Failing to help those who are stricken by disasters on the grounds that this is the will of Allaah

 

Some people see their Muslim brothers who have been stricken by calamities and disasters, and they do not move or feel motivated to help them, nor do they urge others to do that, on the grounds that what has happened is the will of Allaah and it is not right for us to help them when Allaah is punishing them!  Some people, when they are told to do good to the poor and needy, they say, how can we do good to them when Allaah has willed this for them? Allaah has made them poor and you want to make them rich? Or they say, if Allaah wanted to, He could make them rich without our help. What is the Islamic view concerning such comments?

Praise be to Allaah. 

These
and similar comments are undoubtedly false speech, which is indicative
of great ignorance or despicable negligence. The will of Allaah can
never be grounds for committing sin or neglecting obligatory duties.

 Moreover,
Allaah has commanded us to help Muslims who are in dire straits and
to help the needy. He denounces those who fail to do this duty, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Nay!
But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (i.e. you
neither treat them well, nor give them their exact right of inheritance)!

And
urge not one another on the feeding of Al-Miskeen (the poor)!

And
you devour the inheritance — all with greed.

And
you love wealth with much love”

[al-Fajr
89:17-20]

 Not feeding the
poor is one of the causes of a person entering Hell. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):

“
‘What has caused you to enter Hell?’

They
will say: “We were not of those who used to offer the Salaah (prayers),

Nor
we used to feed Al-Miskeen (the poor);

[al-Muddaththir
74:42-44]

 Wealth belongs
to Allaah; if He willed, He could take it away from the person who says
these things. Would he, in that case, when he is in desperate need for
food, like to have said to him what he is saying to others?

 This view is
seriously mistaken and is a great misguidance. The one who says this
is like those of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

“And when it
is said to them: ‘Spend of that with which Allaah has provided you,’
those who disbelieve say to those who believe: ‘Shall we feed those
whom, if Allaah willed, He (Himself) would have fed? You are only in
a plain error’”

[Yaa-Seen
36:47]