Sikander Hashmi – When the Ground Shakes KMA Friday Message
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
Respected elders, dear brothers and sisters,
my young friends, As
we speak,
we all know that our brothers and sisters
in Turkey and Syria
are experiencing
unimaginable
pain and anguish.
Over 21,000
people have perished
in the 2 major earthquakes, one after the
other,
followed by 100 of aftershocks.
And
over 7,000,000 people are affected
by this disaster.
We ask Allah almighty to shower his mercy
and forgiveness upon all of those who have
perished. We ask Allah
to heal the injuries of those who have
survived, and we ask Allah
to mend the hearts
of those who are grieving and who are
traumatized.
Ameen.
The pain,
the grief,
the helplessness
is something that we should all feel my
brothers and sisters
because
we are 1 ummah
which is like 1 body. And like 1
body,
we must respond as well.
Of course,
we respond
with du'a
to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
and we should never
underestimate
the power of du'a. So we respond with
du'a and with whatever tangible support we can
offer
whether it is through funds,
our monetary donations,
or through in kind donations
as there have been collection points set up
that have been collecting items that are needed
to be shipped to the affected areas.
And, of course, with moral support
through
our words of support
and our deeds.
It was reported that when there was an
earthquake
at the time of the Khalifa, Omar bin
Abdul Aziz,
Rahimahullah Ta'ala,
he would write to his governors
telling them to give in charity. That is
what he would advise
to his
governors that
they and people should give in charity when
an earthquake would strike. Now the question is,
my brothers and sisters,
how should a believer
see this earthquake?
And how should we understand
such disasters?
It is true that many people will
feel bad.
Many people will empathize
and even help.
But what effect should it have upon
us? Firstly,
as believers, we recognize my brothers and sisters
that such events,
such natural disasters
are from the signs of the power of
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. It
is a sign of
and a reminder of
human weakness
and fragility.
And regardless of
the physical cause
and the mechanisms
that
result in such events,
the movement of the tectonic plates and so
on,
we recognize
that no one
is capable
of making this happen except Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala.
So this is something that should humble us
first and foremost.
When we recognize how weak and how insignificant
we are, how powerless we are in the
face of the might and the power of
Allah
We should also, in the same vein,
never feel that we are safe and that
we are protected.
Sometimes,
you know, when we are living in places
that Allah has blessed us with the opportunity
to live in places
that are
relatively safe
and that are relatively,
protected
from such events and such disasters.
Sometimes we may get the feeling
that this is something that happens to other
people elsewhere.
It is not something that will happen to
us. But my brothers and sisters, this is
not the or the approach and the attitude
of the believer.
The believer should always be humbled
in
especially in the face of such events
and should always
always be mindful of the power and the
grasp of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala which is
not limited to any single area. And we
have seen in even in our locality, in
our area, you know,
over the past few years, we have seen
tornadoes,
destructive tornadoes.
We have seen flooding.
So we are not immune.
And we should never feel
that this is something that happens elsewhere to
others,
and we are safe. And in fact, we
actually live in a seismic zone. I think
I've mentioned this before.
We actually live in an earthquake zone. We
don't realize it.
Right? And there are some experts who mention
that we are actually perhaps waiting for the
big one.
May Allah protect us all. You know?
They say perhaps it happens every, you know,
300 years or so in this region.
So a big one is due as they
say. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is the one
who's in control. May Allah protect everyone. But
we should the point is we should never
feel
that we are safe and we are immune.
As long as we are on this earth
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. As long as
any of the creatures of Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala are alive,
we are never immune. And Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala can send us a trial, can send
us a jolt
in any way that he wishes whenever he
wishes. So we should be humbled
and we should be mindful.
Secondly, my brothers and sisters,
as I mentioned, such natural disasters are jolts.
And what is the objective? What is the
point of the jolt?
The point of the jolt is to wake
a person up.
When a person's heart stops,
What does the medical team do?
Sometimes, they give an electric shock, a jolt
to bring the heart back
alive,
to wake it up from its
state of
sleep.
