From the Floods of Nepal to Faith in Divine Power

They told us about the Flood of Noah;

about a people who heard the warnings, yet many of them did not believe.

They told us about the people of Lot;

about a punishment that came upon them and became a lesson for those who came after.

They told us about Thamud;

a people who witnessed the sign, yet chose to deny the truth.

The Qur’an repeatedly speaks of the fate of those who came before us;

not merely to tell us a story from the past,

but to awaken hearts that still have the opportunity to return.

Today, when floods, storms, earthquakes, and destruction strike different parts of the world, perhaps the most important question is not whether we should confidently declare, “This is divine punishment,”

but rather: What can we learn from witnessing such events?

Does a human being, faced with the power of nature and the limits of their own strength, pause for a moment and reflect?

Do we remember that life does not always unfold according to our wishes?

Do we return from heedlessness, injustice, arrogance, and indifference?

Perhaps not every disaster carries a definite and identical message for every person;

but every disaster can become an opportunity for reflection and learning.

The Qur’an says:

«فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ»

So take a lesson, O people of insight.

The Flood of Noah passed.

The people of Lot passed.

Thamud passed.

Yet the story of humanity continues.

If one day a great disaster occurs and all we do is say, “What a terrible thing has happened,” and then return to our old heedlessness, perhaps we have failed to understand its deeper lesson.

Perhaps the real question is not what judgment God has made concerning a particular event;

the real question is:

What judgment do we make about ourselves?

Do we awaken?

Do we return to God?

Do we respect the rights of others?

Do we distance ourselves from oppression and arrogance?

Do we realize that the human being, despite all their knowledge and power, remains a fragile and dependent creature?

«وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ آيَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ»

How many signs there are in the heavens and the earth that people pass by, yet turn away from them.

Perhaps this is the true meaning of taking heed:

The disaster comes and goes,

but what remains is whether our hearts are awakened or heedless.