Islamic Perspectives in Disaster

 There are three expressions in the Qur'an that denote disaster: First, there's musibah, which refers to
something that happens to people in the shape of something good or bad. (Zainuddin  2016)

 Most scholars believe that musibah is caused by human sin. Sin may also be defined as an evil conduct
that disregards facts and fails to apply knowledge in order to lessen the risk of tragedy. (Chester, Duncan
& Dhanhani 2013).

 Second, bala implies "to test" (human promotion). Bala is God's will without the intervention of humans.
Bala seeks to elevate human status, atone for his misdeeds, and purify his spirit. (Zainuddin  2016).

 [O]ne example is the story of Prophet Ibrahim who was tested by God by ordering to slay his beloved son.
In essence the command is a test to dignify the Prophet Ibrahim. (Al Quran, ch. 37:102) (Iskandar  2019)

 Finally, there is azab, which implies punishment (punishment of God). Azab is defined as torture or a
harsh punishment in the Qur'an. God's retribution is reserved for those who are ungodly and refuse to
believe. Religious leaders saw the disasters that befell the people of past prophets, such as Prophet
Shuaib's people, Noah's people, Prophet Lut's people, Prophet Saleh's people, and Prophet Hud's clan
'Ad people, as a punishment for not believing.
 The calamities that have occurred in numerous Islamic nations today can be classified as a musibah from
God to test human faith, according to the debate. This is based on the reality that when a calamity strikes,
victims include both believers and nonbelievers in God.

 There were individuals who believed in God and those who did not believe in God among the victims of
calamities such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The majority of the victims are
Muslims who believe in God.

 Furthermore, the calamity of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Pidie Jaya Aceh in 2016 resulted in
the collapse and destruction of 196 mosques (BNPB 2019). This might be evidence that tragedies can
strike at any moment and affect anybody, not just those who are not a believer of God.

 Al-Ilmu (knowledge), Ikhtiar (effort), and Tawakkul (trust in God) are three important Islamic principles in
catastrophe risk mitigation.

 Referring to the Holy Quran, [A]nd when it says: stand ye, then stand up, Allah will exalt the believers among you and
those who are given the knowledge of some degree. And Allah knows what you do.

 According to the Qur'an's interpretation, Muslims are instructed to acquire knowledge for the benefit of the
world and afterwards.

 In terms of catastrophe risk mitigation, the application of science is not banned in Islam. Humans must
thus be armed with information in the event of a crisis.

 Knowledge formation may be done by including disaster education into the educational curriculum.
Educational institutions are seen to be a good place to build a safety culture. It is thought to be able to
raise catastrophe risk awareness.
 Hazard-related information can drive someone to make the appropriate decision in the event of a disaster,
as demonstrated by a 10-year-old English student when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in 2004. The
student, who was on holiday with his family on Phuket Beach in Thailand, was able to save the lives of
hundreds of beachgoers. Looking at the saltwater that abruptly withdrew and foam bubbles erupted in the
centre of the ocean, the student was able to recognise the indicators of a tsunami. This information came
from geography classes at his school two weeks before the tsunami (Aksa et al. 2020; Gregg et al. 2006).

Reference:https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/in-pics-asia-remembers-2004-indian-
ocean-tsunami-that-killed-nearly-230000-people-imageid-1.html
 Ikhtiar denotes a diligent effort to get the finest outcomes. Ikhtiar, according to Islam, are things that God
has commanded, as stated in Al Quran chapter 13:11.

 Surely Allah will not change the condition of a people, before the people themselves change what is in
them. 

 In the face of calamities, Islam maintains that people are not justified in becoming fatalistic in their
attempts to employ all of God's resources to mitigate disaster risk.

 The narrative of Noah, for example, is an encouraging story presented in the Qur'an about the
significance of attempting to prepare for a tragedy.

 The Qur'anic narrative of Noah might serve as a useful guide for catastrophe preparedness (Ghafory-
Ashtiany 2009). The verse's interpretation reveals that God told Noah to prepare for the impending deluge
that would destroy his homeland. The directive might be interpreted to mean that mankind must make an
effort to lessen the risk of tragedy.

 In the event of a calamity, however, faith in God without preparation is termed fatalism (Fahm 2019).

 Before a crisis strikes, the community must increase its readiness by creating emergency plans, attending
disaster preparedness workshops, doing disaster drills, and assembling emergency kits.

 People trust God for the best results after all of their efforts. It is linked to the tawakuul philosophical
framework, which includes components of Faith (faith in God) and Amal (work)
 Believing in God entails surrendering everything one has attempted.

 Tawakkul is not the same as surrender in Islamic terms. Tawakkul is an dynamic action that demands the
highest level of effort.

 In comprehending the Tawakkul philosophy, the fatalistic mentality that has plagued most Muslim
communities across the world is regarded to be incorrect. They believe Tawakkul is a sort of submission
(to God) that does not require any serious effort.

 The idea of Tawakkul is recognised as having a favourable influence on the healing of psychological
trauma following a calamity (Dinia et al. 2017).

 Many Muslims in Aceh, for example, believe that disasters are God's will, that there is always convenience
after difficulties, that being grateful for what God still gives them is important, and that the dead are
martyrs who will be blessed with a positive impact on healing psychological trauma following the 2004
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami disaster.

 The residents of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, experienced the same thing. Religious belief (faith) provides
individuals with the strength to recover after a calamity (Joakim & White 2015).
 Tawakkul, according to Islam, must begin with human effort. If humanity do not make an effort to modify
their fate, God will not intervene. As a result, using knowledge and technology to lower catastrophe risk is
a type of effort that people may make to lessen the effect of disasters.

 The three Islamic principles for catastrophe risk reduction are supposed to offer an alternative to fatalistic
views in the Muslim community.

 Religious ideas are deeply ingrained in the daily lives of individuals in disaster-prone locations.

 As a result, the notion that is in line with Islamic society's religious beliefs and culture is recognised as
being more successfully accepted and utilised for disaster risk reduction.
 References

 Aksa, F. I. (2020). Islamic perspectives in disaster: An alternative to changing fatalistic attitudes. Jàmbá
Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v12i1.942
 Adiyoso, W., & Kanegae, H. (2013). The preliminary study of the role of Islamic teaching in the disaster
risk reduction (a qualitative case study of Banda Aceh, Indonesia). Procedia Environmental Sciences, 17,
918–927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2013.02.110
 Farooqi, D. M. I. H. (2020, May 24). Quran, Prophet's sayings have always instructed Muslims to remain
distant during epidemics. https://www.outlookindia.com/. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-quran-prophets-sayings-have-always-instructed-
muslims-to-remain-distant-from-epidemics/353421