So these are jolts from Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala and the point is the result should
be
turning back to Allah Subhanahu
To turn back to Allah, to repent to
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Reconnect with Allah
So when we see such things happen, of
course, we make dua for the victims. We
make dua for those who passed away and
for the survivors
And we continue to make dua for them.
But along with that,
repenting to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
For our misdeeds, for our shortcomings, our mistakes,
and that of the may Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala forgive us all.
You see my brothers and sisters, earthquakes are
mentioned multiple times in the Quran.
And by the prophet
Yet there was no
earthquake authentically reported to have occurred during the
time of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. There are
some narrations with the disputed authenticity
that suggest that the ground shook at the
time of Sayna Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam,
and it is related that he said
that that your lord is asking you to
seek forgiveness.
So seek
forgiveness.
And it is also said reported that the
earth shook at the time of Sayna Umar
And he addressed the people and he said,
if it happens again, I should definitely abandon
you and leave.
Meaning, it was a warning to people that
such events occur
as a consequence
of the human the actions
of human beings. Ibn Mas'ud radiAllahu anhu,
as it is reported in Tafsir Tabari, he
said regarding the ayah, where
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says, we only send
the signs as a warning.
He said that Allah causes people to fear
him by whatever
signs he wills.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he causes people to
fear him by whatever signs he wills.
So that they might learn a lesson or
be reminded to come or come back to
him. And it was said that the ground
shook in Kufa at the time of Ibn
Mas'ud radiAllahu anhu, and he said,
Oh people, your lord is asking you to
seek forgiveness, so seek forgiveness.
Thirdly, my brothers and sisters,
it should lead us
to introspection,
to examine ourselves.
Where are we going wrong?
What could be the lesson here for me,
for society,
for the with regards to our conduct
and our beliefs, our attitudes,
and our actions. Because we understand and we
believe
that these
events don't occur for no reason. They do
not occur by mistake.
But rather there is wisdom. The wisdom of
Allah
behind such events, and it should lead us
to
be introspective
with regards to especially our spiritual state. Brothers,
if you can please come forward and fill
in the gaps so we can maximize the
space and sit close together, please.
The days of physical distancing are gone.
So now we can sit close together.
So please fill in the gaps. Bazaru alaykum
wa rah.
Fourthly, my brothers and sisters,
recognizing
the blessings
in the absence of the disaster.
When something is lacking,
when something is missing, when something is absent,
that allows us to recognize
that blessing.
If the blessing is taken for granted,
then we lose recognition of that blessing.
So
this reminds us
of the blessing of
the stability of the ground in the earth.
That Allah
has made this earth stable for us. That
we are able to live and sleep and
operate safely.
Even though we know that the earth
is spinning at great speed.
The planets are in movement, yet Allah
has made it for us that we are
able
to stand on ground without it shaking.
And when we lose that ability
for a minute,
for a few seconds, for 2 minutes,
we see what happens.
So the fact that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
has made it stable for us is in
fact a great blessing of Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala.
And if Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala wanted, he
could have given us,
you know,
this movement all the time, and we would
not be able to function. It would be
very difficult for us.
Even this balance that we have.
Some of you have probably gone into the
kitchen at the Science and Technology Museum.
The one with the that is disbalanced.
Subhanallah. You go in there and you lose
your bearings. It's hard
to even move around.
Right?
Because the ground is at an angle and,
like, you're you're you're totally, like, you know,
not able to handle it. Right? So these
are blessings of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, and
we must thank Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala for
granting
us these great blessings. And such
moments when these blessings are taken away are
reminders for us to recognize
how great of a blessing this is. 5thly,
my brothers and sisters, such events remind us
of the day of judgment. The prophet has
told us that amongst the signs of the
coming of the hour is an increase in
earthquakes.
And, of course,
talks about earthquakes
and
the
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us it's not
a natural disaster. Don't worry.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
reminds us,
right? Tells us about the earthquake
and the day of
judgment. Allah
says,
Surahul Hajj.
