Benefits of Calamities

Disasters and calamities have been created for a reason, which none can
fully comprehend but Allah. Some of the things that Allah has shown to us
indicate this. 

1 –
Disasters and calamities are a test of the believer’s patience. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Or
think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to
those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty
and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who
believed along with him said, ‘When (will come) the Help of Allah?’ Yes!
Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!”

[al-Baqarah 2:214] 

2 –
This is a sign of man’s weakness and his need for his Lord, and shows that
he cannot succeed unless he realizes his need for his Lord and starts
beseeching Him. 

3 –
Calamities are a means of expiation of sin and raising one’s status. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is nothing
that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah will
record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him.”

Narrated by Muslim. 

It was
narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Trials
will continue to befall the believing man and woman, with regard to
themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allah with no
sin on them.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2399; classed as saheeh (authentic)
by al-Albani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2280. 

And it
was narrated that Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “On the Day of
Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their
reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces
with scissors when they were in the world.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2402.
See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, no. 2206. 

4 –
One of the reasons for calamities is so that people will not feel content
only with this world. If the world were free of calamities, man would love
it more and feel content with it, and would forget about the Hereafter. But
calamities wake him up from his negligence and make him strive for the place
in which there are no calamities or trials.  

5 –
One of the greatest reasons behind calamities and trials is to warn against
falling short in some matters, so that man can make up for the areas in
which he has fallen short. This is like the warning that is issued to an
employee or student who is falling short. The purpose behind it is to make
him make up for his shortcomings. If he does that, then all well and good,
otherwise he deserves to be punished. The evidence for that includes the
verse (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And
We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health
(with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with
humility).

When
Our Torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe
with humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaytan (Satan) made
fair‑seeming to them that which they used to do.”

[al-An’am 6:42] 

Another reason for calamities is as a punishment for those who were
previously warned, but did not benefit from the warning and mend their ways,
and persisted in their sin. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“…so
We destroyed them for their sins …”

[al-Anfal 8:54] 

And
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And
indeed, We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong, while their
Messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they were not such as to
believe! Thus do We requite the people who are Mujrimoon (criminals).”

[Yoonus 10:13] 

“And
when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite
order (to obey Allah and be righteous) to those among them [or We (first)
increase in number those of its population] who lead a life of luxury. Then,
they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against
it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction.”

[al-Isra 17:16] 

Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Grief may be accompanied by
that for which a person will be rewarded and praised, so it may be good in
that sense, not that grief is good in and of itself, such as one who feels
sad for falling short in religious matters or for calamities that befall the
Muslims. In this case a person will be rewarded for what is in his heart of
loving good and hating evil, and so on, but grief in itself, if it leads to
failure to do that which is enjoined, namely patience, jihad (fighting for
Allah’s cause), seeking benefits and warding off harm, is forbidden, but if
the person does not give it up, and it is not recorded as a sin for him then
he is fine.” 

So the
one who wishes that Allah would change his situation without any effort on
his part and that of others like him needs to understand this. 

6 –
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad). And
We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health
(with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with
humility).”

[al-An’am 6:42] 

Al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (This means) We sent
(Messengers) to the nations who came before you, and they disbelieved in Our
Messengers and rejected Our signs. So We seized them with poverty, sickness,
calamities and disasters as a mercy from Us to them, so that they might
humble themselves before us and turn to Us at times of hardship. 

And
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Evil
(sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of
what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He
(Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order
that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).”

[al-Room 30:41] 

Al-Sa’di interprets the word fasad (translated here as “evil”) as referring
to the disasters that develop on land and sea, which are making people’s
lives difficult and causing a lot of problems with regard to their
livelihood and well-being.
                                                                        

And
the disasters that befall them themselves, such as diseases, plagues and the
like, which happen because of the things their own hands have wrought of
evil deeds that can only lead to bad consequences.  

The
phrase, “that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have
done,” means, so that they might know that Allah is requiting them for their
deeds, so He gives them a foretaste of the recompense of their deeds in this
world, “in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging
His Pardon)” i.e., repent from their deeds that have had this bad effect on
them, and set their affairs straight. 

