As
temperatures drop and the world's response to victims of the
earthquake falls far short of expectations, this evening we
learn of the world's shortage of sub-zero tents. In a region
where 500,000 tents are needed, a shortfall of 200,000 tents is
nothing short of catastrophic.
Disaster
fatigue they call it. Hurricane Katrina left us all with a
deluge of e-mails showing how the United States was being
punished for its actions in Iraq and elsewhere. I suppose, the
same commentators will opine that the people of India, Pakistan
and Kashmir are also being punished for their sins. In fact, it
seems that everyone is sinning except these commentators, oh to
be amongst the sinless!
But
this isn't about who has and who hasn't sinned. It is about the
wisdom of Allah. Why does Allah do what Allah does? The question
cannot be answered by any of us, suffice to say that in our
desire to understand we all offer opinions.
Despite
the injustices that occur in this world we find in this
confusion a certain humanity within us all. Earlier this evening
the spokesman for Islamic Relief was on Channel 4 news making
the observation that whilst a female collector in her scarf was
out in the street raising money for victims of the earthquake, a
homeless man stood up, handed her the money from his collection
tin saying that those people need this money more than he did.
How beautiful indeed humanity is.
How
freely we associate the punishment and suffering of people with
the sins which they may or may not have done. How unjustly we
may interpret the wisdom of Allah Almighty by making such
associations. Allah does as He wills, and Allah knows best why
it is that we as people have suffered in this year with such
atrocities as the hunger of Niger, hurricane Katrina, the
earthquake, amongst other atrocities.
There
was an incident at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) when the Quraish and Bakr tribes combined
their forces and attacked the tribe of Khuza breaching the
treaty they signed. The tribe of Kaab went to Medina and sought
help from the Prophet. Now whilst this incident doesn't relate
to the situations of natural disasters as such, it is more the
words that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) spoke on this occasion which resounds so clearly in my
mind. Hearing what happened, the Prophet said, "May you
be helped O Amr ibn Salim." Then, as a cloud
appeared in the sky, he said, "This cloud will provide
help for the tribe of Kaab."
The
homeless man who donated his money acts as a reminder to the
power of humanity. The man who has nothing has everything. So
what of those of us who have everything we want, but nothing we
need?
