Lessons from the Lebanon Beirut Explosions - Shaykh Aqeel Mahmood

Lessons from the Lebanon Beirut Explosions

Hundreds were left homeless, over 6,000 were injured, and it is said that this is one of the greatest explosions — one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history — with the effects of it being felt in some parts of Eastern Europe like Cyprus and other places. Many Muslims lost loved ones as a result of this blast; people lost their children, Muslims lost their parents, relatives, friends, neighbors. And I wanted to take a few minutes just to reflect on these types of incidents when they occur, and how we as Muslims react to them and how we should react to them.

First of all, we ask Allah that he forgives those who have passed away, that he grants them the death of a shaheed, and elevates them to the highest stations of paradise.

The Danger of Detachment

Secondly, when we as Muslims in other parts of the world witness tragedies such as this, sometimes we are detached from those calamities that other Muslims experience. As a result of this detachment, we end up not having a sense of empathy towards them. We don't feel what they're feeling, we don't see what they're seeing, we don't experience the emotions that they're going through.

And another problem — a bigger problem, maybe — is how sometimes we think that those types of calamities, those types of problems, are problems which only people will experience in some parts of the world, like the Middle East or parts of Asia. We think these types of issues, these types of problems, won't occur where we're living. And so we detach ourselves from the reality and we think that calamities and trials and tribulations such as those will never happen to us. "It happens to other people, it happens to other Muslims."

And that is one of the greatest dangers as Muslims — to think that we're exempt, to think that we're the exception, to think that calamities and trials, great calamities and great trials, will only be experienced by people other than us. But if anything, this COVID-19 virus has taught us, it's the fact that calamities can befall anyone at any given time, by the permission of Allah.

And so one of the most important things is to imagine — to truly imagine — if the experience of this calamity was to occur to you, and if you had lost loved ones, and how that would make you feel. That will take you a step further into understanding the emotions and the mindset and the tragedy and the loss that those people are suffering in other parts of the world, be it Lebanon or elsewhere where there is suffering.

Losing a Loved One in Sudden Calamity

We reflect on the loss of loved ones, and the loss of loved ones in this type of calamity is sometimes more tragic, more sudden, and more of a shock than losing a loved one in other situations — such as, for example, through a prolonged sickness. But Allah and the Messenger of Allah, عليه الصلاة والسلام, have given us a guide — a manual — into understanding and learning how to behave, how we should react when we're going through any type of calamity, and more specifically when we lose a loved one.

And losing a loved one isn't something which is just going to be experienced by someone else other than us. It could happen to any one of us at any given time. Allah doesn't discriminate; the angel of death doesn't discriminate with regards to who he takes — young or old, rich or poor.

How We Respond Matters More Than the Calamity Itself

In fact, how an individual behaves after a calamity is more important than the calamity itself. Because it could be that as a result of losing a loved one — which is a great trial, a great tragedy, and a moment of sadness for any one of us — it could be one of the most rewarding experiences and one of the most rewarding moments of your life.

The Messenger of Allah said that when a child dies, the angels are asked by Allah, and Allah says: "You have taken the son of my slave." And they say: "Yes." And Allah says: "You have taken the fruit of his heart, the apple of his eye." And the angels say: "Yes." And Allah says: "What did my slave say?" And the angels reply: "He praised You and he said إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون."

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1021)

Allah knows exactly what the slave said, but He is telling us this for a reason. Because after this — after the angels say what the slave said in this moment of sadness, this moment of crisis — he is praising Allah. His child has just passed away, and he is praising Allah, and the first thing that comes to his mind is: إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون — "To Allah we belong, and to Allah we shall return."

Allah then responds and says: "Build for him a house — a palace — in paradise, and name it the House of Praise."

So as a result of a calamity that the slave experiences and goes through, Allah could reward you with one of the greatest rewards that you could ever have — which is a palace in paradise. And this should be a reminder to all of us, brothers and sisters, that whenever we go through any kind of tragedy, any type of calamity, it's all about how we respond and how we react to those types of tragedies and calamities.

Nobody Foresaw What Happened — But Allah Knew

Secondly, brothers and sisters, with regards to this tragedy which occurred — one of the lessons we can learn is how nobody expected anything like this to have ever occurred. No one was expecting an explosion of this magnitude. No one expected this to happen as a result of some explosive material which was in some warehouse in Lebanon, which caught fire and caused this huge explosion. It was something which nobody foresaw — and maybe there were some people who were responsible who should have foreseen something like this — but the point is: things like this blast which occurred in Lebanon, other types of calamities which a person may go through, this pandemic which we're experiencing right now, are all things which no individual could have predicted.

Yet Allah knew this was going to occur. From the knowledge of Allah is that He knows everything that's going to happen. And the scholars say: Allah not only knows everything that's going to happen in the future, but He also knows things that — if they were to occur — how they would have occurred, how they would have happened. Meaning: if something was to be, which wasn't to be, how it would have happened. And that is the epitome, that is the height of knowledge — the fact that Allah knows all the outcomes, all the possible outcomes of everything and anything that could ever happen.

Your behavior, how you behave, what you said, what you could have said, and how a person could have responded to what you said. Where you drove your car to, and if you hadn't driven the car there, where you could have possibly gone and who you could have possibly met. Your actions, and other than your actions, other things that you may have done and the consequences of those actions and what that could have led to — none of those things happened, none of those things were said, but Allah, out of His ultimate knowledge, knows every single possibility that could ever occur with regards to every single one of us. And also, on top of this, things which don't even have human life — or life itself — inanimate objects: the leaves falling from trees, and where they could have fallen, and in what manner and fashion they could have fallen.

Belief in Divine Decree as a Source of Comfort

When we understand this, brothers and sisters, we also have to realize: no calamity befalls a Muslim except that there is some good in those calamities. Allah says: your Lord is not oppressive to the slave — He doesn't oppress the slave, He doesn't wish to cause harm to the slave. Meaning, every experience we go through as Muslims, there is some benefit in those experiences, there is some benefit in those calamities.

Allah is all-knowing. Part of our iman is to believe in divine decree — qadar — the fact that Allah knows everything which will ever occur: past, present, and future. But one of the benefits of this is that it is a type of insurance. Meaning: Allah knows everything that's going to happen in your life, and everything that's going to happen in your life is going to be good — whether you see that good or not, whether you understand what that good is, is something which you have to think about and ponder and reflect upon based on the experiences that you go through. But knowing that Allah knows everything that will ever happen to you should, in fact, be a source of comfort — because it's in Allah's hands. Allah is going to take care of you. Meaning: regardless of what happens to you, Allah will take care of you, if you turn to Allah.

Closing Du'a

فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ الْجَلِيلَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ يَزِدْكُمْ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَعْلَى وَأَوْلَى وَأَكْبَرُ، وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ.