Mufti Menk – Natural Disasters -The Islamic Response

			Salam Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
		

			Bismillah al Rahman al Rahim al hamdu Lillah wa salatu salam ala rasulillah who Allah Allah, he was
happy.
		

			We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala upon all conditions we send blessings and salutations upon
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana, Allah to
Allah to bless them to bless every one of us, to grant us goodness, and to grant us gender to fit
those. I mean, my brothers and sisters, you and I know that everywhere you go on Earth, there will
be positives, they will be negatives, people ask me sometimes, which is the best place you've ever
been to? Now this is besides McCann, Medina, obviously, because those places have a Allah given
value that is unique. So if we take those two out of the equation, I would like to say every single
		

			place has positive and negative, some have more, some have less of one or the other. If you look at
Cape Town, for example, on many occasions, I've said it's one of the best places on earth. And the
reality is it is but you know, the negatives, and so do I, we don't need to advertise them. May
Allah subhanho wa Taala protect us all, I mean, the same would apply, if you were to go to a holiday
resort somewhere across the globe, say Bali, for example. Absolutely stunning, beautiful place.
People would say I've never seen a place as beautiful as this, but they have positives and
negatives. The same would apply. Sometimes people who don't have knowledge or who are weak in their
		

			understanding and who need help, would look at a race, a specific race and say these people are bad,
or would look at a tribe and say these people are bad, not realizing that the rule is in all races,
in all tribes, they are good and they are bad. In fact, in every person, there is a good side and a
bad side. It depends which side you as an individual allows to actually be the dominating or
dominant side, may Allah make us from among those whose good outweighs the bad. And may Allah make
us from among those who can eradicate that bad
		

			for the sake of Allah subhanho wa Taala.
		

			So my brothers and sisters, Allah has given every one of us a package. In this package, you will
have good days you will have bad days you will have days when you are healthy days when you are not
healthy days, when you make a bit of money days when you don't days, when there's profit days, when
there is a loss days when things happen within your control and things happen out of your control
all that is proof and evidence that this life is a test. If this life was not a test, we wouldn't
have summer and winter, we wouldn't have the challenges that we face, but because this life is
indeed a test as we as Muslims believe. Allah says we will test you with everything, all sorts. And
		

			for this reason, within ourselves, you have days when
		

			your health begins to fail.
		

			If your faith in the almighty remains intact, or become stronger upon a test and the challenge, you
have now passed that particular test,
		

			and as a whole, if you were to become closer to the almighty as the days passed, because you
understand the nature of the creation, and primarily the fact that the Creator who has created the
creation is who we owe our existence to you have actually then succeeded.
		

			So it's important for us to know if you're making a profit in your business and it's flourishing, a
day has to come. When you suffer a loss, you might even go bankrupt, not because of anything we will
mighty wants to see you still worshiping me. Some people when they make a lot they turn away from
Allah, some when they make a lot, it draws them closer to Allah, some when they lose, they become
closer to Allah and some when they lose, they distance themselves from Allah. All this is a test May
Allah make us from among those who pass the tests. So one of the places I mentioned a little bit
earlier is Bali, Bali happens to be in Indonesia. Indonesia is known as the largest Muslim
		

			population on earth in a single country.
		

			The most populous Muslim nation, perhaps well beyond 220 250 million, maybe even more so Panama.
		

			And it's a beautiful country. I was there.
		

			Not even a week ago. So Panama
		

			Not even a week ago. And you know what? The tests that Allah subhanho wa Taala
		

			has chosen for them are great. As beautiful as the place may be. The people are calm. The people are
very soft natured, loving people. They have this beautiful connection to the deen you can tell
80 90% of the country being Muslim in Subhana Allah, you can tell by nature There are so good. I was
delivering a speech speaking for a whole hour There were people outside in the heat in the tents
sitting for hours on end waiting for the event in the program. But they didn't even complain.
		

			With us this beautiful Masjid we've got lovely fans, but we would complain What's going on? The air
conditioning working so panela we've been spoiled May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us goodness, I
see you smiling perhaps isn't the same question you have right?
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala grant us ease some people if they were to be pricked by a thorn, it's
like kiama has come because they are so spoiled. And suddenly they were to lose a hand they would
still say Alhamdulillah Allah Allah, Allah. May Allah grant us goodness and ease.
		

			It pays to complain Mashallah.
		

			What I mean is the condition suddenly went on Mashallah.
		

			So my brothers and sisters, the reality that we have is Allah subhanho wa Taala has given them the
islands of Bali, Lombok, Sulawesi, these places are absolutely stunning, beautiful, they have 1000s
of islands, perhaps 17,000 Islands, you know, when you say 17,000, they must have missed a few,
perhaps they might have added subtracted here and there. But more than that, Allah has given them so
many islands.
		

			Beauty, absolutely stunning. People go from across the globe to these places in order to appreciate
the favor of Allah in order to appreciate the greatness of Allah if they are believers. And if
they're not believers, they go there to enjoy. They go there to enjoy. May Allah subhanho wa Taala
grant us goodness, it's not wrong for a moment in the believer to enjoy, but not
		

			while compromising your relationship with Allah. We are allowed to go on holiday but your five Salah
don't ever go on holiday.
		

			You should be going on a holiday, but your holiday food never goes on holiday. Doesn't mean I'm on
holiday. So it's okay today, you know, may Allah subhanho wa Taala strengthen us my brothers and
sisters, very Unfortunately, they also have their fair share. Some might say more than their fair
share of problems, difficulties hardship, some of them we would turn natural disasters. When an
earthquake strikes. Remember, it's from Allah subhanho wa Taala. When an earthquake strikes, it's
from Allah subhanho wa Taala unless somehow somewhere behind the scenes there are people doing
nuclear testing somewhere in the ocean nearby, messing around with the tectonic plates that to Allah
		

			will deal with them, but we'd like to look at it as though perhaps if no one was tampering with it,
and it happened. It is indeed something we call a natural disaster. That's our terminology for Allah
subhanho wa Taala. It's very, very different.
		

			As soon as something were to happen, and for your information in the last year 2017 Indonesia
suffered 20 earthquakes 20 earthquakes in one year. How many floods tornadoes? In fact, I've got the
figures Yes. 787 floods. So panela in a year.
		

			716 tornadoes, 614 landslides, two volcanic eruptions of a great magnitude.
		

			Now people look at it and say yeah, there's a lot of sin happening there. My brothers and sisters,
let's look at the Islamic perspective. Is that what it is?
		

			When you and I suffer a motor vehicle accident or something happens or you get sick? does it really
mean you mean a sinful person? The answer is a big No, no. It does not mean that automatically. One
disaster could mean different things for different people according to Allah subhanho wa Taala. You
know, you and I love life so much that if anyone were to die, we would become sad. And the sadness
differs in degree because a believer also becomes sad, but sometimes that sadness leads to
depression, which is wrong.
		

			But for us, the ultimate end is death.
		

			Unless we have solid belief, if you have solid belief, that's just the beginning of the eternal
life.
		

			Subhan Allah, we've suffered enough, we've struggled enough your eyes closed, you must know that
you're going to paradise genital fair dose we have
		

			in it, there is whatever your soul desires, whatever is sweet to your eyes is yours forever and
ever, you shall dwell there in that is Jenna. So if someone dies, actually, for a believer, it's
considered the beginning of the eternal life. But sometimes due to our weakness, we don't look at it
that way. Unless and until we're reminded.
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala, grant us a good memory. May we instill hope within us. So you have to
die, I have to die, the others have died before us, and those who are to come will also die, why
will they die? They will die because that's the plan of Allah subhanho wa Taala. So what does that
depict? Well, it depicts the end of your tests. That's what it depicts. So if your test is ended,
how do you know if it was good or bad? Well, I can tell you if you died in a condition that you were
closer to Allah and you were content and happy with Allah, then you have died in the correct
condition.
		

