Since January 7th, the world has been following one of the largest disasters that the United States has witnessed, in California, one of its largest states in terms of area, the most densely populated, and the largest economically. The disaster began with a series of wildfires and then extended to urban areas, destroying everything in its path, particularly the Los Angeles area, which is known for its luxury and technological and industrial projects.

The fires, whose cause remains unknown and were not controlled at the time, were exacerbated by drought conditions, strong winds, and the formation of what are known as “air vortices.” These factors led to dozens of deaths and an equal number of missing persons, the destruction of around 13,000 buildings and 40,000 acres, the evacuation of about 200,000 people from their homes, and financial losses to the American budget exceeding $300 billion.

This event, along with other natural disasters, prompts believers to reflect on it and draw divine messages and lessons from it, avoiding the disputes surrounding it. Among these lessons are:

Allah’s Power and Human Helplessness

The believer is certain that the universe, with all that it contains—both known and unknown—is subjugated to Allah and under His control, operating by His command and will: “And He shows you His signs, so which of the signs of Allah do you deny?” [Ghafir: 81] He (SWT) “is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.” [Al-Anbiya: 23], and that “When Allah intends harm for a people, there is no repelling it, and they have not besides Him any protector.” [Ar-Ra'd: 11] Allah warns sinners and gives them respite: “And We send not the signs except as a warning.” [Al-Isra: 59], “And We tested them with good [times] and bad that perhaps they would return [to obedience].” [Al-A'raf: 168] Were it not for Allah's forbearance preceding His anger, He would have destroyed them all: “And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.” [Fatir: 45]

If the sinners and oppressors do not desist, Allah's wrath descends upon them, and He afflicts them with various types of punishment by His might: “Say, 'He is the one able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you [so you become] sects and make you taste the violence of one another.'” [Al-An'am: 65] “Then, do those who have planned evil deeds feel secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them or that the punishment will not come upon them from where they do not perceive? Or that He would not seize them during their [usual] activity, and they could not cause failure?” [An-Nahl: 45-46] Allah's retribution is unmatched: “And thus is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the cities while they are committing wrong. Indeed, His seizure is painful and severe.” [Hud: 102]

The believer also acknowledges human helplessness and limited capabilities in the face of the will of their Creator, taking heed of Allah's call: “O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy. If He wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new creation. And that is for Allah not difficult.” [Fatir: 15-17] They understand that humans have no power to avert harm or gain benefit except by Allah’s permission. Thus, they humble themselves before their Creator, the Originator, and Shaper of all, the Lord of the earth and the heavens, life and death, rain and winds, floods and hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes, epidemics and diseases, and everything in the universe: “Have they not seen that We set upon the land, reducing it from its borders? And Allah decides; there is no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account.” [Ar-Ra'd: 41]

The Consequences of Your Deeds

The believer understands that these events are signs indicating Allah’s discipline of His servants as a consequence of what they have done: “And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.” [Ash-Shura: 30] They are punishments for arrogance and tyranny after having rejected Allah’s blessings with ingratitude: “And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, 'Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone.' And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could he defend himself.” [Al-Kahf: 42-43] Allah is just and fair; He does not wrong anyone, but they wrong themselves: “So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allah would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves.” [Al-Ankabut: 40]

Allah rebuked the companions of the Prophet ﷺ after the Battle of Uhud when they wondered how they were defeated despite being believers. Allah said: “Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uhud], although you had struck [the enemy in the battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you said, 'From where is this?' Say, 'It is from yourselves. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.'” [Aal-E-Imran: 165] This means that punishment befalls anyone who disobeys Allah's command, with no exceptions. `Aisha said: If the Prophet (ﷺ) saw a cloud In the sky, he would walk to and fro in agitation, go out and come in, and the color of his face would change, and if it rained, he would feel relaxed.” So `Aisha knew that state of his. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, I don't know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in the Holy Qur'an in the following Verse: -- “Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' Nay, but, it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened a wind wherein is severe torment.” (46.24) [Al-Bukhari]

Only Allah Knows His Armies

When Allah intends to punish a people, He sends against them forces that only He knows and that human knowledge cannot comprehend: “And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him.” [Al-Muddathir: 31], “And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth. And ever is Allah Knowing and Wise.” [Al-Fath: 4] These forces are invincible: “And [that] indeed, Our soldiers will be those who overcome.” [As-Saffat: 173] Among them are angels: “[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, 'I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.'” [Al-Anfal: 12]; humans: “And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction.” [Al-Isra: 16]; and even devils and jinn, as Ibn Abbas said.

Among these forces are fear and terror: “We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah.” [Aal-E-Imran: 15]; birds and stones: “And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of hard clay. And He made them like eaten straw.” [Al-Fil: 3-5]; floods, animals, and insects: “So We sent upon them the flood and locusts and lice and frogs and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people.” [Al-A'raf: 133]; wind: “And in 'Aad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind.” [Adh-Dhariyat: 41]; earthquakes: “So the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone.” [Al-A'raf: 78]; and lightning strikes: “So the thunderbolt seized them while they were looking on.” [Adh-Dhariyat: 44] Allah continues until His promise is fulfilled upon the wrongdoers: “And those who disbelieve do not cease to be struck, for what they have done, by calamity - or it will descend near their home - until there comes the promise of Allah. Indeed, Allah does not fail in [His] promise.” [Ar-Ra'd: 31]

Reminders for Reflection

The Quran is filled with stories of those before us who were punished with similar disasters: “Then We destroyed them for their sins and brought forth after them a generation of others.” [Al-An'am: 6] For instance, the people of Nuh: “But they denied him, so We saved him and those who were with him in the ship. And We drowned those who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were a blind people.” [Al-A'raf: 64], ‘Aad: “So We sent upon them a screaming wind during days of misfortune to make them taste the punishment of disgrace in the worldly life; but the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgracing, and they will not be helped.” [Fussilat: 16], Lut: “So when Our command came, We made the highest part [of the city] its lowest and rained upon them stones of layered hard clay, [which were] Marked from your Lord. And Allah 's punishment is not from the wrongdoers [very] far.” [Hud: 82-83] along other ayahs.

The Duty of the People of Faith

• They must beware of the wrath of Allah: “And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination.” [Aal-E-Imran: 28]
• They must return injustices to their rightful owners: “So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know. And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allah.” [An-Naml: 52-53]
• They must review their deeds and perfect their repentance: “Do they not see that they are tried every year once or twice but then they do not repent nor do they remember?” [At-Tawbah: 126]
• They must contemplate both the visible and the revealed universe:
  “[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs.” [Al-Muzzammil: 9] so that they do not become among those about whom it was said: “And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away?” [Yusuf: 105]
• They must ward off affliction through frequent seeking of forgiveness:
  “But Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.” [Al-Anfal: 33] They must protect themselves from such calamities by practicing righteousness and reform: “And your Lord would not have destroyed the cities unjustly while their people were reformers.” [Hud: 117]

We ask Allah for safety.

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