In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

“2005” – A YEAR OF CONSTANT REMINDER

The year of 2005 has just passed but it has left behind a tale of death, destruction and extreme sorrow in every phase of human life. It started with the devastating memories of Tsunami waves in its unbelievable backlash in the countries bordering Indian Ocean. The rehabilitation is still continuing at every place where its mighty waves visited and may continue for years together to get the material, human and infrastructure damages repaired. The homeless and the parentless children will suffer for ages to come. But that was not the end of human miseries. It tells what is going to happen in future. There may be a chain of tragedies that may lie in its devastated path and may visit the human abode in its wake during the years to come.

The tragedies of Katrina in Gulf States of the USA, the devastating effect of Earthquake in the Northern State of Pakistan and Kashmir, the draught in the South-Central States of America from Oklahoma to Texas, the damaging floods, mud-sliding in CA in the West, brush fires in LA and in many other states, the constant loss of innocent human lives in Iraq and Afghanistan in thousands, the tragedy of July 8, 2005 in London, the spread of AIDS and HIV positive in millions more in African and Asian countries, the destruction of Ozone gases making the earth warmer and warmer day by day, the sinking of poor in additional burden of debt and poverty, rendering the condition of “have-nots” worst at an accelerated pace, the violation of human rights at home and abroad in the name of “War on Terrorism”, and the ever-increasing sufferings of freedom fighters throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, these and many more tale of destruction around the world have made the human life on earth most miserable and uncertain. This is one side of human’s sad plight

The other side is more heinous. Man has become more and more selfish and self-centered. Nations have become very scrupulous and don’t see beyond the interests of their own people. The G8 countries were supposed to contribute to the extent of 0.07 % of their GNP to elevate the condition of poor countries but they could not meet their own commitment especially the USA in spite of tall talks. The developed countries of Europe, America and Japan are not willing to reduce the one billion subsidies that they are paying to their formers to enable the cultivators of the underdeveloped poor countries to compete in the international market. The criteria of friendship as is being propounded by President Bush have changed. One who supports his unethical war on Iraq and terror, he is the friend of the USA otherwise an enemy. The growing perverted sexual behavior through gay and lesbian marriages is fast destroying the institution of marriage and family system altogether. Births out of wedlock are rampant. Human rights violations are frequent in each and every country. The ethnic and religious minorities are suffering everywhere in Asia, Africa, Europe and America. In short, you name any human value you will find it ravaged every where at the hands of those who happen to be its champions... Humanity stands still dumb founded in the midst of self-inflicted wounds by its own specie.

This is in brief the panoramic view of the events that world has experienced growingly in 2005. Many more cherished moral values have been shattered as Pervez Musharraf an ally of the USA is behaving oppressively in Pakistan, or Hussni Mubarak, a friend of White House, is acting in Egypt or Tony Blair in UK. This all produces a very grim picture of world’s physical, social, economical, political, moral and spiritual condition and a very disparate situation. It is resulting in Fasad [transgression] in every field of human life. This is the end result of denial by individuals and nations that this world belongs to its Creator and Sustainer and not to any President, King, PM, Sheikh, a Congress or a Parliament. Man has disturbed its equilibrium and so is facing its consequences in each and every phase of human life. The Lord of this universe has clearly warned humans that if you deviate from His rightful Guidance, man will face calamities from heaven, from the earth and get disruption in life through in-fighting amongst them. The sum total effect of all the calamities that I have enumerated above are nothing but warning signals from our Creator and Sustainer in a continuous process that we should live on earth as a responsible human being the way God has ordained us to do and restrain from behaving recklessly both in our individual and collective spheres of life, failing which humanity is heading fast to meet its doomsday.

It appears that human society, after taking so many “twists and turns”, has reached to the stage where practically no “Khair” [goodness] is left in it. The outgoing year 2005 is an outspoken reminder to all the inmates of this “house” that they must correct the situation, bring their personal and collective affairs soon under the guidance that came from their Creator and Sustainer or be ready to face its dire consequences. The consequences are before us and if we do not listen and read these warning signals that are pouring in and hitting the world day in and day out in a continuous process, these natural disasters both from the sky and earth may intensify in the ensuing years and the in-human fighting may be multiplying manifold. In this situation no UN, no WTO or Alliance of vested interest will save the world and its inhabitants from ruin, death and destruction. The verdict of the Qur’an, the final Guidance from the Creator and Sustainer is very clear in this respect:

“Say: It is He alone who has the power to let lose upon you sufferings from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confound you with mutual discard and let you taste the fear of one another (or violence of one against the other – inner disintegration, fear, violence and tyranny being the inevitable consequences of a society’s departure from spiritual truth)” [The Qur’an. 6: 65]

“But as from him who shall run away from remembering Me (deny or does not follow the guidance from Him) – he shall have a tight life [narrow scope]; and on the day of Resurrection We shall raise him up blind” [The Qur’an: Chapter Taha – 20: 124]

These natural and man-made calamities constitute only a constant Reminder to man that he and his representatives are not free to explore and exploit this world and its bounties the way they so desire. They will have to behave like responsible human beings and take all as a trust from Creator and Sustainer and use it the way He has ordained, failing which His “grip and grasp” will come so sudden, so fierce and so fast that all will just remain dumb-founded. The natural disasters of 2005 are the reflection of the forthcoming chain of disasters that human society is likely to face in the coming years at an accelerated pace. Will the humans and their leadership take a lesson form the outgoing events and mend their ways and life style to live within the prescribed system of life that stands approved by Him alone?

Shamim Siddiqi January 2, 2006