The shaking of the earth is a common phenomenon that has been experienced by humans from the earliest of times.[1] The Dead Sea Transform fault system, also sometimes referred to as the Dead Sea Rift, is a series of faults that run from the Maras Triple Junction (a junction with the East Anatolian Fault in southeastern Türkiye) to the Northern end of the Red Sea Rift (just offshore of the Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula).[2] Throughout history, many large earthquakes have occurred in the Dead Sea Transform fault system. In the 1800s before Christ, the earthquake, which is stated in the Quran[3] [4] as punishment for the people of Lut (Lot)[5] for their denial and immorality, probably took place in the Dead Sea Rift region.[6] Maghreb (Northwest African region), Egypt, Antakya (Antioch), Damascus (Dimaşk), Mosul, Homs (Hims), and whole Al-Jazira region were affected by the earthquake that occurred on November 24, 847 with an estimated magnitude of 7.0. In that earthquake, 20,000 people in Antakya and 50,000 people in Mosul died.[6] Lastly, on February 6, 2023 at 04:17 a.m. Türkiye time, a massive earthquake struck Southern Türkiye and Syria with a magnitude of Mw 7.7. An unusually strong Mw 7.6 aftershock as well as hundreds of smaller aftershocks occurred at 01:24 p.m. Türkiye time after the mainshock. Very heavy damage and tens of thousands of deaths occurred. Herein, we discussed earthquake from the Islamic perspective to attract attention to the spiritual dimension of the earthquake.

It is reported in the hadiths that regions such as Najd, Iraq, and Egypt are prone to earthquakes, earthquakes experienced by some tribes, the earthquake of doomsday, dua and worships to be made during and after the earthquake, earthquakes suffered by the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) and some of his companions, earthquakes are Divine warnings for people to improve their conditions, the increase of earthquakes is one of the portents of doomsday and it is necessary to seek refuge in Allah from the disaster of an earthquake.[6] The ninety ninth Surah including eight Ayats of the Quran is the Surah Al-Zalzalah (the earthquake). In the Surah, after the severe earthquake that will develop during the Doomsday, the troubles and terrifying situations that will be experienced on the Day of Judgment are described. It is also stated that the reward or punishment for good or evil committed in this world will be received in the hereafter: When the earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion, and the earth throws up her burdens (from within), and man cries (distressed): “What is the matter with her?”—On that Day will she declare her tidings: For that thy Lord will have given her inspiration.[7] [8] Nursi[9] has interpreted the Surah Al-Zalzalah as follows: This Surah states definitely that in its movements and earthquakes the earth shakes at a command, on receiving revelation and inspiration. And sometimes it trembles. In order to defend their way and counter the awakening of the believers and hinder them, the people of misguidance and the atheists display an obduracy so strange and a stupidity so peculiar that it makes a person regret his humanity. For example, in order to make men give up their wicked and wrongful rebellion which recently has to a degree taken on a general form, and to arouse mankind and make it forego this awesome revolt and recognize the universe's Sovereign, Whom it does not want to recognize, the Creator of the heavens and the earth—not on account of a particular title but as Sustainer and Ruler of the whole universe and all the worlds and through a widespread and general manifestation throughout the universe in the universal sphere of His dominicality—has struck mankind in the face with awesome and widespread calamities like earthquakes, storms, and world wars through the universal elements coming to anger—through water, the air, and electricity, which are matchless and constant—and has demonstrated through them in most clear fashion His wisdom, power, justice, and self-subsistence. Although this is the case, certain brainless shaitans (satans) in human form respond to these universal dominical signs and divine reprimands with a foolish obstinacy, saying: “It's nature. It's the explosion of some strata under the earth and just chance.” They utter meaningless nonsense like this. Due to a boundless ignorance resulting from misguidance and an ugly obduracy arising from aggressive atheism, they do not know that causes are only each a pretext and a veil.[9]

