heavenly Decree, pg. 41-42)

In the end, I ask you to recall the stories of God’s prophets such as Hadrat Noah^as, Hadrat Lot^as, the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, and the Promised Messiah^as which I just narrated. I ask you, can we still say that we have not been warned? Can we still turn a blind eye and dismiss divine signs as coincidences or random occurrences? Can we walk away without stopping to re-examine our lives and making a promise to God to make a spiritual reformation within ourselves?

God has made it clear that He is Most Merciful, and that natural disasters can be prevented - if we repent and accept the Way of God. A morally stronger society, and living in a most peaceful environment can be achieved by re-establishing a connection with God and His Messengers. My prayer is that we can all turn in obedience to our Creator and enter the Ark of the Promised Messiah^as, so that we may be saved from any impending torment. Āmīn!

This article was published in Nov-Dec 2011 issue of Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada