Why claiming divine wrath for Nepal's floods misrepresents Islam

 

The recent anti-Muslim violence across parts of Nepal - where mobs vandalised mosques, burned copies of the Quran, and targeted Muslim communities - left a deep wound across the global ummah.

However, as catastrophic flash floods recently thundered through Nepal’s northern river valleys, a troubling narrative surfaced across social media: celebrating the tragedy as targeted divine retribution.

While human emotion naturally seeks justice, projecting divine wrath onto a natural disaster fundamentally misrepresents Islamic theology and prophetic ethics.

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Divine intent?

In Islam, explicitly asserting that a specific event is God’s targeted punishment requires divine revelation (wahyu) - a line of communication that closed with Prophet Muhammad.

To speak on behalf of Allah’s unrevealed motives borders on spiritual arrogance (kibr).

Furthermore, framing the rural villagers swept away by high-altitude floodwaters as "cursed" directly contradicts prophetic teachings.

The flood in Nepal

In Sahih Bukhari, the prophet explicitly classified those who perish by drowning or being crushed under debris as martyrs (Shuhada al-Akhirah).

Quranic justice and geographic reality

The anti-Muslim violence occurred primarily in the southern plains (Terai) along the border, whereas the floods devastated mountain communities in Rasuwa and Nuwakot hundreds of kilometres away.

Blaming high-altitude villagers for atrocities committed elsewhere violates a core principle of divine justice: "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (Surah Al-An'am 6:164).

Islamic ethics strictly forbid “shamatah” - deriving satisfaction from the destruction or suffering of others.

For example, when the prophet was bloodied and rejected at Ta'if, the Archangel Gabriel offered to crush the city between two mountains.

However, the prophet refused, choosing mercy (rahmah) and praying for their guidance instead. True adherence to the sunnah demands compassion and humanitarian aid in times of human crisis, not online gloating.

The fallacy of delayed wrath

Ultimately, suggesting that Allah "waited" days or weeks after an offence to execute vengeance projects human limitations onto the divine. Human revenge is bound by time, planning, and delayed emotional reactions.

Allah’s power, however, operates on absolute omnipotence (Al-Qudrah): “His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is" (Surah Yasin 36:82).

To imply that divine judgment requires atmospheric buildup or calendar lag undermines the fundamental principle of “Kun FayaKun” (absolute power).

Divine decree needs no waiting period. True “tauhid” (belief in one God) requires honouring Allah’s absolute power without reducing His infinite wisdom to our reactive, score-keeping timelines. - Mkini

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MUJAHIDIN ZULKIFFLI is a social and political commentator.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.