And Our National and Religious Responsibilities
Allah Almighty has established both apparent and hidden causes for natural disasters like floods, storms, earthquakes, strong winds, and epidemics. The apparent causes may be related to our knowledge but not necessarily our actions, while the hidden causes are linked to both our knowledge and actions. This is because apparent causes only manifest when the hidden, real causes exist.
Until now, due to the floods, millions of people in various areas of Pakistan have been displaced. As a result of the rains and floods, the total death toll has surpassed 700. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 400 people have died in just a few days, with over 200 people from the Buner district alone. Approximately 150 people are still missing. In Buner and other areas, over 150 millimeters of rain fell within just one hour due to a cloud burst, which triggered floods and landslides. Many villages have been completely destroyed. After Buner, the situation in Swabi is no different, with several fatalities reported. In this entire scenario, hundreds of deaths have occurred. Houses have collapsed, livestock and household items have been swept away, markets have been destroyed, and educational institutions have been demolished. It is as if a small-scale apocalypse has struck the people.
Floods as a Natural Disaster
Flood: A Test
In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty says:
Would you like to continue with the verse or provide further details on this topic?
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٥
Surely We will test you with a bit of fear and hunger, and loss in wealth and lives and fruits, and give good tidings to the patient. (2:155)
Flood is one of the tests through which Allah tests His servants to see who is patient and who is ungrateful.”
Flood as a Sign of Divine Power
In the Qur’an, it is stated:
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًۭا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱلطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ ١٤
We sent NūH to his people. So he stayed with them one thousand, less fifty, years. Then the Deluge seized them, and they were transgressors. (29:14)
This is regarding the people of Prophet Noah (ﷺ), that Allah, through His power, turned the flood into a punishment. He further said:
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا ۚ وَلَئِن زَالَتَآ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًۭا ٤١
Undoubtedly, Allah holds back the heavens and the earth from leaving their existing state, and if they were to leave, there is none who can hold them back, except Him. Surely He is Forbearing, Most-Forgiving. (35:41)
The flood; at times, is a divine punishment
Allah Almighty says:
فَكُلًّا أَخَذْنَا بِذَنۢبِهِۦ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًۭا وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَخَذَتْهُ ٱلصَّيْحَةُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ أَغْرَقْنَا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ٤٠
Thus We seized each one of them for his sin. So to some of them We sent a violent wind; and some of them were seized by a Cry; and some of them We made to sink in the earth; and some of them We drowned. And Allah was not to do injustice to them, but they used to do injustice to their own selves. (29:40)
When a person becomes rebellious, and as a result, the divine will comes into play, then the very sea, which was beneficial to him just a moment ago, and the very rain, which is sought from Allah Almighty, can drown him and become the cause of his destruction. No one except Allah’s mercy can save him from this divine grasp.
وَإِن نَّشَأْ نُغْرِقْهُمْ فَلَا صَرِيخَ لَهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنقَذُونَ ٤٣
And if We so will, We can drown them; then no one will respond to their cry, nor will they be rescued, (36:43)
إِلَّا رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا وَمَتَـٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ ٤٤
unless there be mercy from Us, and (unless) We let them enjoy for a while. (36:44)
It is only our mercy that allows them to cross. When Pharaoh adopted rebellion, he claimed divinity and denied the prophethood of Moses (ﷺ) and Aaron (ﷺ). He also refused to free the Children of Israel. When he pursued Moses (ﷺ) and the Children of Israel, Allah Almighty granted them a path through the Red Sea and helped them cross, while Pharaoh and his companions were drowned in the sea. The Qur’an, reminding the Children of Israel of this great blessing of Allah Almighty, states:
وَإِذْ فَرَقْنَا بِكُمُ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَنجَيْنَـٰكُمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ ٥٠
And (recall) when We parted the sea for you; then We saved you, and drowned the people of Pharaoh while you were looking on! (2:50)
The description of the punishment of the people of Noah (ﷺ) as mentioned in the Qur’an reveals that the sky poured down heavily upon them. It seemed as though the entire sky had become a sieve, from which water was pouring down. On the other hand, water began to gush up from the earth, and the entire surface of the earth turned into a fountain of water. The abundance of water reached even the peaks of the towering mountains. The entire nation was destroyed in it. Neither their homes, nor their high mounds, nor the tall mountains benefited them. Only Prophet Noah (ﷺ) and those who believed in him were saved through a ship by the command of Allah.
فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٍۢ مُّنْهَمِرٍۢ ١١
So We opened the gates of the sky with water pouring forth profusely, (54:11)
وَفَجَّرْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ عُيُونًۭا فَٱلْتَقَى ٱلْمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرٍۢ قَدْ قُدِرَ ١٢
and We caused the earth to gush forth as springs; so the water (of both kinds) met together for a destined event. (54:12)
وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍۢ وَدُسُرٍۢ ١٣
And We caused him (NūH) to board that (ship) which had planks and nails, (54:13)
تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءًۭ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ ١٤
which sailed under Our Eyes, as a reward for the one who was rejected (by the infidels). (54:14)
Flood: A Testimony or Expiation for the Believers
Sometimes, this very flood is not a punishment for people, but rather it comes to elevate them to the great status of martyrdom. It is narrated from Sayyidna Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:
الشَّهِيدُ خَمْسَةٌ: المطعونُ، والمبطونُ، والغَرِیقُ، وصاحبُ الهدمِ، والشهيدُ في سبيلِ اللهِ (صحیح بخاری 2829، صحیح مسلم 1914)
There are five types of martyrs: the one who dies from the plague, the one who dies from a stomach disease (al-mabtoon), the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a building or rubble, and the one who is martyred in the way of Allah.”