			If you died in the condition that you were worshipping Allah, you will repenting to Allah, you were
a person who looked after your relationship with Allah, you will becoming better as time passed,
then you have died in the best condition, even if it was a car crash where your body was in 20
pieces. Now Allah grant us all a good day, I mean,
		

			so it's not got to do with whether they were 20 pieces of your body that made you die or whether you
died so smooth in your sleep, that depicts the happiness of Allah know.
		

			The successful life is determined by whether or not it led you towards a law. Remember that as time
passed, you became more regular with your prayer, then you died in an earthquake. Good news to you.
That wasn't the punishment. That was the mercy of Allah. How many of us have seen the clips of those
imams who were standing in the front of the masjid in Indonesia, and they will lead in the Salah
when the earthquake struck? Are you trying to tell me that was punishment? Or Oh, the villa? That
was the biggest Mercy of Allah? Didn't it refresh our own Eman? As people who looked at it from
afar? What about the amount of those who were standing there? They interviewed that the man who
		

			actually survived, he said, it is permissible for me to have walked away. Yes, indeed. But I decided
if I'm going to go, let me be insula Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Those are the
powerful. There were others who perished while they were in a school studying the Quran becoming How
often do you say that's the punishment of Allah? Never. It's not. It is wrong to declare that the
earthquake was a punishment totally wrong. Or the volcanic eruption or the landslide or the tsunami,
etc. It's wrong to declare it was a punishment. Yes. For those who died while they were
transgressing, it may have been a punishment from Allah.
		

			For those who died while they were worshipping the devil, it may have been a punishment from Allah
for those who died distant from Allah. While they were enjoying merrymaking doing as they please
forgetting that they even have a hereafter to go to. for them. It may have been a punishment indeed,
but those who might have died right next to them while they were reading Quran, trust me, there is
no better way than you can die. Then being in the worship of Allah subhanho wa Taala We ask Allah
hakima for a good day.
		

			keep on asking Allah for a good day. But remember, while asking Allah for a good death, do not
transgress You should be ashamed whenever your human side makes you falter. You should actually
quickly go back and say yeah, I don't want to die in this condition. And this is why when the young
man says Oh ALLAH and I think I told you this it's actually a true story.
		

			Take me away Institute and I told him but you're not even really Salah he says that's because I
don't want to die right now. Because if ally accepted my job, but like accepted my drive is gonna
take me away into June. I'd rather just hold back my schedule for a while so that I can live longer.
That is foolish thinking totally foolish. It doesn't work that way. We say Oh Allah Take me away
Institute. Make sure you are there Institute. Often Allah will grant you that if it's really a DA
Allah will give it to you. Now I want to tell you people say but why does Allah destroy us?
		

			Ultimately I was going to take you away. You look at it as negative, he looks at it as positive.
		

			I want to go to heaven. How many of us want to go to Jenna, please put up your hands.
		

			May Allah grant us gentlemen. I mean, how many of you want to die put up your hands?
		

			Very few. You see, in order to get to general you have to die. So sometimes Allah knows he's going
to give you gentleness so he wants to take you away. Whether he does it retail or wholesale is up to
him. Subhana Allah, whether he does it bit by bit, one by one, or whether he takes everyone away. If
you took us all away right now, Salatu. Juma, Best place best time in his house, and we had to be
wiped out. Well, how would the others look at it? That depends on them. But how would we look at it?
Well, if your heart was softened, and Allah invited you to his house, and then took you away here,
there must be something special about you. May Allah grant us a good day.
		

			So my brothers and sisters, now that we were certain that it's not necessarily the punishment of
Allah, but it is a test from Allah, it could be a punishment for some, but it is indeed a means of
gaining closeness to Allah, those who died, we've spoken about them that it depends on the condition
they died on. What about those who remain right now, there are so many aid organizations from this
part of the world, and from so many other parts of the world, helping and assisting and I'm going to
get to that. But what I'd like you to know, extremely important is there are people who've remained
behind who are suffering, they are suffering, they are struggling,
		

			why their homes are destroyed, the property is gone, the wealth is gone, everything is gone, the
family members are taken away. And here is a little child, the only survivor. Why did Allah do that?
		

			Allah knows.
		

			Number one,
		

			Allah has a quota of martyrs that he takes every so often he knows the number he takes them in
whatever way he wishes. And this is why martyrdom is not restricted to the battlefield, but rather,
in Islam. martyrdom is achieved when you die also in certain ways, such as, through what we termed
natural disaster for as long as you were in the obedience of Allah. Sometimes the plague, sometimes
certain diseases, drowning, etc, etc. There's a whole list of who is a martyr, those who were
killed, those who were murdered, without a sin, nothing. Those who are protecting their family
members and died as a result, they also matters in the eyes of Allah. Allah says, Why definitely
		

			come
		

			along this, but Allah explains that Allah has a certain number of Shahada, he's going to take he's
going to make sure that this certain number, they're going to be granted martyrdom. So if Allah took
that number from Indonesia, Subhan Allah, they have achieved what Allah grant us goodness.
		

			Those who have remained behind, it's a test for them, if remaining behind and witnessing such great
might have Allah has brought you closer to Allah, it was the mercy of Allah. How many were in the
clubs and in the pubs and Allah decided they're going to survive.
		

			When they survived, they began to frequent the masjid. And they change their ways and habits. What
was that earthquake? It was a mercy for them. It changed their lives.
		

			That's what I was saying right at the beginning. Some people when they things are taken away from
them, it brings them closer to Allah. Our sickness sometimes makes us closer to Allah, that sickness
was a mercy. But if your sickness makes you despondent and turn away, questioning Allah, that could
have just been a punishment. Well not do that to us. When you get my brothers and sisters become
closer to Allah, when it is taken away from you become closer to Allah, that is the test. So those
who remain behind it's a big test for them. They will cry because they are human beings. They will
be sad because they're human beings. But what will keep them afloat, their Eman is the only thing
		

			that will keep them afloat, that trust and conviction in Allah.
		

			That you know what, it's going to be better in number three. Yusra, we've heard that in the Quran,
Allah says indeed, with difficulty there will be ease, believe that all of us who are going through
difficulty, and probably every single one of us has a different level of difficulty May Allah create
is for every one of us in our own unique circumstances. I mean,
		

			don't become hopeless. Look at the wars that are happening across the globe. You are not happy about
them. I'm not happy about them no matter where they are. Whether they happen to be in Syria, Iraq,
Yemen, wherever else they may be. avani Stan, the list is endless. Actually.
		

			People come to me shit, but you didn't mention this name. I say well, I have all those names were in
my mind, but it was by way
		

			Example.
		

			And in actual fact, new names are being added. And the war, a lot of the times human beings are
guilty for creating it for fueling it. And what happens? mass death, that's what happens.
		

			But Allah knows, one is guilty one is innocent. Sometimes both are guilty. Now Allah subhanho wa
Taala protects us, we want it to stop. But let me tell you, if the tests bring you closer to Allah,
		

			then it's a sign of the mercy of Allah, no matter what the test is. And this is why the message I
had for my brothers and sisters in Indonesia earlier this week was the grip these tests bring you
closer to Allah.
		

			We would never be able to imagine what they're going through. But guess what, it's a test for us as
well. We are one body as muslimeen when the finger is hurting, the whole body is restless. So what
should you do number one, in the law, he were in LA Hara. Jihoon That's a powerful to
		

			Allah vena
		

			cava in,
		

			in
		

			Allah praises those who when calamity strikes, they say, well, we all belong to Allah and all of us
are going to return to Allah. What did that do for you? It brought you closer to Allah, it made you
a better person, your dress code improved your relationship with those around you improve your
relationship with Allah improve what happened? It was because of the disaster of someone else.
		

