The prophet(pbuh) said : disaster fell upon the prophets, then upon men of God and the friends of God and finally upon other religious people like them . Prophets own responsibilities to their followers due to their mission as messengers. Trials , disasters and tribulations are means to test them and prove their prophet-hood. Prophets and endowed with a special character as they are truthful , righteous and steadfast. No one in the history of revealed religions has been tested more than the prophets of God. Many of them were rejected by their own people. They were chased out of cities as they were warners sent to groups of people. Their lives were as a sign of faith to others. Therefore it appears that faith can only be acquired and strengthen through calamities and adversities. In the scriptures we are told that we are being tested while we are here on earth. There is no spiritual growth without hardship and tests. Tests are sometimes a means of raising the status of the believers. God says in the glorious quran:
« We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger and loss of property,lives, and crops. But , give good news to those who are steadfast …(quran 2:115) ».
We are going to distinguish direct consequences of our actions from calamities and trials from the divine and mention some examples of how men of Gods coped with trials through the example of well known prophets from the Bible and the quran.
Disaster can be the result of our actions or omission but can also be the decree of God.
It is reasonable that disaster can be consequences of our own actions as actions leads to some results. Every human being has a force at work within him which might push him to some actions. Common sense and the knowledge about God can help us distinguish what we need to do and what we can refrain from doing. If someone neglects the basic rules of hygiene and becomes ill then the illness is the result of his own omission. Similarly if someone disobeys God in a situation in which he had to obey then he must bear the consequences of his action. God is merciful and forgiving but also swift in taking into account. Sometimes it will be better to repent and stop doing the action that let to the calamities we are facing as the consequences of our own actions. But some calamities happen just as decreed by God. In this case we have to be patient because their understanding may requie spiritual insights and some knowledge of the unseen.
As in the physical life there are things that just happen as arranged by circumstances above our own influence, so is it also in the spiritual realm. If you are in traffic jam or waiting for a train that is late then restlessness will not help because the arrival does not depend on you. What you have to do is to keep calm and use the situation as an opportunity to reflect or perform another task if it is possible. We can better understand how men of God and religious people and anyone could master trials and calamities with the story of the prophets Yussuf and Ayyub. ( Joseph and Job in the Bible). There is basically no other mean to increase one’s own status before God apart from facing adversities and undergoing trials of all kind. Facing calamities in the way of God can be a very difficult task as it consists of accepting the decree of God when calamity strikes. Abstaining from complaining and carrying out the instructions of God about what is recommended and what is prohibited is the way of wisdom. This is actually the quintessence of the religion of God. He who can forbear trials in the way of the creator will definitely come closer to him but he who cannot resist temptation or cannot distinguish between the whispering of the devils and the recommendations of God will definitely be misguided and live far away from righteousness.
The principle of ethics in religion consists in abstaining from what God has prohibited even though it might appear to be the best solution in some tough situations. Indeed the true believer is the one who fears God and remains hopeful by putting his trust in God. The prophet(pbuh) used to pray: “ O God, I have surrendered my soul to you and turned up my face to you. My affair I commit to you and seek your protection in hope of you and in fear of you.(Al Bukhari)
No matter which origin, disaster should be tackled with patience and steadfastness.Whoever keeps remembering how great God is and that he is all-seeing and all-knowing will act accordingly while facing calamities. God is the cause of every action and one should rely on the fact that his law is clear and abide by it in case of doubt.
Disaster can be mastered through patience and gratitude
The scriptures are full of stories of trials and patience. A well-known story in both the Bible and the qu’ran is the story of Joseph. The story of Joseph in the glorious quran is in the chapter 12 and is quite similar to the story in genesis 37-50 of the Bible. Joseph who who betrayed and thrown in the well by his own siblings, was caught and sold as a slave and rejected the seduction of his master’s wife . He patiently endured consequences of false accusations and privation of freedom to be rewarded at the end by attaining a great position. Another clear story about patience int the story of Ayyub. Disaster fell upon Ayyub, a prophet of God. God had blessed Ayyub with a good body and health as well as wealth of all kind. Ayyub had cattle, a big property and land, a large family with a lot of servants. And notwithstanding all the riches, Ayyub was humble and grateful to his Lord. Ayyub was known in his home-town as righteous and generous. Satan whispered that Ayyub is just steadfast because of all the possession God has blessed him with. Then God tested Ayyub with loss. After the pillage of Ayyub’s cattle and livestock and other possessions he still humbled and continue worshiping his Lord. Ayyub’s crops and cattle were burned down and still he continued to worship his Lord. Even when he lost his whole family , Ayyub did not give up the hope in his Lord. Time came to post with the trials, and Ayyub became sick. He was tested with diverse sicknesses and still did not give up worshiping his Lord.
At the end is the reward
It is a well known observation that disasters can be opportunities to improve on one’s life. If calamities are not warnings about our own actions then they are just a decree of God the improve our spiritual awareness. That is why they should be accepted and faced with patience and perseverance to preserve our dignity as men seeking the truth. Especially victims of oppression who persevere are among the lucky ones. The good deeds ot the oppressors are taken away and written into their account. In the quran patience and perseverance are mentioned almost 100 times as the main behaviour of those who are closed to God.
“..but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say when afflicted with calamity: – to God we belong and to him is our return. They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord and Mercy, and they are the one’s that receive guidance. (quran 2:157)
God always reward the patient with blessing, mercy and guidance. The illustration is in the stories of the prophets of God. One of the great tenants of faith is to acknowledge the benefit of patience and gratitude towards God. Panicking and and acting in restlessness does not help to regain missed opportunities. The best way of facing difficulties is like in the case of Yussuf(Joseph) and Ayyub(Job) among others. He who does so will see the reward in this world, and in the hereafter he will be among those closed to the creator.