This indicates that if a believer passes away in a flood, it will be a cause of martyrdom and reward for him in the sight of Allah
What does Allah (ﷻ) want from us through the flood?
The flood directs a person towards repentance and seeking forgiveness. As Allah (ﷻ) says:
وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ٢١
And We will certainly make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may return. (32:21)
The purpose of the flood is also for a person to reflect on his shortcomings, seek forgiveness from Allah (ﷻ) for his disobedience, and turn towards Allah (ﷻ).
How can we protect ourselves from natural disasters?
Constant gratitude:
We are living under the blessings and mercy of Allah (ﷻ). There are countless gifts through which our lives are sustained. It is obligatory for a person to express gratitude to the True Owner at every moment, for gratitude is the cause of an increase in blessings and a major obstacle to the decline of blessings, as Allah (ﷻ) says:
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ ٧
(Recall the time) when your Lord declared, “If you express gratitude, I shall certainly give you more, and if you are ungrateful, then My punishment is severe.” (14:7)
This indicates that gratitude leads to an increase in blessings, while ingratitude, which is described as kufr (disbelief), causes a person to be afflicted with severe punishment even in this world. As Allah (ﷻ) says:
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًۭا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ ٥٣
All this is because Allah is not the one who may change a favour He has conferred on a people unless they change their own condition, and that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (8:53)
Adopting Taqwa (God-consciousness):
One of the reasons for protection from worries, hardships, and natural disasters is also Taqwa, as Allah (ﷻ) says:
فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ وَأَشْهِدُوا۟ ذَوَىْ عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا ٢
So, when they (the divorced women) have (almost) reached their term, then either retain them with fairness, or part with them with fairness. And make two just men from among you witnesses (of your either decision). And (O witnesses,) keep your testimony upright for the sake of Allah. That is what anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day is exhorted to do. Whoever fears Allah, He brings forth a way out for him, (65:2)
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدْرًۭا ٣
and provides him (with what he needs) from where he does not even imagine. And whoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah is to accomplish His purpose. Allah has set a measure for every thing. (65:3)
Asking for forgiveness for sins:
Just as sins are a cause of afflictions and hardships, asking for forgiveness and seeking repentance from sins is a powerful means and cause of preventing misfortunes. Allah (ﷻ) has promised His servants:
وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ٣٣
And Allah was not to send scourge upon them while you (O Prophet), were in their midst, nor would Allah send scourge upon them while they are seeking forgiveness. (8:33)
It is narrated from Fadalah bin Ubaid (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
العبدُ آمنُ من عذابِ اللهِ ما استغفرَ اللهَ عزَّ وجلَّ
That is, “A servant remains protected from the punishment of Allah (ﷻ) as long as he continues to seek forgiveness from Allah (ﷻ).” (Musnad Ahmad, 38/427)
Another point is that Allah’s punishment does not come upon a people as long as they continue to repent and seek forgiveness. This is a form of safety and protection from Allah (ﷻ) for His servants. Now, the Prophet (ﷺ) is no longer among us. We now have only one means of protection from punishment, and that is to constantly seek forgiveness. Therefore, we should not be negligent in this matter.
Giving charity and alms:
📖 The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
إِنَّ صَدَقَةَ السِّرِّ تُطْفِئُ غَضَبَ الرَّبِّ (رواہ الطبراني في المعجم الكبير 10/198، والبيهقي في شعب الإيمان 3/258)
Indeed, charity given secretly cools the anger of the Lord.
Making abundant supplication in times of ease
The principle for making supplication in times of difficulty is that one should not only call upon Allah during times of hardship and distress, but should also remember Him during days of ease and prosperity. It is narrated from Sayyidna Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
مَن سَرَّهُ أن يستجيبَ اللهُ له عندَ الشدائدِ والكُرَبِ، فليُكثِرِ الدعاءَ في الرَّخاءِ (رواہ الترمذي 3382، وقال الألباني: صحيح)
Whoever wishes that Allah (ﷻ) accepts his supplications during times of hardships and difficulties, he should make abundant supplication during times of ease and comfort (health and leisure).
Whoever desires that his supplications be accepted during times of hardship and distress, he should make abundant supplication during times of ease and prosperity. In other words, the connection and relationship with supplication should be kept strong and fresh. Merely remembering Allah during times of difficulty is not the way of Muslims; even disbelievers and atheists would call upon Allah in times of distress. Allah (ﷻ) describes their condition, saying:
وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَآءٍ عَرِيضٍۢ ٥١
When We bestow Our favor upon man, he avoids (to appreciate it) and keeps himself far aside (from obedience), and when some evil touches him, he is full of lengthy prayers. (41:51)
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ كَفَرْتُم بِهِۦ مَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ هُوَ فِى شِقَاقٍۭ بَعِيدٍۢ ٥٢
Say (to the disbelievers), “Tell me, if it (the Qur’ān) is from Allah, and still you reject it, then who can be more erroneous than him who is (involved) in far reaching schism?” (41:52)
This is why the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also encouraged us to make supplication. It is narrated from Sayyidna Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ الدُّعَاءَ يَنْفَعُ مِمَّا نَزَلَ وَمِمَّا لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ بِالدُّعَاءِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ
وَرَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ. وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيّ هَذَا حَدِيث غَرِيبIbn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Supplication is beneficial regarding things which have happened and things which have not happened, so devote yourselves to supplication, servants of God.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from Mu’adh b. Jabal. Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition. (Mishkat al-Masabih)
