The Helplessness of Man
Al-Risala (English), September 1985, p. 11
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is named as the default author of the periodical; a piece that carries another writer’s byline is credited to that writer.
The Helplessness of Man
1985 9 September 11 The Helplessness of Man (191) The coastal area of Bangladesh is a conglomeration of a number of small islands. Often the coasts are hit by severe cyclonic storms which cause heavy loss of life and property. In 1876 one such storm claimed the lives of 3 lakh people, besides causing incalculable loss in terms of property.
In May 1985 another severe storm hit about one thousand islands at the speed of 150 km. p.h. Four meter high sea waves engulfed the islands in its wake. About one lakh people succumbed to it and perished. Hundreds of settlements were washed away like so much straw. In the words of an English newspaper reporter, (29 May 1985), what hit the islands were:
“... murderous cyclones which expose man’s helplessness before nature’s fury.”
Such events remind man of the powerfulness of God and the helplessness of man. That is the real situation. The messengers of God proclaim this reality in words whereas nature gives a practical demonstration of it. Wise are those who pay heed to both the warning of men and the cataclysms of nature, and realize that the road to salvation is total submission to God’s will.
‹ Previous page Next page › About this issue Open in the reader