Calamities and Disasters and Their Causes

Question:
Many of the complainers say: that what happened in Yemen is nothing but a natural occurrence, thereby denying the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?

Answer:
The earthquakes that occurred—may Allah protect us from their evil—occurred to our brothers in Yemen, and they are a great calamity. We ask Allah to heal the afflicted among the Muslims, to cover them with His mercy, and to make them martyrs, for the one who dies in a collapse is a martyr among the Muslims. So we ask Allah to record martyrdom for them, to grant them patience, and to grant their relatives and families patience and the seeking of reward, and to elevate their rewards and make their consolation good; for He (Exalted and Majestic is He) is capable of all things.
There is no doubt that these are serious matters, and that these earthquakes, plagues of widespread disease, stormy winds, and sweeping floods are all among the general punishments. There is no power and no strength except by Allah. It is obligatory to be cautious of these matters, and it is obligatory for the Muslims to be alert and to be upright in the command of Allah; so that He may avert from them what harms them; for Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-Shura: 30].
There is no doubt that earthquakes, and the violent, destructive winds that harm people, are no doubt among the great calamities. Likewise, the sweeping floods that destroy houses, destroy trees, and ruin crops and offspring, are no doubt among the plagues. Likewise, widespread disease is among the calamities. These calamities do not occur except by the causes of the actions of people, for Allah the Exalted says: [Al-Shura: 30].
So the calamities are from our actions of sins and violations, and from not carrying out the command of Allah and not holding fast to what Allah has prescribed . And the punishments may be greater than this; He may unleash the disbelieving enemies upon the Muslims by the cause of their sins and their deeds, as happened on the Day of Uhud when the people changed their position in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the Day of Uhud, and when the archers did not remain upright in their position, and did not stay in their place which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had instructed them to keep, when they abandoned it and changed it; He unleashed the enemies upon them, and among them was the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He unleashed the enemies upon the Muslims from the people of Makkah, and they entered upon the Muslims from behind them and from their right, and the great disaster occurred, and those who were killed were killed, and those who were wounded were wounded among the Muslims, and the defeat befell the Muslims by the cause of not fulfilling the obligatory duty, and by the cause of abandoning the position which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the archers to stand in and to adhere to. So when they abandoned it, and they disputed, and they failed; the calamity befell the Muslims.
So there is no doubt that calamities come by the causes of our actions, our earning, and our negligence in the command of Allah , whether the calamities are earthquakes, or sweeping floods, or stormy winds, or general diseases, or other than this of calamities, or drought and general famine, or other than this. So everything that harms people of calamities and general plagues, all of it is from the effects of their sins, and the effects of their committing what Allah has forbidden . And when sins become apparent; they harm the general public.
As for the saying that they are natural occurrences, this is from the sayings of the disbelievers, and those who are heedless of Allah . They see the wrongs, and they see the punishments, and they see the evils, and they do not become alert, and they do not move. May Allah protect us.
And like what was said about some of them: [Al-A'raf: 95]. When the calamity comes, they say: "It has touched our fathers," meaning this has happened to those before us, and it is reprehensible. And likewise, may Allah protect us.