https://www.khutbah.info/reflecting-on-earthquakes/ Earthquakes have become more frequent occurrences in many parts of the globe. Some go relatively unnoticed while some are major and some are devastating, resulting in the loss of many lives. Today we will consider five reflections regarding earthquakes. The first reflection is that, through earthquakes, through these signs, Allāh Almighty is acquainting us with Himself. And they indicate His great ability, strength, power and might. Allāh Almighty said: Al-An’aam (6) 18: And He is the subjugator over His servants. And He is the Wise, the Aware. And Allāh Almighty said: Al-An’aam (6) 65: Say, “He is the [one] Able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet For Allāh Almighty is the Owner of Sovereignty and He is the administrator of affairs. There is not a movement or stillness in this existence except by His permission and His power and His administration and His might and He is the subjugator over all.
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ , وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ , وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102
Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Oh people:
Earthquakes have become more frequent occurrences in many parts of the globe. Some go relatively unnoticed while some are major and some are devastating, resulting in the loss of many lives. Today we will consider five reflections regarding earthquakes.
The first reflection is that, through earthquakes, through these signs, Allāh Almighty is acquainting us with Himself. And they indicate His great ability, strength, power and might. Allāh Almighty said:
وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
Al-An’aam (6) 18: And He is the subjugator over His servants. And He is the Wise, the Aware.
And Allāh Almighty said:
قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ
Al-An’aam (6) 65: Say, “He is the [one] Able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet
For Allāh Almighty is the Owner of Sovereignty and He is the administrator of affairs. There is not a movement or stillness in this existence except by His permission and His power and His administration and His might and He is the subjugator over all.
So incidents such as great earthquakes fill the believer’s heart, through knowledge of Allah Almighty, with love, glorification, fear and veneration of Allāh Almighty. And they remind people of their own helplessness and inability and that there is no power and no might except by Allah. They are reminded that Allah alone is the administrator of affairs and Allah alone is over all things able and that only Allah alone is rightly worshiped without any partners.
The second reflection is that Allāh sends His signs as a warning and as a mercy so that people return to Him.
Allāh Almighty said:
وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالْآيَاتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا
Al-Israa (17) 59: And We send not the signs except as a warning.
For Allāh Almighty administers this entire existence. Allāh the Most Subtle, the Especially Merciful is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child. He does not neglect or overlook them. Rather He sends them signs, calamities and decrees, to turn their hearts towards Him. And the Prophet ﷺ said about eclipses, which are one of Allāh’s signs:
إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ آيَتَانِ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَخْسِفَانِ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلَا لِحَيَاتِهِ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ وَكَبِّرُوا وَصَلُّوا وَتَصَدَّقُوا
The sun and the moon are two of Allāh’s signs; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone’s death or on account of anyone’s birth, so when you see that supplicate Allāh, magnify Him, pray and offer charity. [Bukhari 1044, Muslim 901]
And the Prophet ﷺ upon observing an eclipse, prayed and said:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ الآيَاتِ الَّتِي يُرْسِلُ اللَّهُ لاَ تَكُونُ لِمَوْتِ أَحَدٍ وَلاَ لِحَيَاتِهِ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُرْسِلُهَا يُخَوِّفُ بِهَا عِبَادَهُ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا فَافْزَعُوا إِلَى ذِكْرِهِ وَدُعَائِهِ وَاسْتِغْفَارِهِ
These signs that Allāh sends do not occur for the death or birth of anyone, but Allāh sends them to strike fear into His servants. If you see any of these things, then hasten to remember Him, supplicate Him and ask for His forgiveness. [Bukhari 1059, Muslim 912]
And the meaning of that is that if misdeeds and violations against the commands of Allāh and His Prophet ﷺ increase, the greatest of which is shirk (associating others with Allāh), then Allāh sends signs to warn and frighten His servants as a mercy upon them, so that perhaps they may return.
Allāh Almighty said:
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
Ar-Room (30) 41: Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He [i.e., Allāh] may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness].
That is Allāh Almighty decreed these signs, afflictions and calamities as a mercy upon them so that they return in repentance and repent with a genuine repentance.
Oh servants of Allāh renew your repentance and plentifully seek forgiveness. For the Prophet ﷺ, said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنِّي أَتُوبُ فِي الْيَوْمِ إِلَيْهِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
O people, repent to Allāh, for indeed I repent to Him one hundred times a day. [Muslim 4/2076]
He said this and his ﷺ former and latter sins were forgiven. He said this and he ﷺwas the most knowledgeable of all creation about Allāh and the most conscious of Allāh Almighty.
And the third reflection is that earthquakes are one of Allāh’s signs that indicate the nearness of the hour. The Prophet ﷺ said:
اَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يُقْبَضَ الْعِلْمُ، وَتَكْثُرَ الزَّلاَزِلُ، وَيَتَقَارَبَ الزَّمَانُ، وَتَظْهَرَ الْفِتَنُ، وَيَكْثُرَ الْهَرْجُ ـ وَهْوَ الْقَتْلُ الْقَتْلُ ـ حَتَّى يَكْثُرَ فِيكُمُ الْمَالُ فَيَفِيضُ
The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until (religious) knowledge is taken away, earthquakes will increase, time passes quickly, afflictions will appear, bloodshed will increase and that is killing, killing and wealth will be abundant among you and will overflow. [Bukari 1036]
So if the earthquakes increase, then this is a warning of the approaching of the hour. So prepare for meeting Allāh with what will save you. And what will save us the most is tawhid (divine unity) and following the Prophet ﷺ.
