Dr. Husny Himdan Al Dusuqy Hamamah
Familiarity is a screen, which means that man does not ponder over things which he is familiar with until something happens to make a person realize the reality of Allah’s Favors. For example, people do not feel the blessing of the earth’s stability but when they feel earthquakes, then everybody feels his weakness before the massive power of Allah and feels that the earth is bound by the care of Allah to it.
Before the hits of earthquakes, the power of humans stand helpless where hits come day and night and suddenly without foretelling. How many times scholars foretold an earthquake which does not happen?! The word “quake” indicates terrible fear and sudden death and destruction. After earthquakes, people rush to rescue those who suffered the aftermath and may succeed in saving some lives that were about to die.
They rush to ask for help in the world, but who might save them on the Day of Recompense when no help is found? Earthquakes do not hit the earth in one time, but the earthquake of the Hereafter shall hit the earth in one time. When the Final earthquake takes place, the earth shall shake and the hidden materials in its core shall come out to surface such as iron, melted nickel, and lava. After earthquakes, People walk on earth normally, but what will happen when the final earthquake takes place when the scale of deeds is established and the weight shall be by atom’s weight?! Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake. * And when the earth throws out its burdens, * And man will say: “What is the matter with it?” * That Day it will declare its information (about all that happened over it of good or evil). * Because your Lord will inspire it. * That Day mankind will proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds. * So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it. * And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.” [Surat Az-Zalzalah: 1 – 8].
O people, the worldly earthquakes are warning messages from your Lord, and the Hour will come suddenly while you do not feel. No matter how big worldly earthquakes are, the reciter of the Qur’an knows that the more grievous and more bitter will be the earthquake of the Hour: An earthquake that causes the mother to forget about her baby and an earthquake that causes the people to be drunk without drinking wine. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of Judgement) is a terrible thing. * The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allâh.” [Surat Hajj: 1 – 2].
Quakes are trials for the believers and a warning for disbelievers; moreover earthquakes are one of the soldiers of Allah by which He destructs whom He wants and directs it away from whom He does not want to destroy.
Terms of seismology in the Qur’an:
The terms of the Glorious Qur’an are precise when speaking about earthquakes, and here we shall speak about words and Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an about earthquakes:
A- Words:
• Az-Zalzalah.
• Zilzal Al Ard.
• Ar-Rajfah.
• Ar-Rajifah.
• Ar-Radifah.
• As-Sayhah.
• Al Khasf.
• As-Sad`.
B- Ayahs:
Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of Judgment) is a terrible thing. * The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allâh.” [Surat Hajj: 1 – 2].
He also said: “When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake. * And when the earth throws out its burdens, * And man will say: “What is the matter with it?” * That Day it will declare its information (about all that happened over it of good or evil). * Because your Lord will inspire it.” [Surat Az-Zalzalah: 1 – 5].
The terms of seismology were mentioned in many Ayahs of the Glorious Qur’an.
1- Ar-Rajfah:
Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “On the Day when the earth and the mountains will be in violent shake, and the mountains will be a heap of sand poured out.” [Surat Al Muzzammil: 14].
“On the Day when (the first blowing of the Trumpet is blown), the earth and the mountains will shake violently (and everybody will die). * The second blowing of the Trumpet follows it (and everybody will be resurrected).” [Surat An-Nazi`at: 6 – 7].
“So the earthquake seized them, and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes. * Those who denied Shu`ayb, became as if they had never dwelt there (in their homes). Those who denied Shu`ayb, they were the losers.” [Surat Al A`raf: 91 – 92].
“And Mûsâ (Moses) chose out of his people seventy (of the best) men for Our appointed time and place of meeting, and when they were seized with a violent earthquake, he said: “O my Lord, if it had been Your Will, You could have destroyed them and me before; would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? It is only Your Trial by which You lead astray whom You will, and keep guided whom You will. You are our Walî (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us: for You are the Best of those who forgive.” [Surat Al A`raf: 155].
“And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), We sent their brother Shu`ayb. He said: O my people! Worship Allâh (Alone), and hope for (the reward of good deeds by worshipping Allâh Alone, on) the last Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection), and commit no mischief on the earth as Mufsidûn (those who commit great crimes, oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, corrupters). * And they denied him [Shu`ayb]: so the earthquake seized them, and they lay (dead), prostrate in their dwellings.” [Surat Al `Ankabut: 36 – 37].