Glory
be to the One Who blesses by means of His punishment, for if He were to make
them taste all that they have done, no living creature would be left alive
on earth. 

7 –
Worship at times of hardship and tribulation has a special flavour and a
special reward. 

It was
narrated from Ma’qil ibn Yasar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said: “Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion
is like migrating to join me.” Narrated by Muslim, 2948. 

Al-Nawawi said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said, ‘Worshipping at times of tribulation and confusion is like migrating
to join me.’ The reason why worship at such times is of such great virtue is
that people become negligent about worship and are distracted from it, and
no one focuses on worship except a few.” 

Al-Qurtubi said: “Tribulation and great hardship will happen until the
matter of religion is taken lightly and people will care about nothing but
their worldly affairs and how to earn a living. So worship becomes very
important at times of tribulation, as Muslim narrated from Ma’qil ibn Yasar
in the marfoo’ report (one attributed to the Prophet): ‘Worshipping at times
of tribulation and confusion is like migrating to join me.’” 

8 –
Blessings that come after pain, hardship and calamity are more precious to
people. 

So
then they appreciate the blessings of good health and safety as they should
be appreciated.  

Another of the benefits of calamity is a reminder of how Allah has blessed
man, because the man who is created with sight – for example – forgets the
blessing of sight and does not really appreciate it, but if Allah tests him
with temporary blindness, then restores to him his sight, he will fully
understand the value of this blessing. If things are always easy a person
may forget this blessing and not be grateful for it, so Allah takes it away
and then restores it, as a reminder to him to be grateful for it. 

Calamity may remind the person to whom it happens and others of the
blessings of Allah. So when a person sees one who is insane, he appreciates
the blessing of sanity; when he sees one who is sick, he appreciates the
blessing of sound health. When he sees a kafir who is living like cattle, he
appreciates the blessing of faith. When he sees an ignorant man he
appreciates the blessing of knowledge. Only the one whose heart is open will
feel this. Those who have no heart do not give thanks for the blessings of
Allah, rather they are arrogant towards the creation of Allah. 

9 –
The benefit of calamity is that it rescues man from negligence and alerts
him to his shortcomings in keeping his duty to Allah, so that he does not
think that he is perfect, which would lead to the hardening of his heart and
negligence. 

Allah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“When
Our torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe
with humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaytan (Satan) made
fair‑seeming to them that which they used to do.”

[al-An’am 6:43] 

10 –
One of the benefits of tribulations and hardships is purification. 

Hardships reveal how people really are, and distinguish the good from the
bad, the true from the false, the believer from the hypocrite. Allah says of
the Battle of Uhud and what happened to the Muslims on that day, explaining
part of the wisdom behind this trial (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Allah
will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He
distinguishes the wicked from the good.”

[Aal
‘Imran 3:179] 

So the
true nature of all things is shown clearly. 

11 –
When Muslims help those Muslims who have been afflicted by calamity, they
will be rewarded for that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: “The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and
compassion is that of the body; when one part of it suffers, the rest of the
body joins it in staying awake and suffering fever.” Narrated by al-Bukhari,
6011; Muslim, 2586. 

And he
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes
until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” Narrated by
al-Bukhari, 13; Muslim, 45. 

12 –
At times of hardship and war we see the true meaning of the words of Allah
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Help
you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety).”

[al-Maidah 5:2] 

Ways
of cooperating in da’wah (propagation) and supporting Islam include: waging
jihad against the kuffar (disbelievers) and hypocrites for the sake of
Allah, joining with the people of Islamic da’wah in fighting the followers
of kufr (disbelief) and misguidance, and preparing all means and tools for
jihad for the sake of Allah. 

One of
the ways of cooperating in supporting Islam that was invented at the time of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is cooperating in
killing those who claimed to be Prophets, killing the leaders of the
mushrikeen (pagans) and the apostates, including those who insulted the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

And Allah knows best.