As this article is being written, the floods in the East Coast and the Batang Kali landslide search and rescue (SAR) operation, are still ongoing. Some people claim that this is a form of the wrath of God, while others say that it is a ‘test” or “trial” from Him. When a disaster befalls onto oneself, one spontaneously says it is a “trial” from God in order to test him, whether one is obedient to Him or not. But when it befalls on others, especially their enemies, then they would quickly point out that it is a “wrath” of God on those people. This is a clear misconception on the term “wrath” and “trial” from the perspective of Islam. There are several terms in Arabic that are used in relation to a disaster, or tribulation. The terms such as “ibtilaa” (bala’),“imtihan” (plural: mihan), “raziah”(plural:“razaya”),“fitnah” (pl.: fitan) and the like often mean trials, tribulations, or tests from God to his servants, in a way we could say a “positive-kind” of disaster. The opposite of these positive-kind of Arabic terms like “uqubah”, “azab” and “iqab” which are to mean punishment or wrath of God. Even the word ‘uqubah (punishment) however, may not necessarily mean wrath of God, as we find in a Prophet’s tradition where the word is used. Anas ibn Malik RA reported that the Messenger of Allah, (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If Allah intends good for His servant, then He hastens punishment (‘uqubah) for him in this world. If Allah intends evil for His servant, then He withholds punishment (‘uqubah) for his sins until he appears on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2396). Hence, the afore-mentioned terms are used interchangeably to mean tests and trials at the same time.
Indeed, an example of Qur’anic verse on disaster or trial that Allah had inflicted on His servants is as follows: “We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure” (Surah al-Baqarah verse 55). In the verse, Allah SWT specifically uses the word “test” when He inflicts tribulations on Muslims, in particular, though it can also be applied to all mankind in general.
While in a Prophetic tradition, it was narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah RA that the Prophet (may peace be upon him) said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641, 5642). From the Prophetic tradition, whenever tribulations befall on a Muslim, it expiates some of his sins. Thus, in general, there is no clear distinction from various verses of the Quran or Prophetic traditions as to whether a certain disaster is a “test” from God or a divine “wrath”. Some scholars opine that whether it is a test or wrath depends on the afflicted person’s reception. If the person afflicted with the tribulations accept it readily, then it is a test, but if he was arrogantly indignant at it, then it is a wrath of God.
Muslim scholars, however, have identified some kind of pattern whether disasters are tests or a wrath of God, though this is mere observation and not necessarily true at all times. One of them is that the tribulation is usually temporary in order to test the Muslims, while wrath is usually more permanent. Test comes in the form of fear, hunger, lack of money or wealth, lack of food, and others. In the Islamic history even the Prophets of God were inflicted with tribulations from God as a form of test from Him. Prophet Ibraham AS was cast into fire by Nimrod; Prophet Yusuf was imprisoned; Prophet Yunus in the fish stomach and many others. They were all tests rather than the wrath of God.
The wrath of God inflict sinners who consistently commit sins and are disobedient to God, in spite of reminders and warnings and the effect of the disaster is often permanent. A classic example is in the case of the people of the Prophet Lut. The people of Prophet Lut practised sodomy and rejected the Prophet’s warning. In the end, the people were destroyed by a dreadful disaster. God mentions the event in the Qur’an in Surah al-Qamar verses 33–36:
The people of Lut rejected his warning. We sent against them a violent Tornado with showers of stones, (which destroyed them), except Lut’s household: We delivered by early Dawn. As a grace from Us: thus do We reward those who give thanks. And (Lut) did warn them of Our Punishment, but they disputed about the Warning. As a result of God’s wrath, the city of Sodom was turned upside down. Sodom is located in the north of the Red Sea, in the area of the Dead Sea which stretches along the Israel-Jordan border. For further understanding on the issue on trials and tribulations, one may read works by scholars like Sultan al-Ulama al-Izz ibn Abdul Salam (d.1262) who wrote a treatise of “Trials and Tribulations: Its Blessings and Wisdoms” (Arabic: Al-Fitan wa al-Balaya wa al-Mihan wa al-Razaya aw Fawa’id al-Balwa wa al-Mihan), and also by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziya.