Allāh Almighty said:
فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
Al Kahf (18) 110: So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.
The fourth reflection is that when Allāh dispatches earthquakes to whom He wills, He punishes through them whom He wills, He shows mercy through them to whom He wills, and He frightens and warns through them whom He wills. And from His mercy is that He made these earthquakes as a mercy for the believers. For the Prophet ﷺ said:
أُمَّتِي هَذِهِ أُمَّةٌ مَرْحُومَةٌ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا عَذَابٌ فِي الآخِرَةِ عَذَابُهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا الْفِتَنُ وَالزَّلاَزِلُ وَالْقَتْلُ
This community of mine is one to which mercy is shown. It will have no punishment in the next world, but its punishment in this world will be trials, earthquakes and bloodshed. [Sunan Abi Dawud 4278, Grade: Sahih]
So from the mercy of Allāh, is that he punishes some of the believers in this world as a mercy to them so that they will not be punished in the next world. And this acquaints us with Allāh Almighty and His great mercy. Through these earthquakes, He frightens some, He punishes others and shows mercy to others and takes them as martyrs. And the Prophet ﷺ stated that the martyrs are five types among which is:
وصاحب الهدم
..the one who is crushed by a falling wall [Bukhari 2674, Muslim 1914]
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Khutbah
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
Oh Muslims:
And when the earth shook in Al Madinah in the era of Omar Bin Al Khattab, may Allāh be pleased with him, he addressed the people saying how fast you have introduced new matters into the religion, by Allāh if it happens again I will not live with you here. And this is from His knowledge of Allāh Almighty and certainty that all what happens in this existence from movements or stillness is from the knowledge, graciousness, wisdom and will of Allāh.
And when the earth shook in Kuffa at the time of Ibn Masood, may Allāh be pleased with him, he said, oh people your Lord is admonishing you, so accept His admonishment.
That is, Allāh invites you to repent and return to Him, so repent to Him and ask Him for His forgiveness.
So, oh people, repent and seek Allāh’s forgiveness. For these afflictions do not happen except by which our hands have earned.
Allāh Almighty said:
وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ
As-Shura (42) 30: And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.
The fifth reflection is that Muslims are like one body, if one limb suffers the rest of the body aches. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّ
The example of the believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever. [Bukhari 6011, Muslim 2586a]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
المُؤْمِنَ للمؤمنِ كالبُنْيانِ يشدُّ بَعضُهُ بعضًا
The believers are like a building they support one another. [Bukhari 6026, Muslim 2585]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
من نفَّسَ عن مسلمٍ كُربةً مِن كُربِ الدُّنيا نفَّسَ اللَّهُ عنهُ كربةً مِن كُرَبِ يومِ القيامةِ ، ومن يسَّرَ على مُعسرٍ في الدُّنيا يسَّرَ اللَّهُ عليهِ في الدُّنيا والآخرةِ ، ومن سَترَ على مُسلمٍ في الدُّنيا سترَ اللَّهُ علَيهِ في الدُّنيا والآخرةِ ، واللَّهُ في عونِ العَبدِ ، ما كانَ العَبدُ في عونِ أخيهِ
Whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden from the burdens of the world, Allāh will relieve him of a burden from the burdens on the Day of Judgement. And whoever helps ease a difficulty in the world, Allāh will grant him ease from a difficulty in the world and in the Hereafter. And whoever covers (the faults of) a Muslim, Allāh will cover (his faults) for him in the world and the Hereafter. And Allāh helps the person as long the as the person is engaged in helping his brother. [Tirmithi 1930, Grade: Sahih]
So a Muslim comes to the aid of his brothers when they are afflicted and supplicates for them. And supplicating for someone is the greatest matter that a believer possesses for another believer. So do not underestimate supplication. Do not underestimate supplicating for someone without them knowing. For you are supplicating to the One in Whose Hands is the entire matter. People belittle supplication and are not aware of the power of supplication. Supplication is the arrow of the night that does not miss its mark, but it has a definite term. And from the widely spread wrongly used terms that people say is ‘all that we have is supplication” or “the least that we can do is supplicate”. Rather, by Allāh, it is the greatest thing that a believer can offer to another believer. He supplicates for his brother and over his head is an angel who responds to his supplication saying “ ameen and for you the same”. So strive in making plenty of supplications and then put forth any kind of assistance that you can offer to your afflicted brothers.
Remember that Allāh assists His servant as long as he is at the service of his brother. And even if what someone has to offer is not much, Allāh will multiply and nurture it until it is like a mountain on the Day of Resurrection.
May Allāh Almighty make us among those who take heed from His signs and facilitate for us a genuine repentance. May Allāh soften our hearts and help us in helping those in need. Indeed Allāh is All Hearing, Answering.
هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا
O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good
عِبَادَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.
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