83: The Lessons we Learn from Tragedy
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
We live in a universe of cause and effect, the consequences of which are inescapable. Fire burns, diseases infect, time ages, germs destroy, water drowns … these facts have moral and social implications and all of these are realities with which we have to contend and each of these challenge our existence, our instincts and our very humanity.
Largest Natural Tragedy
We recently witnessed the largest natural tragedy to strike the human race in modern times. A 9.0-magnitude quake struck 6 miles beneath the ocean and ruptured a 600-mile stretch of fault running north and south off the coast of Sumatra setting off a train of massive waves known as tsunamis (which can accelerate to 500 mph and stretch up to 100 miles long). Within hours, the tsunami resulted in over 150 000 deaths, over 10 million displaced, over 2 million injured, thousands missing; leaving up to five million people across 12 countries (from the Malay Archipelago to the east coast of Africa) without access to the basic requirements for life - water, food and sanitation.
Disturbing Images
We witnessed devastation of biblical proportions, suffering unprecedented in contemporary times, death and destruction beyond belief; affecting among the poorest and most heavily populated areas of the world. The images of the aftermath of the tsunami and earthquake are at once shocking and heart-rendering. By comparison with past disasters, this one has not been confined to just one country or region, neither in terms of devastating impact nor in terms of the humanitarian response it generated. This is the first cataclysmic tragedy in which a large area like the entire Indian Ocean region is a shocked spectator (with the rest of the world), but also a direct victim. In the aftermath, entire villages have been wiped out, groups of bodies were buried in mass graves, hundreds of parents lost their children and thousands of children have been orphaned. Scenes of little children sitting on the sea shore, waiting for the sea to bring their parents back brings tears to the most hardened soul.
What We Realize
From all this we learn that the world is anything but serene, all too vulnerable to natural threats; both earthly (earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis…) and celestial (meteors…). Any of these hazards may strike at any time and can cause considerable loss to life and property. What is common to all these threats is that in just moments they can reduce a city, with all its inhabitants, to ruin.
- These outbursts of nature serves as proof that we have no control over the planet we inhabit. Each disaster serves the purpose of reminding humankind of its inherent weaknesses, reminds us of our enduring vulnerability in the face of nature; making us realize that neither wealth nor authority, neither science nor technology has any power to resist the forces greater than ourselves.
- Suddenly we know the frailty of our place in the universe, just like those millions of people for whom frailty is all-too-familiar. The hope is that our newfound sense of vulnerability will lead to a kind of international empathy and solidarity, which could be the cornerstone of a new spirit of global cooperation --- a cooperation that provides a way to ensure a better world.
- Few tragedies in history have opened so many hearts to so many victims. Such moments of shared mercy need to be more than remembered. This unusual drawing-together of millions and millions of people must be sustained in many ways, long after the images of a tsunami leaves the headlines of TV news.
- Allah did not make this world a permanent place. This is a temporary world and everything here is finite and all things have a time limit. Neither are the good things of this world forever nor are the bad things eternal.
- We have the challenge to frame the traumatic events into a new crucible of meaning. Witnessing the devastation caused by earthquakes and tsunami does not imply that nature is primarily destructive; the fact that God allows nature to take its course does not imply a lack of compassion. Rather, all this is a challenge to us; the greatest of which is, how we respond in the face of such challenges. We therefore have to respond to Allah’s call for helping the distressed rather than debating about Allah’s judgment as to why these disasters are allowed to happen.
- We note that tragedy carries a tremendous power within it. Power to cause grief, power to cause mourning, and power to cause sadness. It also carries power to generate cooperation, power to cause reflection, and power to cause change. A tragedy can become a positive reference or a negative reference, depending on the meaning one attaches to it. The more powerful the tragedy, the more powerful the reference.
How Tragedy Changes Us
When the tragedy struck, some people were working, some vacationing, some sleeping. How oblivious one could be about impending disasters?
After this ...
- we can not go to bed another night without reflecting on the advice of our beloved Prophet (pbuh) who said; “When going to sleep do not assume you will live to see the dawn, when waking up do not assume you will live to see the sunset; take precaution from your health against sickness, take from your life what will benefit you in death."
- we must find more ways to help in sharing the burden of others and to make life more pleasant. We must learn to forgive any hurt or injuries that come our way and treat others as we wish to be treated in every encounter. We must be more cognizant of the fact that our smiles, our words, our expressions, our support; each can make the difference to someone somewhere who is wrestling with a misfortune of life.
- we have no alternative but to commit ourselves to do all the good we can, by all means we can, in all the ways we can, to all the creation we can, wherever we can, whenever we can, as long as we can, and as best we can.
What Really Matters
We realize more than ever that all life will come to an end someday, that our existence in this world seems like a brief crack of light between two long periods of darkness, that death is certain and wherever you are death will reach you [Qur'an 4:78], that every day we live is a day further from our birth and every breath we breathe is a breath closer to death. As certain as we are about the occurrence of death, so uncertain are we about its timing and we are therefore instructed, act as if every act could be your last. We recall the admonition of the Prophet (pbuh) who said; "Live as you please, but you will die some day; love what you have loved, but someday you will be separated."
What we have is only temporary; our lives must end and all our possessions will eventually pass on to others. Our hopes and our plans will fade with our abilities and our days. Eventually neither our color, nor our gender, neither our language nor our position will matter. What will matter is not what we studied but what we learnt; not who we knew but for what we were known; not what we memorized but for what we will be remembered; not what we said but what we meant; not by how we traveled but where we went; not how much we had but for what it was spent; not what we aspired to but what we attained; not what we thought but what we did, not what we got but what we gave; not what we professed but how we lived, and not how long we lived but what good we did.