Los Angeles and Fire

In the Context of the Fire in Los Angeles

A massive fire has broken out in the city of Los Angeles, USA. The wildfire, which started in the forests, rapidly engulfed the entire city. According to American media reports, over 12,000 firefighters, 1,150 fire engines, 60 aircraft, and 143 water tankers are engaged in firefighting efforts, but they have so far failed to bring the blaze under control. The wildfire has spread across thousands of miles, reducing hundreds of homes to rubble. More than two dozen people have died, nearly two dozen are missing, and hundreds are injured, while millions have been displaced from their homes. The intensity of the fire remains unchanged—if it appears to subside for a moment, it reignites somewhere else.

For this reason, according to the American media, the Deputy Chief of the California Fire Department has stated: “We need the mercy of nature.” This statement acknowledges that this fire is no ordinary one that can be easily extinguished. Who started this fire? How did it begin? And why was it ignited? These are questions for which, apparently, no one has a definite answer.

Some Essential Issues and Their Solutions

Can a curse (bad dua) be made against disbelievers?

During the Battle of the Trench, when the Prophet (ﷺ) missed the Asr prayer due to the enemy’s onslaught, he said:

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ الأَحْزَابِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَلأَ اللَّهُ قُبُورَهُمْ وَبُيُوتَهُمْ نَارًا كَمَا حَبَسُونَا وَشَغَلُونَا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى حَتَّى غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

‘Ali reported: When it was the day (of the Battle) of Ahzab, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: May Allah fill their graves and houses with fire, as they detained us and diverted us from the middle prayer, till the sun set. (627a)

Imam Bukhari has established a chapter on this Hadith:

باب : الدُّعَاءِ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِالْهَزِيمَةِ وَالزَّلْزَلَةِ

The Statement Regarding the Curse upon the Polytheists

The supplication for the destruction of disbelievers has been the practice of the Prophets. For instance, the supplication of Nuh (Noah), peace be upon him:

وَقَالَ نُوحٌۭ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا ٢٦

And said NūH, “My Lord, do not leave on earth even a single inhabitant (surviving) out of the disbelievers. (71:26)

The supplication of Musa (ﷺ) and Harun (ﷺ):

وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ ءَاتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُۥ زِينَةًۭ وَأَمْوَٰلًۭا فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِكَ ۖ رَبَّنَا ٱطْمِسْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَٱشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ ٨٨

Mūsā said, “Our Lord, You have given Pharaoh and his group glamour and riches in the worldly life, so that, our Lord, they mislead (people) from Your path. Our Lord, obliterate their riches and harden their hearts, so that they may not come to believe until they witness the painful punishment.” (10:88)

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه) that he said: The Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was praying under the shade of the Ka’bah when Abu Jahl and some people from the Quraysh stood up. They went to a corner of Makkah and brought dung, blood, and the entrails of a slaughtered camel. When the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) went into prostration, they placed those filths upon him.

Fatimah (رضي الله عنها) came and removed the impurities from the Noble Prophet (ﷺ). After completing the prayer, the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) supplicated to Allah, saying:

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ عَوْنٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي، إِسْحَاقَ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ وَزَادَ وَكَانَ يَسْتَحِبُّ ثَلاَثًا يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقُرَيْشٍ اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقُرَيْشٍ اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقُرَيْشٍ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ ثَلاَثًا وَذَكَرَ فِيهِمُ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ وَأُمَيَّةَ بْنَ خَلَفٍ وَلَمْ يَشُكَّ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ وَنَسِيتُ السَّابِعَ ‏.‏

Abu Ishiq has narrated a similar tradition through a different chain of transmitters and has added: He (the Messenger of Allah) loved to repeat the supplication thrice. He was saying: O Allah, it is for Thee to deal with the Quraish (repeating these words thrice). And among the Quraish, he mentioned (the names of) al-Walid b. ‘Utba and Umayya b. Khalaf. (The narrator says there is no doubt about the names of these persons but he has forgotten the name of the seventh man). (Sahih Muslim 1794c)

ثُمَّ سَمَّى : اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِأَبِي جَهْلٍ، وَعَلَيْكَ بِعُتْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، وَشَيْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ وَالوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، وَأُمَيَّةَ بْنِ خَلَفٍ، وَعُقْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ

Then the names of Abu Jahl bin Hisham, Utbah bin Rabi’ah, Shaybah bin Rabi’ah, Walid bin Utbah, Ubayy bin Khalaf, and Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ayt were mentioned.

Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) also says:

فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِينَ عَدَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صرْعَى فِي القَلِيبِ قَلِيبِ بَدْرٍ

By Allah! I found all of them dead in the Battle of Badr. Sahih al-Bukhari: 240

From all these arguments, it becomes clear that making supplication against such disbelievers who harm Muslims is the tradition of the noble Prophets (علیہم السلام).

Is it permissible to express happiness over the destruction and harm of disbelievers?

