The 8.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by more than 90 aftershocks, ranging from 4.9 to 6.9 in magnitude, once again shook the Latin American state of Chile, destroying buildings, highways, and bridges, taking death toll to more than 700 lives, affecting more than 500,000 homes across the region and rendering millions of people homeless. The earthquake was reported one of the largest ever recorded and was felt as far away as Brazil.
This terrible natural calamity is however not the first in human habitation that has sent shockwaves the world over. Chile has a history of major earthquakes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, as many as 13 quakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher have occurred in Chile since 1973. The largest, a 9.5-magnitude earthquake, killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless in Chile on May 22, 1960.
Natural calamities like quakes, tsunamis, and floods come and go. And people, in whose hearts flows the milk of human kindness, leave no stone unturned to provide succour for the victims and rehabilitate them. But the large segments of masses, who are deep drenched in sins and crimes, loot and plunder, subjugation of the weaker sections, and after all denial of the Ultimate Truth, continue to tread the path they have chosen. They hardly think why God punishes them from time to time with such terrible calamities. The Holy Qur’ān says that such calamities are signs and warnings from God, the Almighty and Omnipotent, and serve as chastisement for the sinners. In 13:31 the Holy Book says: “Misfortune continues to afflict the unbelievers on account of their misdeeds, or to befall on locations close to their habitation. This will continue until Allah’s promise (of chastisement) is fulfilled. Indeed Allah does not go back upon His promise.”
The Holy Qur’ān unfolds one more fact that in a situation when some calamity afflicts a human habitation, He saves those who believe as well as His Messengers: “Then, (when Allah’s wrath falls upon the wicked), We save our Messengers and those who believe. It is incumbent on Us to deliver the believers.” The condition for having been saved and protected from such chastisements is that we fulfil the requirements of being true believers. In the context of the recent terrible earthquake in Chile this fact was proved. The Islamic Centre of Chile, in a statement, said: “There are approximately 5000 Muslims in Chile. But by the Grace and Mercy of Allah, so far we have found out there was no physical harm to any member of our community who has been affected by this terrible earthquake in our country. Nor was there any damage to our mosques of Santiago and San Bernardo.”
This is high time the world read the message this grim reminder sends. Peace and salvation, here as well as in the hereafter, lies only in turning to the basics and following the Divine Message. The message is important equally for Muslims as well as those who are yet to realise the wisdom behind the Divine Message.