Thousands die in Indonesian quake

Angel wrote: hail to peacemaker Salman, just because indonesia has the largest muslim population does not mean that ALL of the country is. Nor that all muslims are being sinful, mostly are innocent people anyway just trying to live with what little they have. What happens in natural disaster whether you associate that with gods will (or wrath) the thing is, it is indiscriminate because whether a place has many of one kind, the truth is it is mixed with many faiths and beliefs. So really you can not say who and who isn't getting punished or not (if you believe that it is God's wrath)

alright angel, then i should say that this calamity is to the indonesians no matter from what faith they come from, but i must say that indonesia has the largest muslim population in the world.

salman_s wrote: [ Allah knows where there will be sinners born on the earth, so accordingly Allah has set the tectonic plates. Allah knows best

oh come on! for goodness sake Salman its not all about sinners and punishing them.

I've told you that natural disasters happen all over including where no one is. Many innocent faithful people, including children, are affected when it does happen near them.

And other thing Salman, is islamic to discriminate against against one group of muslims who are different over that of another? And is it islamic to say that you are better than that of another muslim ?

Angel wrote: I've told you that natural disasters happen all over including where no one is. Many innocent faithful people, including children, are affected when it does happen near them.

Happenings of earthquakes and the like from other destructive and disastrous events are the greatest evidence of the astonishing power of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala. Earthquakes are from among the soldiers of Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, subjected to His order. He, subhanahu wa ta`ala, causes fear in the hearts of those whom He wills, teaches lessons whom He wills and punishes whom He wills.

"And none can know the Forces of your Lord, except He." (74:31)

"For to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth." (48:7)

If the Ummah leaves Allah's Sharee`ah, ignores the Deen of Allah ta`ala and follows its enemies, Allah will subjugate it to His armies, which no one knows except He. From among these armies are the earthquakes.

"Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful and severe." (11:102)

"When We decide to destroy a town, We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allah and be righteous) to those among them who are given the good things of this life. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against (them). Then we destroy it with complete destruction." (17:16)

Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, with this earthquake makes clear to His servants a plain reality, that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth is in His Hands, subhanahu wa ta`ala, and that He is the Irresistible and Dominant over His servants.

Some people may be astonished by what the West has from the materialistic power, from various weapons, aircraft carriers, bombs, satellites etc., and they forget that Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, allowed that piece of land to move and shake, being able to shake the force of the West and the East. Everything is in His Hands, He has power over all things, and no one in the Heavens and the Earth can weaken Him, subhanahu wa ta`ala. Appearance of the earthquakes therefore points us to a different reality that may be absent in the minds of some people, those who are busy with this world and who are servants of materialism.

This earthquake also reminds us of the Day of Judgment. The Day when all of the Earth will shake, and not only one part of it. Allahu subhanahu wa ta`ala says,

"O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour is a terrible thing. The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one shall drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state. Yet they will not be drunken, but the Torment of Allah will be severe." (22:1-2)

Look what is left after the earthquake from destroyed buildings and houses, deaths of thousands, and families seeking refuge outside of their homes. What state is that in which everyone is running away, caring about nothing? So what do you think of the Day of Judgment?

"That Day shall a man flee from his own brother, and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children." (80:34-36)

"One the day (when the first blowing of the Trumpet is blown), the earth and the mountains will shake violently." (79:6)

Allah ta`ala warns His servants with this earthquake to learn a lesson and be admonished, and to be ready and prepare themselves for the Day of sorting out, the day of the great earthquake, that will shake all of the earth.

Allah ta`ala has placed in this universe Sunan, fixed and manifest laws, neither do they change nor are they replaceable. He does not have any kinship with anyone, He is the sole Creator and Ruler, and He will question and hold accountable everyone, including prophets and messengers. "Then surely, We shall question those to whom it (the Book) was sent and We shall question the Messengers." (7:6)

From among the established Sunan of Allah is that He does not send punishment except due to sin and He does not remove it except after repentance. Allah ta`ala says, "Whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned." (42:30)

Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: "Evil and mischief have appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah)." [30:41]

Every disaster and every calamity that befalls the servants is due to their sins and wrongdoing. So know, servants of Allah, what wrongdoing does to its doers.

What has taken Adam and Eve from the Jannah except wrongdoing, and what Has drowned all of the people on the earth at the time of Nooh, to the point that water reached the peak of mountains, except wrongdoing?

Who is it who sent the furious violent wind upon the people of `Aad, so that they were seen lying overthrown and destroyed, as if they were hollow trunks of palm-trees? Who is it who sent the awful cry upon the people of Thamud until it cut their hearts inside their bodies, and they all fell dead without exception? Who lifted the villages of the people of Loot till the angels heard barking of their dogs, then turned them upside down, and then rained upon them a rain of stones?

That is the immediate punishment for wrongdoing: drowning, fire, earthquakes, destruction, famine, raging wind... "And the torment of the hereafter is far more severe and more lasting." (20:127)

Do we not take admonition and lesson? Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala says, "Did We not destroy the ancients? So shall We make the later generations to follow them. Thus do We deal with the Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers, sinners.). Woe that Day to the deniers (of the Day of Resurrection)!" [77:16-19]

The earthquake of Indonesia is just a warning from Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala - not only to the people of that country alone, but rather to the Muslims in general, in all lands - that they may return to their Lord and their Deen. Otherwise a punishment will come upon them. Allah ta`ala says, "So We seized each of them for his sins." (29:40)

Many of the Muslims today have gathered many sins. We see those who delay and neglect prayers, eat haram, deal with riba, do not fulfill their trusts, order the evil and forbid the good. Those who indulge in mixing, display of awra, listening to music and songs, and those who have abandoned the Qur'an. All these exist in our society. Let us fear Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala and preserve what we have from the blessings, for wrongdoing removes blessings, rather it changes it to a curse. And let us be warned of an evil end, for Allah gives us a chance but is not neglectful. What has happened to the previous nations and some of the current ones will happen to us if we obey the Shaytan and go far from the path of the Most Merciful. These are the sunan of Allah that will never change.

"Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the Heaven, will not cause the earth to sink with you, then behold it shakes (as in an earthquake)? Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not send against you a violent whirlwind? Then you shall know how (terrible) was My Warning." (67:16-17)

Let us pause and ask ourselves what has been the tangible impact on us since we have heard and seen this earthquake, and what it has left from the mighty and scary destruction that makes the hearts bleed. The happy one is one who learns from the calamity of others, and the sad one is by whom these calamities pass while he takes no lesson from them.

Just recently the sun eclipsed, then followed the floods, then the strong wind, and then this earthquake happened. The people are still as they were before, you see no change. You do not see people going back to the path of Allah and you do not see any crowds in mosques. It is unfortunate that the explanation offered for these events is that they are normal natural disasters, and that they do not link it to what happens to people due to their wrongdoing. Theirs is clearly an incorrect interpretation.

"And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make them afraid (of destruction)." (17:59)

Angel wrote: another thing Salman, is islamic to discriminate against against one group of muslims who are different over that of another? And is it islamic to say that you are better than that of another muslim ?

where am i discriminating angel? i know they are my brothers and sisters. i am not boasting myself neither i am feeling proud that i am a better muslim than the indonesian muslims. what i am saying is that a muslim must continuously try to become better everyday, and especially after such earthquakes, he must turn to his Lord (Allah) in repentance and ask forgiveness of his sins and lead a better life. even i want myself that indonesians become better muslims. and they can larn from such earhquakes.