Muslim Way Of Responding To Sandy Storm And Calamities

If human history is analyzed from its beginning, it comes as a prominent fact that in every age there have been disasters and natural calamities that caused a lot of destruction and death of humans. Whether it is the Black Death, the plague, or in recent times the hurricane Katrina, all have caused great destruction and death.

The most recent calamity, which the humankind has faced, and which is still not over, is the Sandy Storm. The storm has caused great destruction in the USA and continues its journey towards the other countries of the American continent. No matter how the rest of the world reacts to it and such calamities, the way of Muslim is different and best to cope up with such disasters.

The Approach Of A Muslim:

The right approach to respond and deal with calamities can be found by Holy Quran reading. In Quran, Allah Almighty says:

“Certainly, We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss of wealth, lives and fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to (As-Sabireen) those who patiently persevere.” (Surat-al Baqarah 155)

The ayah clearly shows that, all these calamities that cause loss of wealth, life, and cause hunger and fear is all a test from Allah Almighty, and the ones that stay firm and patient in the test are the ones who are successful both in this world and the world hereafter.

Moreover, if a person does not think him or herself worthy of the test, then the ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) provides the best solution to avoid such calamites. Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Give Charity without delay, for it stands in the way of Calamity.” (Al-Tirmidhi- 589)

Therefore, a Muslim needs not to wait for a calamity to open up the purse, rather a Muslim must be charitable if he or she wishes to avoid the calamity and remain under the blessing of Allah Almighty.

Duas To Recite:

There are certain duas which a Muslim must recite in case of hit by storm or if there be any danger of being hit by the storm. The first dua is:

“O Allah, I ask You for it’s goodness, the good within it, and the good it was sent with, and I take refuge with You from it’s evil within it, and from the evil it was sent with.”

This dua shows complete faith of a Muslim on the omnipotence of Allah Almighty and His being the only savior. Another such dua is:

“O Allah, don’t end our lives with Your wrath, and do not make us perish with Your punishment and forgive us before that.”

This dua shows that a Muslim needs to be humble in times of calamity and turn towards Allah asking forgiveness and help to survive the calamity.

General Instructions:

Besides the duas and the approach of dealing with calamities like Sandy storm, there are other actions that serve as guidelines for Muslims to perform in such conditions. A thorough Holy Quran learning with understanding can help a Muslim cope better with natural calamities. Some of the general instructions for Muslim in case of being hit or to be hit by Sandy storm are:

• The first thing to do is to increase the Istighfaar in the Dhikr. The more Istighfar the Muslims do more does it calm the wrath of Allah Almighty. Therefore, go to the nearby Mosque, say prayers and do istaghfaar. If the Mosque or Islamic Centers are closed than perform prayer and do istighfaar at home.
• The second thing to do in case of the danger of being hit by storm is not to panic. A Muslim with faith must never panic, rather the wise thing to do would be to carry on normal affairs as much as possible. Moreover, in the case of intimation of the storm, a Muslim must prepare for it like washing clothes beforehand, protecting important documents etc.
• Thirdly, take the calamity as an opportunity to remember Allah. If you have kids, then tell them about life, death, grave, and the life hereafter and how would be the judgment day, like.
• Fourthly, revive the Muslim spirit and check on your neighbors, especially if they are old.
• Fifthly, in times of catastrophe, when everyone thinks of themselves only, a Muslim thinks of the society, therefore, be as helpful and facilitating to the community as possible.

Conclusion:

A Muslim needs to have faith in times of calamity. The approach of a Muslim should be such that he/she must take the calamity as a test from Allah Almighty and endure the loss patiently. Moreover, a Muslim needs to keep on reciting the Duas for protection from storm and find refuge in Allah Almighty only, because He is the only One Who can give protection.

May Allah Almighty save us all from disasters and calamities and give patience to those who got hit by Sandy Storm. Ameen