ACCIDENT

                                                        ACCIDENT

As a human being, especially as a Muslim, we have to face the challenge in this vicious world. However, we need to remember that all the challenges faced by us were a test by Allah towards his servants. The world is just a bridge to the hereafter (akhirah).  “Redha” or pleased is very important for us as part of our learning tools in order to prepare ourselves to be perseverance and an indulgent human being. Allah would not create something without any cost but there will be a good reason behind it. There are a lot of challenges has to be faced such as challenge during studies, relationship with peers and sometimes challenges in loving somebody. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Take refuge with Allah from the difficulties of severe calamities, from having an evil end and a bad fate and from the malicious joy of your enemies." If we happened to have a misfortune, we should not blame and said ‘if’ because it will expose to the satanic doors to influence us. We should redha whatever happen and realize that there are reasons on whatever happened. Allah said “Do people think that they will be left (ease) only on their saying,; We believe and will not be put to any test? Indeed we have tested those who were before them. So Allah will surely know the ones who are truthful, and He will surely know the liars.”

Sometimes, we often heard from the news and media about some accidents that happened in our daily lives. An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. Accident is not necessarily occur among the vehicle only but also between humans. Maybe, when we happened to experience an accident, it is actually our fate that has been written by Allah. The accident is as a test for us in believing Him. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said (that Allah said), "Vowing does not bring to the son of Adam anything I have not already written in his fate, but vowing is imposed on him by way of fore ordainment. Through vowing I make a miser spend of his wealth." As Allah’s people, Muslims believe they will always be protected by him against any accident or disaster. So, we must believe and strong in facing the challenges in our lives.

In Islam, hadith said that qada’ and qadr could be changed through du’a . However, we need to fully understand what the true meaning of du’a. The true meaning of dua is dua is the part of prayers, but the gist of dua means asking something good from Allah which is should be benefited or for the people surrounding us or others. Actually every dua perform by us are already granted by Allah but sometimes not in the way we’re expected. For example if we asked for money but we not get it, it must be the reason why Allah didn’t give it. Maybe we would become arrogant with the money we get and not pay zakah. Happiness is varies among on each person. Some people prefer tons of money as their true happiness, others preferred healthy, however the true happiness is a peace of mind.

Allah loves to whom pray and asks from him. So, to relate with the main topic, we should pray to Allah to keep us from any accidents and misfortune. Accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. Accident can be happen to anyone, any place and any time. We often heard the accident that involved transportation like cars, motorcycles, buses and even airplanes. Besides that, there are also some accidents that occur at a work place such as factory. Actually, there are many accidents happened among us either we realize them or not, or how big or small those accidents. How can this happen? It is because it already written in Allah’s wills that we will involve in an accident? From my point of view, I think it’s not because of the fate only, but sometimes maybe it because of our own fault. Careless, lack of awareness, unconcerned and etc. might be the causes of accident. Accidents can be divided into two types; physical and non-physical. Examples of physical accidents are including unintended collisions or fall, being injured by touching something sharp, hot or ingesting poison. Non-physical examples are unintentionally revealing a secret or otherwise saying something incorrectly, forgetting an appointment, etc.

To prevent or avoid all these mishaps, we should be careful and always be aware. As a Muslim, we must keep pray to Allah to prevent us from any accidents or misfortunes. One of the prayer that often been used to keep away from any accidents is; “Bismillahillazi la yadurru ma’asmihi syai’un fil ardi walaa fissama’ii, Wa huwassami ul ‘alim.” The meaning of this prayer is; I seek refuge in Allah's name that no harm with whatever name in earth and sky, And He is the Hearing and All-Knowing.

Accident could occur to everyone, every time and places. We do not know what will happen to us in the future because only Allah knows our fate. We as a Muslim has to accept and be pleased with all the challenges and test by Allah in order to become a pious and a good believers of Allah. There is a story of a family that happened to experience many up and down events in their lives. This is really happened because that family is one of my relatives. The family is very nice and obedient to Allah. There are parents with six children in the family. All the children in the family are still in colleges and schools.

The father who is the breadwinner of the family has suffered from an accident long time ago. To some extent, the accident has affected the father’s performance in his job. Much worse, he has been diagnosed for glaucoma at stage 2. The father is expected to be blind soon. This make the family is nearly lost their source of income because of the father’s condition. Fortunately, the mother take place the father’s position as the breadwinner to ease the father.

