Banda Aceh - Island of 1000 Mosques
The exegetes mention that the testimony of time, mentioned in this verse, refers to the testimony of each era’s extraordinary events, events that indicate the incomparable of God. The recent tsunami, which devastated regions in and out if the Indian Ocean is one such events that triggered the x button. Only God could have ushered the awesome power unleashed by the earthquake that moved the island of Sumatra 100 feet, yet left intact. Only God could have ushered the awesome power to send a wave of water, whose depth reached from the surface of the water to the ocean floorm hundreds of miles across the sea at speeds exceeding five hundred miles an hour. Only God could devise an “earlywarning system” which told myriad species of animals to flee to the safety of high ground. Only God
Yet many, even some professing faith in Islam, having seen such an awesome display of God’s power, question His Wisdom. Why must our faith be constantly tested? Why did so many unsuspecting people have to perish? Why were children swept from their mothers arms? Why such widespread and apparently wanton destruction? Why, once again are the Muslims the majority of those suffering from such calamities? Why?
In many instances, for Muslims, such questions may arise from ignorance of basic religious teachings and insufficient knowledge of Islamic eschatology. Let us endavour to answer some of the above questions.
This world, as God repeatedly informs us in the Qur’an, is the abode of trials and tribulations. God says, He who has created death and life in order to test which of you is best indeed. He also says, We will surely test you with measure of fear and hunger, and lost of wealth and lives. Give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Similarly, Do people think that they will be left alone merely saying, ‘We believe!’ and not be tested? All of these verses emphasize that this world is an abode of tests. The object is life is not to avoid or deny its tests and trials, rather to successfully pass them.
Do not find the occurrence of tribulations strange as long as you are in this wordly abode, for it (world) has it has only manifested its deserved description, its intrrinstic characteristic.
Living in this world will inevitably bring us tests. Those test are subtle and open, they occur in great and small things. Through these tests, God shows which of us truly believe, and which of us are empty claimants. Many thing that tests from Gods are always signs of His wrath. As Muslims, we believe that the trials afflicting us can be signs of His Love. God Messenger (s.a.w) informed us:
The magnitude of otherworldly reward is proportionate to the magnitude of wordly tribulation. When God loves people, He tries them. Whoever is content, will have divine pleasure. Whoever is displeased will have divine wrath.
Human suffering is real. However, human perseverance, and human dignity are just as real. They allow us to nobly endure the trials of the world. As Muslims we are assisted towards this end by our knowledge that any suffering we experience in this world expiates our sins.
If one’s view of human life is limited to this world. One might easily be led to view the suffering and travails of this world as manifestation of injustice or cruelty. However, when one related those hardships to the life hereafter, one must confront the question, “How bad can any suffering in this world be if it is open the door to unimaginable, eternal good in the life hereafter?
In conclusion those who drowned in the tsunami are martyrs. Those were crushed by demolished structures are martyrs. They have all gone on or will go on to the good God has prepared for them. Our Prophet (s.a.w) mentioned: The martyrs are five: One who dies during the plague; one who dies of dysentery; one who dies by drowning; one who dies in a demolished structure; and one who dies struggling in the way of God. Paradise will be theirs. Their cases are closed.
As for us, what will be our case? Will we humble ourselves before the awesome power of God, or will we continue to display our destructive hubris? Will we continue to take the blessings of food, clean water and shelter for granted, or will we fall unto our knees, raising our hands to the sky, our eyes flowing with tears, thanking God for these blessings from the depth of our hearts? Will we forge about the suffering victims of the tsunami as soon as the gatekeepers decide that other stories are more newsworthy and the images disappear from our televisions, or will we continue our relief and fundraising efforts? And perhaps most importantly, will we watch scores of people bury their deadm and continue to neglect preparation for our own inevitable demise?
Written by Zaid Shakir taken from magazine: The Path
Miracles are known to happen out of blue, once in a lifetime. Rut what had happened last year was indeed multiple event of miracles. After the disastrous tsunami, there came Katrina weeping out the whole town of New Orleans and other states too. There certainly are some analysis made after these two incidents happened in completely 2 different places. When tsunami occurred, never there were stories of murder, looters and worse rape !! but it was the oppsite way in US. Lots of disastrous incidents that piles up to Katrina. So who are more liberal ? Egoistically you call your country a freedom country where there had been speculation which said aid was late due to the number of blacks staying at the zone hit area.. The administration spend millions opps no billions for just toppling Saddam regime. This must be stated down in history books. Ok that’s it for now cuz one things will definitely lead to another.
Miracles and stories that really makes me ponder was what happened in Bandar Aceh the island of 1000 mosques. Firstly I didn’t knew that Aceh was packed with lots of mosques and also a very cultured and religious society. All my thoughts were that they just engaged in battles with Indonesia’s soldiers for freedom. Well now I do believe that they have all right to do after reading more stuff about this miraculous country. That day, the wave was as high a six story, till now I still cant really imagine how bad the impact is. It is just beyond imagination. And the most shocking part was that not only one mosques but lots of them still stayed intact after the tsunami was over. Mosques that were built by wooden can stay put despite the killer waves killing hundreds, carrying huge ships of the land and destroying hundreds of properties. This is a miracle shown by God. There were survivors that stayed in the mosque for safety saw the waves split into two when it was reaching the mosque. Al-Muhaymin- the protector of all things.
A pregnant lady, grasping for her life during the tsunami saw a python coming towards her and she clung onto the snake and yes the snake brought the lady to a safe place. Lots more stories that were told by the survivors which has indeed shock the world. A year has passed and basic supplies, temporary construction, training and capacity-building has been focused on. A good sign showing progress is made.
Well I do wish all the best to the Acehnese and to other tsunami survivors that they will build up and come back strong.