There are two aspects to this:
The first aspect is that:

One should never be distressed in such situations, nor should one express any sorrow. As Allah Almighty commanded the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) not to grieve over the disbelieving nation:

قُلْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ حَتَّىٰ تُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۗ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم مَّآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَـٰنًۭا وَكُفْرًۭا ۖ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٦٨

Say, “O people of the Book, you have nothing to stand on, unless you uphold the Torah and the Injīl and what has been sent down to you from your Lord.” What has been sent down to you from your Lord will certainly make many of them more persistent in rebellion and disbelief. So, do not grieve over the disbelieving people. (5:68)

Similarly, it was said to Musa (عليه السلام):

قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ۛ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةًۭ ۛ يَتِيهُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ ٢٦

He (Allah) said, “This (land) is prohibited to them for forty years. They shall be wandering around the earth. So, do not grieve for the sinning people. (5:26)

Prophet Shu’aib (ﷺ) said:

فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَـٰلَـٰتِ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ ءَاسَىٰ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ كَـٰفِرِينَ ٩٣

So, he turned away from them and said, “O my people, I have surely delivered to you the message of my Lord, and wished your betterment. How, then, should I grieve over a disbelieving people?” (7:93)

The second point is:

At such an occasion, expressing joy is also permissible.

Allah Almighty, in one place in the Holy Quran, mentions the Romans (who, in their time, referred to themselves as a superpower) and discusses one of their battles. While mentioning their defeat in that battle, He said:

غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ ٢

The Romans have been defeated (30:2)

فِىٓ أَدْنَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ ٣

in the nearer land; and they, after their defeat, will triumph (30:3)

فِى بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ۗ لِلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِنۢ بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَفْرَحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٤

within a few years. To Allah belonged the matter before and (to Him it belongs) thereafter. And on that day the believers will rejoice (30:4)

This shows that the Muslims were pleased with the calamity that befell the disbelievers.

If Muslims are also present in the disaster-affected area, then?

An important question arises in the minds of many people regarding the fire that broke out in Los Angeles—since there are many Muslims there as well, what is the ruling concerning them?

There are two aspects to consider in this regard:

The first point is:
Regardless of the question of whether their presence in that area is justified or not, we would like to say that Muslims should leave such an area. As the Lord Almighty has stated:

يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ أَرْضِى وَٰسِعَةٌۭ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱعْبُدُونِ ٥٦

O My servants who believe, surely My earth is vast. So, Me alone you must worship. (29:56)

Imam Baghawi (رحمه الله) states in the commentary of this verse:

This noble verse was revealed regarding those Muslims who remained in Makkah Mukarramah and did not migrate.

The second point is:
The matter of those Muslims who were martyred or suffered losses in that region is with Allah. When the divine punishment of Allah comes, it includes both the righteous and the wicked.

In this regard, guidance can be taken from a blessed hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَغْزُو جَيْشٌ الْكَعْبَةَ فَإِذَا كَانُوا بِبَيْدَاءَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يُخْسَفُ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِمْ» . قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ يُخْسَفُ بِأَوَّلِهِمْ وَآخِرِهِمْ وَفِيهِمْ أسواقُهم وَمن لَيْسَ مِنْهُم؟ قَالَ: «يخسف وَآخِرِهِمْ ثُمَّ يُبْعَثُونَ عَلَى نِيَّاتِهِمْ»

‘A’isha reported God’s messenger as saying, “An army will set out to attack the Ka’ba, but in an extensive desert the first and last of them will be swallowed up.” She asked how the first and last of them would be swallowed up when among them there would be markets and people who were not of their number, to which he replied, “The first and last of them will be swallowed up, then they will be resurrected in a state agreeing with their intentions.”
Bukhari and Muslim. (Mishkat al-Masabih 2720)

From this blessed Hadith, we learn that if righteous people are among the wicked, they too may be subjected to punishment and become engulfed in it. However, Allah will raise these good people according to their intentions. And you must treat them with justice and fairness—indeed, Allah loves those who act with justice and fairness.

As for those disbelievers who expelled Muslims from their homes, assisted in their expulsion, harmed Muslims in any way, or supported those who harmed them—such people must never be assisted under any circumstances.

Allah, the Almighty, has declared:

إِنَّمَا يَنْهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ قَـٰتَلُوكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِكُمْ وَظَـٰهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ ٩

Allah forbids you only about those who fought you on account of faith, and expelled you from your homes, and helped (others) in expelling you, that you have friendship with them. Those who develop friendship with them are the wrongdoers. (60:9)

Seek Well-Being from Allah Almighty

As human beings, we are deeply sinful. However, Allah Almighty is far more merciful to us than our deeds deserve. The reality is that we are not truly worthy of the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us. If Allah can send His punishment upon disbelievers, then we, as disobedient servants, are also susceptible to His wrath. Therefore, we should always seek forgiveness and well-being from Allah Almighty.

The Only Superpower is Allah

The United States considers itself a superpower, and the world acknowledges it as the greatest force. It believes it can do whatever it desires. However, always remember that the true superpower is Allah Almighty. When Allah intends to destroy a nation, all the world’s technology becomes ineffective, and only the will of Allah prevails.

The Day of Judgment is Always Near

Who would have imagined that in one of the most developed countries in the world, fires would suddenly break out, and despite all efforts, they would refuse to be extinguished? Similarly, a time will come when the Trumpet will be blown, and the Day of Judgment will be established. The Day of Judgment will not come gradually; rather, it will arrive suddenly, at a moment when people are engrossed in their worldly affairs. They will be sitting in their gatherings, engaged in casual conversations when, all of a sudden, the Trumpet will be blown, and everything will be annihilated—except for the eternal being of Allah.

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