One of the difficulties of living in Turkiye is the language. Granted we haven’t made much effort to learn but it is so different to English, Arabic or other languages we know. Often I will make an effort to learn a set of words, only to have forgotten them in the morning.
This week, in the darkest of circumstances, I learnt a word which I don’t think I will ever forget, Deprem, or earthquake.
On Monday, like all other residents, we woke up to the shock news of the earthquake affecting south east Turkiye and Syria. Turkiye is no stranger to earthquakes, I’m old enough to recall the previous earthquake in Izmir and we even had to arrange to pay the earthquake tax when we moved into our new apartment.
Turkiye has been our residence for the past 18 months. It is an interesting place full of many quirks and nuances. My children study here, we shop at our local butchers and bakers, we have the weekly fruit and veg Market, as well as our local masjid. For all the difficulties and peculiarities of the place and people, of which there are many, we have taken this place as home. The most destruction we see in the UK is when your wheelie bin falls over due to strong winds, so the events of Monday came as a shock, as did the increasing death toll and destruction in the aftermath.
There have been many images that have defined this calamity. We have numerous images of destroyed buildings, towns and cities, interspersed with the occasional image of a young baby or child being rescued from the rubble. However, the most defining image for me has been of a father, Mesut Hancer, sitting holding the hand of his dead daughter trapped in the rubble. As a father of 4 girls, I am acutely aware of the bond that exists between a father and his daughters. Fathers have a soft spot for their daughters and, knowing this, daughters wrap their fathers around their fingers. Now all he has left is to wrap his own hands around his daughter’s fingers. May Allah (swt) have mercy on them and unite them together in the best of abodes, Jannah.
Much has been written and said about the earthquake as we attempt to reconcile the impact that the earthquake has had on people’s lives. The earthquake has provided many lessons and reminders. No doubt the tests are greater for those whose lives have been directly affected, but even for us who have watched the events unfold there is a reminder of the power and might of Allah (swt).
Just over 2 years ago, Allah (swt) brought the entire world to a standstill with a tiny virus invisible to the naked eye. In this instance He (swt) caused the earth to shake and tremble from underneath our feet. For Allah (swt), this is easy, it is merely a case of “Be” and it is (kun fa ya kun) and in this there is a sign for people who reflect.
The reminder is apparent for all. Everything we see and perceive around us, no matter how beloved and precious, is temporary. Our houses, cars, possessions, even our loved ones all belong to Allah (swt) and will return back to Him (swt). It is a reminder of a day when everything will come to a standstill. A day when the entire earth will shake for one final time.
When the earth is shaken ˹in˺ its ultimate quaking, and when the earth throws out ˹all˺ its contents, and humanity cries, “What is wrong with it?”— on that Day the earth will recount everything, having been inspired by your Lord ˹to do so˺. On that Day people will proceed in separate groups to be shown ˹the consequences of˺ their deeds. So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it. [TMQ: Az-Zalzalah 1-8]
Here we are reminded of the final shaking of the earth, not with only 1 or 2 epicentres only but multiple epicentres. A time when not only poorly constructed buildings will come crashing down, but mountains the size of Mount Uhud will crumble at the command of their Lord. The shock and fear for mankind that day will be at a maximum as the people will not comprehend what is happening. These are the events preceding the resurrection and the Day of Judgement. It has been narrated that the true believers will not witness that day. The calamity of that day has been reserved for the disbelievers. However, the final earthquake will definitely occur as will the Day of Judgement and our accounting with Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) protect us from witnessing the horrors of the final earthquake.
The events of Turkiye should act as a reminder to us of our meeting with Allah (swt). Our attachment to our houses and belongings is put into perspective. We will not take them with us on the final journey. Instead we will be proceeding in groups to be shown the consequences of our deeds. We may be protected from witnessing the final quake, but our judgement begins when we breathe our last breath and are placed in our graves. Our direct ability to determine our own destiny comes to an end. We will be left with our deeds, large and small, good and evil.
We need to reflect upon our lives, goals and aspirations – do we aspire for closeness to Allah (swt)? If Yes, then is this reflected in our deeds? The time for reflection is now and the time for change is now also, whilst the reality is still fresh in our minds. May Allah (swt) protect us from heedlessness.
As a final point, this event has once again shown us the goodness of the Ummah. From the many that have travelled to the region to help the rescue mission, to the soup kitchens that have been providing hot food to the victims, and everything in between. Across the globe, donations and collections have been made to provide relief to the region. The people are in need of our efforts. We should contribute in whatever way we can, whether big or small, safe in the knowledge that our efforts will be seen by Allah (swt).
Kahramanmaraş ve çevre illerde meydana gelen depremde vefat edenlere Allah’tan ﷻ rahmet, yaralananlara da acil şifalar diliyoruz. Rabbimizden Ümmeti Muhammed tüm afet ve musibetlerden muhafaza eylemesini niyaz ediyoruz.
May Allah (swt) have mercy on all those affected by the affects of the earthquake. May Allah (swt) protect the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) from disasters and calamities.
The Muslim Family 