			Someone else at times. So when we witness that calamity, the first thing we call out to Allah, we
check ourselves quickly, and we remedy our own sickness and illness, and then we quickly reach out
to them in whatever way we can. There is a connection between Cape Town and Indonesia, dating all
the way back to three centuries back when Shaykh Abdullah Salam was brought here by the Dutch
		

			in Political exile or banished In other words, who has shut up the lab this Salam?
		

			Was he not the one known as the Tuan guru, mela grant in general?
		

			The sacrifice he made, he was Indonesian. Did you know that? He came from that part of the world?
The same people today are struggling, they are our ancestors. Do you realize that? What are you
going to do for your forefathers? When you reach out to your pocket and take out 20 rants and say,
You know what, my folks are struggling? Let me do something. Oh, are you gonna say Allah will help
them.
		

			Allah helps but Allah uses some whom he loves to help. That is why when Abu Bakr Siddiq who was the
greatest to trip this earth after the prophets of Allah subhanho wa Taala
		

			when he was informed about the need of the Muslim Ummah at the time,
		

			and they asked him, What have you brought along? He said, this is 100% of what I own 100% everything
so what have you left back at home for your family? This is I left align solid Allah.
		

			Allah will provide. I'm okay I'm healthy. So can Allah What about us? We are okay, we are healthy.
You know what many of us are drowning simply because we have an addiction to luxuries, that
necessities toxicities, a lot of us who are struggling financially, while law II I swear by Allah in
this Masjid, it's not because of your basic necessity. It's because of your greed for that which is
beyond your basic necessity. Allah has taken a guarantee that he will provide you your basic
necessity, you are upset because you want more than that? Why? We look at john, and we look at this
one. And we look at Peter and Paul. And then we look at Muhammad. And we and we look at Abdullah and
		

			we look at the others and we compare our lives and when we compare our lives we start scratching our
heads. One side wife is nothing husband next side. husband is nothing wife. You might want to know
why I balanced it.
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us all? What are we looking for? I'm depressed because I cannot eat
out every week. Come on. Some people don't even have the food to eat in every week, let alone eat
out.
		

			Your depression is connected to something way beyond what Allah promised is going to give you
		

			some kind of law so what I'm saying, learn to be happy with what Allah has bestowed upon you. Adjust
your lives in a way that a portion of your wealth can be given to those who are in dire desperate
need from your own relatives. Allah grant us that.
		

			Today we are going to be collecting by the will of Allah subhanho wa Taala for Indonesia.
		

			palu in Sulawesi, Lombok,
		

			Bali, etc. Those who are struggling and suffering, and I plead with you to reach deep into your
pockets.
		

			In order to give generously, Allah will recompense it in ways that you have never imagined. He will
draw you closer to him. And the best wealth to give is that when you are feeling poverty, you don't
know Look, I've got my last so many 1000 but nevermind 1000 I'm going to give away Allahu Akbar why
they need it more than I do. Look at the Sahaba of the Allahu anhu they reached out to each other in
what way they gave what was the last sip to the other one? Because that is what made them true
believers in the creator kind of Goofy,
		

			Goofy, Goofy, Allah promises that he will continue to help his worship for as long as that worship
continues to help another. You want the help of Allah? How are you helping someone else? Well, I'm
not because I need the help of Allah. What? excuses excuses don't make those excuses. Reach out to
those even if it means with your greatness of character, develop your conduct reach out to those who
live with greed, the people that itself is a great sadhaka to smile is a sadhaka tell me you can't
afford that.
		

			The best smiles and caked on when the elderly smile at you without those teeth.
		

