The Ruling on Attributing Earthquakes and Events to Natural Causes
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Question:
If someone says that some events occur, and that scholars and preachers will address them, and perhaps journalists will address them as well, such as the earthquake that was followed by a tsunami, which drowned hundreds of thousands of people, so some drowned and others were swept away, to the extent that some newspaper writers criticized some preachers for linking this tsunami to the anger of Allah, saying that it is a right of Allah, what is your opinion on that?
Answer:
My brother, these people were preceded by the polytheists in the past,[Al-A'raf 7:131], meaning we deserve it, [Al-A'raf 7:131] so they attribute matters to ordinary events, not to divine decree and destiny, and not to punishment; they treat them as ordinary matters. [Al-A'raf 7:95] When hardship strikes them, they do not turn to Allah or call upon Allah; rather, they say, [Al-A'raf 7:95] this is an ordinary thing, this is an ordinary thing. And the people of Hud, when they were advised, said, [Ash-Shu'ara 26:137-138] denying the punishments from Allah the Exalted. So these people are exactly the heirs of those. As for the people of faith, they say as Allah the Exalted said, [Ash-Shuraa 42:30] and by the saying of Allah the Exalted, a nation, and He will take them to account, [Fatir 35:45].
So matters are referred back to Allah, and these earthquakes are punishments and warnings of what is more severe than them. It is obligatory for Muslims to repent to Allah and to turn back to Allah, otherwise, with Allah is what is more severe than them,[Hud 11:102].
So these people who attribute these to natural events or climatic conditions, as they say, or that these earthquakes are ordinary things, these people do not have faith like their predecessors who say, "Hardship and ease have touched our fathers, and we are not to be punished like them." Exactly like them, these people must be guarded against, and one must not be deceived by their statements. And these people, it appears, do not have faith in Allah the Exalted, nor fear of Allah the Exalted; they do not have fear of Allah the Exalted.
If someone says that some events occur, and that scholars and preachers will address them, and perhaps journalists will address them as well, such as the earthquake that was followed by a tsunami, which drowned hundreds of thousands of people, so some drowned and others were swept away, to the extent that some newspaper writers criticized some preachers for linking this tsunami to the anger of Allah, saying that it is a right of Allah, what is your opinion on that?
Answer:
My brother, these people were preceded by the polytheists in the past,
But when good came to them, they said, "This is ours
فَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا هَٰذِهِAnd if a bad [condition] struck them, they saw an evil omen in Moses and those with him
وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُوا بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُOur fathers [also] were touched with hardship and ease
قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُOur fathers [also] were touched with hardship and ease
قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ(137) This is not but the custom of the former peoples, (138) And we are not to be punished."
إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَAnd whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.
وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍAnd if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.
اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًاSo matters are referred back to Allah, and these earthquakes are punishments and warnings of what is more severe than them. It is obligatory for Muslims to repent to Allah and to turn back to Allah, otherwise, with Allah is what is more severe than them,
And thus is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the cities while they are committing wrong. Indeed, His seizure is painful and severe.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَىٰ وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌSo these people who attribute these to natural events or climatic conditions, as they say, or that these earthquakes are ordinary things, these people do not have faith like their predecessors who say, "Hardship and ease have touched our fathers, and we are not to be punished like them." Exactly like them, these people must be guarded against, and one must not be deceived by their statements. And these people, it appears, do not have faith in Allah the Exalted, nor fear of Allah the Exalted; they do not have fear of Allah the Exalted.
Source
ربط الأحداث الكونية بغضب الله — alfawzan.live
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.