Stories related to the two strong earthquakes, following 6,210 aftershocks, rescue and aid efforts provided by volunteers from as many as 90 countries are emerging on daily basis, rather multiple times a day, since February 6 when 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudequakesjolted southern Türkiye, Syria and the adjoining region, claiming more than 46,000 lives till February 20. But the stories that fascinated the readers most are those which told of pulling the victims live out from the rubble – men, women, children, infants and even animals even after the passage of 14 long days. The life of every person thus saved is precious.
Though the members of the rescue teams belonged to different faiths and religions yet they made tireless effortsbubblingwith zeal and enthusiasm as well as the milk of humanity. The Qur’ān (5:32)recognises the value of such efforts made to save human life when it says: “…whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” This āyah gives hope and courage to people to come forward to rescue the victims of disasters.
But the question is who saved the lives of some persons under the rubble without food and water and without any facility to live, and who caused death to thousands of people under the same rubble. It is Allah, the Lord of all dominion Who is All-Powerful. The Qur’ān (3:26) asserts: “Say: ‘O Allah, Lord of all dominion! You give dominion to whom You will, and take away dominion from whom You will, and You exalt whom You will, and abase whom You will. In Your Hand is all good. Surely You are All-Powerful.” This āyah affirms the omnipotence of Allah, Who does whatsoever He wills.
The next āyah mentions some of His magnificent doings that human beings can observe in daily life. It says: “You cause the night to pass into the day and the day to pass into the night. You bring forth the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living, and You give sustenance to whom You will beyond all reckoning.”
The passing of the night into the day and the day into the night happens in so routine a manner that we hardly think of how it happens. But the Qur’ān reminds us that it is Allah who causes this coming of day and night. Similarly, it is He Who ‘brings forth the living out of the dead’ and ‘the dead out of the living’. And it is He Who provides sustenance to whom He likes ‘beyond all reckoning’.
Thus, whether we live a normal life or are made to test some difficult times, it is Allah Who out of His Benevolence and Magnificence helps us overcome the difficult situations.