Questioner:
What is the legislative ruling upon the one who says that earthquakes and floods are natural disasters? And do you have a book on this issue?
Shaykh Muqbil bn Hādī al-Wādi’ee:
All praise is due to Allāh, and may Allāh exalt the mention of our Prophet, Muḥammad and grant him peace, and his household, his companions and those that follow him. And I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, Him alone without any partners and I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and Messenger.
To proceed:
The legislative ruling upon the one who says that earthquakes –and other than it from the occurrences– are natural occurrences, (is that) he is considered to be a disbeliever. Because he attributes (actions) to nature whereas, nature itself is incapable of creating nor changing (anything).
And the Lord of might and power said in His noble book (what means):
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz), before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah. In order that you may not be sad over matters that you fail to get, nor rejoice because of that which has been given to you.” [al-Ḥadīd:22,23]
And He, the Exalted and Most High says (what means):
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.” [ash-Shūrá:30]
And He, the Exalted and Most High says (what means):
And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs) but that the people of old denied them. And We sent the she-camel to Thamud as a clear sign, but they did her wrong. And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make them afraid (of destruction). [al-Isrā‘:59]
So, the signs are for instilling fear. And those atheists want to invalidate the vengeance of Allāh for His friends and Prophets, so they regard it to be natural disasters.
And Allāh, the Exalted had said regarding some nations that denied the message, (what means):
“So the earthquake seized them, and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes.” [al-A’rāf:78]
And the Lord of might and power, says in His noble book (what means):
“When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake. And when the earth throws out it’s burdens.” [az-Zalzalah:1,2] till the end of the chapter.
And our Prophet, Muḥammad ﷺ said, as contained in the Ṣaḥeeḥ, from the Ḥadeeth of Abū Hurayrah: “Knowledge will be taken and earthquakes will be much” and it is agreed upon, and we have mentioned it in aṣ-Ṣaḥeeḥ al-Musnad min Dalā‘il an-Nubuwwah.
And he also said, in the Ḥadeeth of Salamah bn Nufail as-Sakūnī “Verily, in the end times, there will be many earthquakes.” or something similar. And the Ḥadeeth is authentic, but not in the Ṣaḥeeḥayn.
Yes, it might be a form of trial.
“Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken…” [al-Baqarah:214]
And the meaning of quaking here is not the known earthquake (rather) trembling of their hearts.
“…that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, “When (will come) the Help of Allah?” Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!” [al-Baqarah:214]
Some them reject the fact that earthquakes are a consequence of sins. They say: “And what is the sin of the infants?”
The infants, as contained in the Ḥadeeth of Umm Salamah and likewise, the Ḥadeeth of Aa‘ishah:
“An army will invade the Ka’bah, and the first and last of them will be swallowed (by the earth)” It was said: “O messenger of Allāh, how will the first and last of them be swallowed up and amongst them is their market and those that are not with them (i.e did not intend to invade the Ka’bah)? He said: “The first and last of them will be swallowed up, then they will be resurrected upon their intentions.”
The meaning is that, this is the speech of the atheists, those who disbelieve in Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, and they attribute things to the nature.
And there is something we want to point out; we hear that our youths repeatedly say in their conversations: “Ṭab’an (Naturally)”. Something is said to him and he says: “Naturally”. What is preferable is to say: Na’am (Yes), Balá (Yes), Ṣadaqta (You’re right) and things of that nature. I do not say that this statement is prohibited (i.e Ṭab’an), however, it contains some doubts. So what is preferable is refraining from it.
And we have spoken about this, and all praise is due to Allāh, in al-Makhraj min al-Fitnah and we wrote a treatise, however it has been sent for publication and it is Eeḍāḥ al-Maqāl fee Asbāb az-Zilzāl.
And Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, says in his noble book, about Qārūn (what means):
“So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place.” [al-Qaṣaṣ:81]
And the Prophet ﷺ said: “A man was walking while being boastful in his gait and amazed by himself, Allāh caused the earth to swallow him up and he keep swirling in it until the day of resurrection.”
And Ibn al-Jawzī -may Allāh have mercy on him- mentioned in his book, al-Mudhis, many things about earthquakes that occurred. And the first earthquake that occurred in this Ummah, I mean the Ummah of Muḥammad ﷺ, occurred during the era of ’Umar and it did not occur at the time of the Prophet ﷺ nor at the time of Abū Bakr.
I advice with reading the what I wrote in al-Makhraj min al-Fitnah, because, what led me to writing what I wrote is that, some of people, even some of the people of knowledge –and Allāh’s refuge is sought– say: “Do not say that earthquakes are due to sins”. And the official of information in Dhamār called Zabārah –the Muftī– he called him and said: “An earthquake occured in Dhamār –i.e at the time when an earthquake occured in Dhamār–, so what do you advice the people with?” He said: “It’s natural, natural” Do you have an advice for the people? He said: “It’s natural, natural”. The masses themselves scorned at and despised his response. And he knows that it’s not a natural affair but he wants to agree with the secularists and the orientalists and the enemies of Islām. And Allāh’s aid is sought.
Someone from the audience:
You said “some of the people of knowledge” then you mentioned Zabārah. So is he from the people of knowledge?
Shaykh Muqbil bn Hādī al-Wādi’ee:
He has some knowledge however, he deviated.