However, not long after the first event, the family is again tested by Allah. The mother was involve in an accident and caused a pain at her back. This also affects the mother to perform well in her work. To some extent, the family is somehow dispirited for a while looking at their condition. But, they revive their spirit back because they believing in Allah’s will and qadr. They are strong in facing all the challenges.

Although, there are many events occurred in the family, but they still try to be helpful and give loves to the people around them. We can feel their sincerity even though we know they have their own problem. They realize that Allah knows the best for them. As narrated by Abu Hurairah from the Prophet s.a.w. , peace be upon him, said : “When Allah wants to be good to someone, He tries him with some hardship.”

From this we can see that accident could make people more obedient and believe in Allah. They believe in Allah wills and fate. So, as a Muslim we must in the good trust in Allah and never stop praying to Him. InsyaAllah.

 There are several opinions and perspective from some scholars about the accident. How and why the accident can happen. Usually, especially a Muslim, whenever any bad things happen; accident or death, we always said innalillahi wa innalillahirajiuun. It means, to Allah we belong and to Him we should return. Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyâdh (May Allah have mercy on him) said to a man, “How many (years) have come upon you?” He replied, “Sixty years.” He said, “Therefore, for sixty years you have been going to your Lord and you are about to reach (Him).” So the man said, “To Allâh we belong and to Him we shall return!” So al-Fudhayl asked, “Do you know the meaning of that (statement)? You are saying, I belong to Allah as a servant and I am going to return to Him. So whoever knows that he belongs to Allah as a servant and that he will return to him, then he should know that he will be stopped. And whoever knows that he will be stopped, then he should know that he will be questioned. And whoever knows that he will be questioned, then let him prepare an answer for the question. Sometimes, people who involved in accident (cars) get injured and there are who their face got damage because of the accidents. These people went to make a plastic surgery to recover their faces. Sheikh Abdul Bari Elzimzimi, one of the most prominent Islamic scholars of Morocco, said cosmetic surgery has two indications: one is to seek for beauty to improve human look and second dealing with congenital defect and repair for the lesion on the body after accidents.

Once, a nuclear accident had occurred such as in the Chernobyl Disaster in 1986. Benjamin K. Sovacool has reported that worldwide there have been 99 accidents at nuclear power plants from 1952 to 2009 (defined as incidents that either resulted in the loss of human life or more than US$50,000 of property damage, the amount the US federal government uses to define major energy accidents that must be reported), totaling US$20.5 billion in property damages. Fifty-seven accidents have occurred since the Chernobyl disaster, and almost two-thirds (56 out of 99) of all nuclear-related accidents have occurred in the USA. There have been comparatively few fatalities associated with nuclear power plant accidents.

Arnold J. said accident-proneness, also known as clumsiness, is the conception that some people might have predisposition, or that they might be more likely to suffer accidents, such as car crashes and industrial injuries, than other people. It may be used as a reason to deny any insurance on such individuals.

Many other scholars have different perspective on different accident. However, we have to always be aware and careful to avoid any accident. 

We can see from the previous that accident can happen to anyone, any places and any time. The accident might be the reminder from Allah to always remember Him. All the events happened in our lives and in this world must have a reason why they would occur. As narrated by Anas r.a : The Prophet s.a.w. said, “Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: 1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else. 2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake. 3. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire."  From this ayah, it strongly shows that we must have a strong faith to Allah. Other than that, we must and have to improve ourselves to become a better Muslim. Always recite zikrullah and al-Quran. Moreover, our five times prayer also should be improve by adding khusyu’ and continuous (istiqamah) in performing the prayers.

Accidents and natural disasters are a common occurrence in the Muslim world. Allah fails to protect his followers and turns a blind eye in times of devastation, leaving them at the mercy of primarily Western and non-Muslim aid. This leads us to ask the question if Allah is almighty and powerful why does he not protect his followers from catastrophes and devastation? Does he abandon his people on purpose? Does he wish to humiliate his followers by making them dependant on foreign aid and handouts from the very people whom they are not to take as “friends and protectors”? These are questions Muslims need to answer. As a Muslim and to be among the believers, we have to accept any events; either good or bad that happened in our lives. We must have a strong belief on Allah and let Allah do His job.

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