Earthquakes are likened to the apocalypse due to the information given in the Quran about the apocalypse.[6] The term of “Al-Qariah” in the Surah Al-Qariah refers to the Day of Judgment. In this Surah, some depictions of the apocalypse are mentioned, and warnings are given that raise awareness of the responsibility of the hereafter: The (Day) of Clamor: What is the (Day) of Clamor? And what will explain to thee what the (Day) of Clamor is? (It is) a Day whereon men will be like moths scattered about, And the mountains will be like carded wool.[10] [11] The earthquake that took place on February 6, 2023 in Türkiye was also like the Doomsday. In the dark of the night, people woke up to the great shaking and noise of the earthquake. Everyone rushed to save their lives in great fear. Some people got out of their homes just before their homes were destroyed and survived. However, hundreds of thousands of people were trapped under the earthquake rubble and tens of thousands of people lost their lives. Thousands of people waited to be rescued under the earthquake rubble. The cries of “Help!” “I am here!” “Save me!” “Help for Allah's sake!” “Isn't there anyone helping?,” and etc. from under the earthquake rubble continued for about 72 hours. With great efforts, tens of thousands of people were rescued from the earthquake rubble. Although days or even 10 days have passed since the earthquake, there were survivors from the earthquake rubble. A 2-month-old infant was rescued from the earthquake rubble 138 hours after the earthquake in Hatay Province.[12] A 5-year-old girl who was pulled out of the earthquake rubble 5 days after the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş Province, the epicenter of the earthquake, said the following: “I was never hungry. A very beautiful sister came to me, fed me food, gave milk and made me drink water. She always played with me. She said don't worry, you will be saved. When you came, she left.”[13] On the other hand, as mentioned in the Surah Al-Qariah, one of the mountains was shattered in Gaziantep Province. The pieces of rock that broke off from the collapsed mountain joined the mountain on the opposite side of the road.[14]

Angels and jinns, which are spiritual beings, were created from nur (light) and fire, respectively. For this reason, they are invisible to the human eye with their original identities and true natures. Our eyesight was not created to be able to see angels.[15] Allah says “shaitan (satan) and his tribe (jinns) watch you from a position where you cannot see them.”[16] Angels can be seen in different shapes. However, if Allah wills, He embodies and shows spiritual beings such as angels and jinn in human form. Attention is drawn to the fact that angels can be seen in human form in the Quran[15]: We sent her (Maryam) Our angel (Jibril, Gabriel), and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.[17] Moreover, Jibril came to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) from time to time in the form of a beautiful person, and several times in the form of his companion named Dihyah al-Kalbi,[18] and met with him.[19] Since it is possible for angels to come in human form, it is also possible for them to help people.[15] Based on these Islamic teachings, the sister who fed and watered the 5-year-old girl who had survived the earthquake rubble was probably an angel.

Lastly, the Quran also says, “And fear the trail, which affecteth not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong: and know that Allah is strict in punishment.”[20] That is, beware of the calamity or disaster which when it occurs is not restricted to wrongdoers but strikes the innocent as well. The meaning of the above Ayat is as follows: this world is a field of trial and examination, and a place of striving where man is accountable for his actions. Accountability and examination require that reality remains veiled so that through competition and striving the Abu Bakr's[21] (573–634) may rise to the highest of the high and the Abu Jahl's[22] (570–624) may enter among the lowest of the low. If the innocent remained untouched by such disasters, the Abu Jahl's would submit just like the Abu Bakr's, and the door of spiritual and moral progress through striving would be closed and the mystery of accountability spoiled. Divine wisdom requires that oppressed and oppressor are together afflicted by disaster. For them there is a manifestation of mercy within the wrath and anger in the disaster. For just as the transient property of the innocent becomes like alms and gains permanence, the relatively little and temporary difficulty and torment is a form of martyrdom for them which also gains for their transient lives a permanent life. The earthquake earns for them a huge, perpetual profit, so for them is an instance of Divine mercy within the wrath.[9]

Received: 08 March 2023

Accepted: 31 March 2023

Article published online:
04 May 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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