DISASTER AND DIVERSITY OF HUMAN REACTIONS

(A Spiritual Reflection)
By E. Nadzier Wiriadinata

If we look closely it seems to us that Indonesia is a country that is familiar with

the disaster or calamity. Disasters, In all its manifestations (floods, tsunamis,
landslides, various accidents on land, air and ocean taking a lot of casualties)
almost every day become a regular subject of news that can be read through
various media, both print and electronic one. Much to our surprise is that
disasters happens continuously . A case of catastrophe remains unresolved,
other disasters come up. It happens on and on. Even the recent earthquake
measuring 7.3 Richter had rocked the West Java province and surrounding areas
.. Not so bad the effect it creates, but still eats the victims.

Among all the disasters that befall our nation, in the form of an earthquake
disaster is the most difficult to face. The experts reveal that the earthquake
event occurred in various regions in Indonesia are random and unpredictable. It
will never stop and will continue in Indonesia. That's because most regions of
Indonesia are passed by a meeting on the Earth's plates which always move, so
the potential for meeting the plates that cause earthquakes will continue to
occur and unfortunately we do not know when it will happen.

Realizing most of localities in Indonesia are potent to earthquakes, then the

efforts we can do today, according to the experts, is readiness to prepare the
people for or familiar with the disastrous earthquakes such as building a secure
building against earthquakes, socializing and conforming communities to face an
earthquake. Scientists now have developed technology to detect earthquakes
and tsunamis, but unfortunately until now there is no tool that can predict when
the earthquake occurs.

Apart of what the experts presented above, one thing is certain according to the
Quranic perspective is that when disasters occur, whatever they are, there must
be certain human role as one of the causes. And through a disaster The Almaigty
gave a signal / warning.

Let us turn briefly to enter the territory of the depth of reflection Sufi Sheikh
Abdul Qodir Gilani stated in his book 'Futuhul Ghoib', about the nature of the
disaster. He stated that when disasters befall someone or a group of people then
there are three possibilities that we should muse :

(1) as a sanction or penalty; or

(2) as an Examination / temptation to cleanse sins; or

(3) as a Media for God to increase the degree / maqam

To know which one of those three categories someone is included depends on
how he responds to it. Through the way he responds to the disaster someone or
a group of people can be categorized to one of those categories above. This
means that anyone, including people affected by disaster itself, will only know
which category he includes by his way of responding the disaster..

When someone addresses the disasters he experiences with frequent sighing

and full of sobs, then disaster for him is categorized as sanctions / penalties. Sign
that it is a media for God to cleanse the sins of His servants is when someone or
a group of people accepts disaster with an attitude of patience, without whining
and without objection, and then remain firm with command of Allah. Meanwhile,
as a sign that disaster was God's way to ennoble His servants are they face
disaster with a full of consent, submission, and peace against acts of God.

We certainly hope that the calamities befalling our brothers are not included in
the first category mentioned above, but rather as a sign that God has willed to
dignify us as a nation in general, especially for those who got the accident.

Holy month of Ramadan is full of maghfirah. This is the right time for us to
conduct the evaluation, tafakkur and riyadloh to continuously improve the
quality of our humanity. Has tens of performing shaum improved the quality of
our spirituality ? Is our sense of social awareness getting increased?; Are we
getting easier to forgive others?; Is the quality of our modesty getting better?
Are we more aware that life is short and that's why we are ordered to keep
improving the quality of our worship?; How far is our concern for the
environment? Those are the questions that should always be echoing in our
hearts every time.

May Allah give His grace so that we become His pious servants. Amiin