“And We already sent
Messengers to peoples before you (the Prophet); then We seized them with
poverty and hardships [calamities] so that they might humble themselves and
return to Us.” (Al-An‘am 6: 43)
In other words, Allah tests His servants, humans who pledged to uphold divine commandments, to distinguish between those who fulfil their promise sincerely and those who turn away from their commitments. This test is not new; Allah tested peoples before us and will continue to test peoples after us. As long as humans live on earth, Allah will test them, to separate the believer from the non-believer, the sincere from the insincere, the good from the bad. We must remember that Allah has already sent calamities upon past peoples so that they might return to Him in humility.
In a Hadith reported in Ahmad and
Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “There is no people among
whom sins are committed while they are strong and of superior status [meaning
they have the power to stop those committing sins] and they do not correct
them, except that Allah sends His punishment upon all of them.”
In other words, our beloved Prophet
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) tells us that when people begin committing sins openly,
Allah sends general punishments upon the whole society. This Hadith shows
clearly that what people call natural calamities are not mere chance; they are
reminders from Allah so that humanity may awaken in time, turn back to Him,
abandon injustice, and seek His forgiveness instead of spreading evil on earth.
When the earth shakes, when the sea overflows, when heat burns people, these
are signs that humanity has crossed its limits.
Today, media worldwide report
terrible figures. Every day, newspapers and videos report deaths and
destruction. Allah says in the Qur’an: “And We
do not send down the signs except to frighten (as a warning).” (Bani
Isra’il 17: 60)
This means calamities are reminders
for people who have forgotten the Creator – Allah. Recent earthquakes show this
clearly: Venezuela was struck on 24 June 2026 by two massive quakes of magnitude
7.2 and 7.5, killing more than 2,295 people, injuring over 11,200, and leaving
tens of thousands missing. Caracas and La Guaira were destroyed, families
vanished. It was the strongest quake since 1900 in that region. In the
Philippines, on 07 June 2026, a 7.8 quake hit Mindanao, causing nearly 89
deaths and massive destruction. Indonesia, Japan, Vanuatu and Tonga were shaken
by quakes of 7.3 to 7.5, causing human and material losses. China and
Afghanistan also suffered quakes with hundreds of deaths. These catastrophes
show the fragility of life; people sleep, suddenly the earth trembles, houses
collapse, families are crushed. Allah says: “And
do not think that Allah is unaware of what the unjust do. He only gives them
respite until the day when eyes will stare in horror.” (Ibrahim
14:43)
We must not forget the earthquakes
in Turkey and Syria that killed more than fifty thousand people; floods in
South Asia that destroyed thousands of homes; and extreme heat in Europe that
caused hundreds of deaths. These statistics are not just numbers; they are
human lives, suffering, cries of children and pain of parents. As Allah warned
in the Qur’an, all these calamities are warnings so that people stop acting
arrogantly and return to worship their One Creator – Allah.
But natural calamities are not the
only problem; the illegal war Israel wages against the Palestinian people is an
atrocious crime. While the earth trembles, oppressors continue their unlawful
wars. Israel continues to bomb Gaza, killing children, destroying hospitals,
attacking Lebanon, and pursuing its plan to invade Arab-Muslim lands to fulfil
its desire for a Greater Israel. They act with arrogance and impunity. Yet as
our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said (in Sahih Muslim, narrated by
Hazrat Jarir Ibn Abdullah (ra)): “Beware of injustice, for oppression will
be darknesses on the Day of Resurrection; and beware of greed, for it destroyed
those before you. It incited them to shed blood and to make unlawful things
lawful.” Israel may think itself powerful, but divine justice will surely
descend – there is no doubt. A dreadful punishment will dismantle them, and all
oppressors who reject Allah’s truth and believe themselves to be superpowers
will be judged and destroyed by Allah Himself.
Thus, my message, like the message
of all prophets before, remains clear: humanity must return to Allah, to its
Creator; all people must unite in love and solidarity. When people help one
another, share food – food blessed and lawful from Allah – care for the sick,
console the bereaved, then the light of mercy shines. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And help one another in righteousness and
piety, and do not help one another in sin and aggression.”
(Al-Ma’ida, 5: 3)
Therefore, the solution for a world
full of calamities is not technology, money or chasing power; it is a return to
Allah, sincere prayers (Salat, Duah and Zikr), abandoning all forms of
corruption, and establishing love among people solely for Allah’s pleasure, for
Allah’s love, where we love our neighbour (i.e. other people) only for Allah.
In many countries, calamities have
shown that human solidarity is still possible; when people travel to help
victims, donate their blood, share their homes with generosity, we see empathy
at work. But victims of disasters must not then become ungrateful towards those
who helped them, nor seek to seize the properties of those who supported them.
Such behaviour is not approved by Allah, unless someone, out of generosity,
gives a gift consciously and for the pleasure of Allah. Solidarity must be
universal, with respect for everyone’s rights and territories, to live in
peace, without greed or rapacity over the wealth or possessions of others. In
times of crisis, those sincere towards humanity will come forward to help, and
even those not sincere will do so, conscious of the gaze of the world upon
them. My advice is: perform great acts of charity and kindness, not for the
eyes of people, but to truly help the needy. When funds are created to help
victims of calamities, do not divert those donations for yourselves, nor sell
them for profit. Bear in mind that Allah sees everything. Through calamities,
He tests human conscience. Act with fear of Allah in your hearts, mindful of
the day when all deeds will be accounted for.
When humanity understands that only
Allah deserves worship, and that all people are equal before Him (except in
degrees of piety), then peace and stability will descend upon the earth. This
is the conclusion of the noble saying of the Prophet of Islam, reported in
Sahih Muslim: “The believer to another believer is like a building; each
part supports the other.”
This Hadith shows that society must
first be composed of true believers, and each believer must be like a solid
structure, where each person supports his brother, each family supports its
neighbour, each nation supports another nation, provided that that particular nation
is not committing crimes against humanity. Without such unity, calamities will
continue to destroy everywhere.
Bear in mind that natural
disasters, wars, oppression – all these are warnings. Allah shows that life is fragile
and short, human power limited, and only a return to Him brings salvation.
Israel and all oppressors like it will face dreadful punishment; victims who
stand in truth will receive divine justice. But before that terrible day
arrives, humanity must choose the path of light: unity, love, solidarity and
worship of the One Creator, Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find
tranquillity.” (Ar-Ra’d 13: 29)
Rest is neither found in wealth,
nor in weapons, nor in politics; rest is found only in the remembrance of Allah
(Zikrullah), in prayer (Salat and Duahs), in sincerity (Ikhlaas)
and truth (Sidq). If people return to Allah, calamities will become
reminders, not destruction; sufferings will become purification, not despair.
Therefore, O people, return to
Allah, worship Him alone, stop injustice with the means you have, and do not
forget to make Duah, for Allah Himself is the Source of all power. End
oppression – stop oppressing your neighbour, stop arrogance. Love your
companions, care for the sick, help the poor, console those in grief, for
remember: tomorrow everyone must stand before the Creator, and only acts of
kindness will save you, will save us all.
May Allah have mercy on humanity, and help His sincere servants around the world to bring universal victory under His guidance and mercy. I pray that Islam – true submission to Allah – is established, and universal peace is established, not in slavery to satanic forces, but in submission to Allah, a submission that will give humanity true freedom, a conscience in goodness, and inheritance of eternal treasures, foremost the love of Allah Himself and His Paradise. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 03 July 2026~17 Muharram 1448 AH delivered by Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al-Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.