Even the Tsunami is Our Fault?

Last weekend, all countries around the Pacific were worried about the potential for a tsunami from the volcanic eruption in Tonga — South Pacific. Even the tsunami itself also reached Japan, while we in Indonesia, thank God, survived because we are behind Australia and Papua New Guinea.

But this tsunami, as well as other potential tsunamis including the one predicted by BMKG — the 8 meter tsunami that could occur in Java, are all our fault. How come? What did we do to cause a tsunami? Here is a series of processes, along with the verses that explain it.

Initially it is our indifference to maintain balance in nature (55:8–9), our neglect to prosper the earth (11:61), even when there are technical instructions for using green plants as a source of energy (36:80; 56:61- 73) we are still indifferent. This all had an impact on what in today’s language is called climate change.

This damage is accelerated and elevated by the interests of a few people who control and exploit natural resources and destroy them, even a handful of people are mentioned as 9 people (27:48). The people around the world can be different, but it is still those few who facilitate further destruction.

As a result, the mountains are cut down for mining products, roads, houses, etc. and some other mountains — at the poles — which are built up from ice are melting because the earth’s temperature is getting warmer.

Mountains are stabilizers (rotations) of the earth, at least this is explained twice by Allah in the Qur’an (21:31 & 26:15). Like a small lead function on your car’s wheels installed by a tire balancer, without it the tire rotation cannot be stable/balance. This is among other things, the function of mountains on earth, what happens when a number of mountains are lost?

The rotation of the earth will wobble, or ogleg in Javanese. And this is even confirmed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion lab. What is the further impact of this earth’s wobble ?

It’s like an unbalanced wheel, all the contents of the earth are stirred together as the earth continues to spin, mountains erupt one after another, the earth’s plates continue to shift and cause earthquakes, tsunamis continue to lurk. And this is the meaning why Allah reminds that “And whatever calamity befalls you, it is due to the deeds of your own hands and Allah forgives most of it” (42:30).

So because the tsunami was caused by our own fault, we also have the opportunity to prevent it — through istighfar and make improvements as much as we can by continuing to follow His instructions. God willing