2- As-Sayhah:
Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “And As-Saihah (torment – awful cry) overtook the wrong-doers, so they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes, * As if they had never lived there. No doubt! Verily, Thamûd disbelieved in their Lord. So away with Thamûd!” [Surat Hud: 67 – 68].
“And verily, the dwellers of Al-Hijr (the rocky tract) denied the Messengers. * And We gave them Our Signs, but they were averse to them. * And they used to hew out dwellings from the mountains, (feeling themselves) secure. * But As-Saihah (torment – awful cry) overtook them in the early morning (of the fourth day of their promised punishment days).” [Surat Al Hijr: 80 – 83].
He also said: “And when Our Commandment came, We saved Shu’aib and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us. And As-Saihah (torment – awful cry) seized the wrong-doers, and they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes.” [Surat Hud: 94].
As Allah destroyed the people of Thamud and the people of Shu`ayb (Jethro) with the shake, He destroyed them with the cry; this proves that the shake was accompanied by a cry; this is the latest discovery of seismology. It is strange to gather different kinds of torment in part of an Ayah where Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “So We punished each (of them) for his sins; of them were some on whom We sent Hâsib (a violent wind with shower of stones) [as on the people of Lût (Lot)], and of them were some who were overtaken by As-Saihah [torment – awful cry. (as Thamûd or Shu’aib’s people)], and of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow [as Qârûn (Korah)], and of them were some whom We drowned [as the people of Nûh (Noah], or Fir’aun (Pharaoh) and his people]. It was not Allâh Who wronged them, but they wronged themselves.” [Surat Al `Ankabut: 40].
3- Al Khasf:
Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place.” [Surat Al Qasas: 81].
“If We will, We shall sink the earth with them.” [Surat Saba’: 9].
“And of them were some whom We caused the earth to swallow [as Qârûn (Korah)].” [Surat Al `Ankabut: 40].
“Do then those who devise evil plots feel secure that Allâh will not sink them into the earth, or that the torment will not seize them from directions they perceive not?” [Surat An-Nahl: 45].
“Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up.” [Surat Al Isra’: 68].
“Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allâh), will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake?” [Surat Al Mulk: 16].
4- As-Sad`:
Allah (Glory be to Him) says: “Had We sent down this Qur’ân on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allâh.” [Surat Al Hashr: 21].
“And the earth which splits (with the growth of trees and plants).” [Surat At-Tariq: 12].
The previous elements represent the most important vocabularies in modern seismology, and these elements are: Az-Zalzalah, Ar-Rajfah, As-Sayhah, Al Khasf, As-Sad`. Before explaining the miraculousness of these elements, we have to explain the meanings of the previous elements in the light of the Qur’an and seismology:
Of the words of commentators:
First, Zalzalat As-Sa`ah: Zalzalah means severe quake and the origin of the word is “Zal” which means slip. This word is used in exaggerating things. It is known that earthquake is one of the portents of the Hour which will happen at the end of time as the first portent. “When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake.” [Surat Az-Zalzalah: 1], it means: Shaken from the bottom as Ibn `Abbas said: “And when the earth throws out its burdens.” [Surat Az-Zalzalah: 2]. [Burdens here means treasures] as was mentioned in the Hadith: The earth will throw out its core such as gold and silver.
Second: Ar-Rajfah means: Shaking the earth suddenly. Commentators added sound to the movement, therefore the shake contained a strong sound such as Ar-Rajfah of the people of Jethro.
They were hit by the torment of the day of the Shade, which was a cloud that covered them which was full of fire, flames, and great glow then a cry from the sky and a strong quake from the earth came to them. Ar-Rajfah, which destroyed seventy men of the people of Moses, was interpreted as the severe earthquake. It was: The cry. Ar-Rajfah equals the meaning of strong quake which was the torment of the people of Thamud.
Third, the cry: Ibn `Abbas said: Allah never destroyed two groups of people with a single torment except the people of Salih and the people of Jethro, but the people of Salih were taken by the cry from underneath unlike the people of Jethro whom were taken by the cry from above.
It was authentically reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “While a man from the people who were before you got out wearing two green garments boasting of them, Allah commanded the earth to take him, so he shall drag them until the Day of Recompense.”
Source: Alukah