			Allah subhanho wa Taala kilometers goodness and ease.
		

			It's a genuine smile.
		

			So my brothers and sisters remember this
		

			manifests a Muslim in kobata min COVID dunya nefesh Allahu anhu corbetta minnkota bo milk Yama. You
really want help on the day of judgment when the sun will be so hot that people will be drowning in
their sweat. Imagine and I tried to picture this. I'm sweating right now but Mashallah, it's quite
cold in the masjid. I shouldn't be complaining. We've already complained once.
		

			But as we sweat, we feel so uneasy. Imagine if you had to sweat and you were dripping. People say
this man's dripping give him some tissue. Imagine if that became a tap where the water got to your
ankles. I can't even imagine that. I don't know what that would be. Can anyone imagine that? Has
anyone ever sweated in a way that it even got to their toes? None of us. On the day of the AMA the
issue will be so so difficult that people will be sweating and they sweat will reach their knees.
Love. Not only means beyond, people will be drowning in their sweat. You want to help on that day.
Allah says help someone today on earth. And I will help your mentor, Allah Allahu Akbar.
		

			You want to help on the Day of Judgment tiama help people in the dunya no matter who they are,
forget about what color they are, what race they are, our tribe they are etc, etc. You reach out to
people, Allah promises you on the day of tiama I will reach out to you you will be looked up you
will be picked out and you will be assisted VIP. Why? Because in the world you used to assist
others. That's the Hadith I just read now of Muhammad Sallallahu sallam,
		

			I call on you, my brothers, my sisters, to help one another help those in need. Even if you are in a
certain type of need. It doesn't mean that you cannot I've witnessed beggars. I witnessed beggars
		

			who have been given a few coins, they take out from those coins and give someone else some of those
coins. You know what, in the eyes of Allah, they've given more in percentage than you and
		

			if I gave one round one grant is naught point something percent of whatever I might be having.
		

			And that person from one grant gave 50 cents to someone else. That's 50% of his worth in the eyes of
Allah gave it away.
		

			I witnessed little clips on YouTube of people, even non Muslims who happened to give to those who
asked sometimes that which is the last penny they have in their pockets, just out of the goodness of
their hearts. That's why entering gentlemen is not only through your Salah, through your direct
ibadat your tilava etc. Yes, that is extremely important. It's a pillar of Islam. undeniable, but
the Hadith says your luck, play a great role in your entry into paradise. What is a flap your
character your conduct, the condition of your heart?
		

			So my brothers and sisters, take a look at these natural disasters that happen today. It's their May
Allah protect us tomorrow it could be here. We have a few winds that blow sometimes nothing much has
happened and we get so so
		

			scared.
		

			You know, I'm talking about Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, etc. We get so
		

			Scared we get worried people stay home. But you know what? That was not a fraction of what others
have tasted and look how scared we are. Imagine who's reaching out to them? Are you waiting for
others to reach out to them in a way that they compromise their values because they need some
assistance. We are those who help for the sake of Allah.
		

			May Allah subhanho wa Taala make us from those who reach out. I can go on and on. And I've just
realized my 30 minutes are up. But my brothers and sisters The point is, every one of us shall face
challenges, difficulty hardship, those difficulties, hardships should actually bring us closer to
Allah. And if you want help and assistance, help others who have difficulty and Allah will
definitely help you. You will smile when you see the problems of others in how big they are. Yours
becomes insignificant, irrelevant and diminished. May Allah subhanho wa Taala bless you all, may
Allah protect us all. May Allah grant ease to those who are struggling.
		

			In all those lands,
		

			whether it is
		

			the earthquakes, the volcanoes, or even the man made was, may Allah subhanahu wa taala help them May
Allah help us appreciate the nygma and the favor that we are enjoying, in a way that we respect each
other. And we never compromise the peace, serenity stability that Allah has favored us with a kuroko
li hava sallallahu wasallam about a gallon a minute