Oh, humanity.
Fear your lord for the violent quaking of
the hour is surely a dreadful
thing. Have fear. Have taqwa of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala of your lord because the violent
quaking at the hour
is surely
is
a dreadful thing.
Immediately
or prematurely.
And you will see people as if they
were drunk. Though they will not be drunk
but the torment of Allah is terribly severe.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala protect us all.
And SubhanAllah, you know, especially when we were
when we when we read, you know, about
where Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala give this gives
this description that, Watada'aawkulluwzaati
hamlinhamlalaha.
Right? SubhanAllah
we witnessed
the newborn baby girl
pulled out alive
in Syria.
Still with the umbilical cord attached
and her mother, her father, and all of
her 4 siblings perished.
But Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
preserved
this new new life literally born during the
earthquake
while her siblings and her parents perish. May
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala protect her in every
way. So when we read the stories of
the victims and we hear about what has
happened,
it is heartbreaking. It is unimaginable.
The helplessness.
You know, being there
and knowing that your relatives
are buried and being helpless
and being able to take them out, even
hearing them and speaking to them.
Subhanallah. Some of the victims have been sending
videos from inside messages
with their location,
asking for help.
And it is cold,
freezing temperatures,
no heat.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make it easy
for them. No one can fully understand the
wisdom of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And And
indeed Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is the most
wise but many do wonder about it. And
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala knows best. But we
have been taught a few things. First of
all, very quickly that
a person
who dies, who perishes in the collapse of
a building or gets crushed is counted amongst
the is counted from amongst the martyrs. This
is what we learned from Rasulullah
We ask
to accept all of the victims as
The believers are tested,
and believing is not a shield against test,
my brothers and sisters. Rather, it's quite the
opposite. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala tells us in
Surah Al Baqarah,
Or do you think that you will enter
Jannah without such trials as came to those
who passed away before you?
They were afflicted
with severe poverty and ailments, and they were
so shaken.
They were so shaken
that even the messenger and those who believed
among them said,
When will come the help of Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala? And Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala responds
to that and says,
Yet certainly the help of Allah is near.
But you see my brothers and sisters, the
believers
are indeed tested by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqas radiAllahu anhu reported that
I said, You Rasulullah, which people are tested
most severely? And the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
responded and said that they are the prophets
then the next who are best and the
next who are best. A man is put
to trial according to his religion. If he
is firm in his religion,
the trial his trials will be more severe.
If he is weak in his religion, he
is put to trial according to his strength
in religion. The servant will continue to be
put to trial until he is left walking
upon the earth without
any sin.
You see, my brothers and sisters, the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam also gave us told
us something specific about this Ummah. He said
that this
Ummah, This nation of mine is
a nation who has been granted mercy. It
is an Ummah that has been granted mercy.
Their punishment is not in the hereafter.
However, their punishment is in this world.
Their punishment is in this world through fitan,
through trials, and through persecution,
and through earthquakes and
slaughter.
So this is something that perhaps Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala has willed.
And quickly, I'll wrap up insha'Allah.
The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam also tells us,
if a certain status has previously been decreed
by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala for a person
and he does not attain it by his
deeds, meaning his deeds are not at the
level that would take this person, elevate this
person to this great status, then Allah
afflicts him in his body or wealth or
children. And through that trial and that tribulation
and that patience that he exerts,
he is granted. He reaches that high status
that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala had decreed for
him. Related
that the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said,
that great reward comes with great trials.
Allah
loves the people. He test them. And whoever
accepts it attains his pleasure.
That whoever
accepts it attains the pleasure of Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala
and whoever shows discontent
with the trial and with the test of
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala incurs
his wrath. We ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala,
to grant relief to all of our brothers
and sisters. We ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala,
to elevate their ranks and to ease their
pain and suffering. We ask Allah, subhanahu wa
ta'ala, to forgive each one of us and
to forgive every member of this Ummah and
to guide us out of our weak and
distant state. Ameen.