Car Accidents and Islamic Perspective

Car Accidents and Islamic Perspective

People say life is a journey. It's a journey from the very moment we were born until we enter our graves and from then on, there's only two final destinations – jannah or jahannam. You decide. Car accidents are a far too common occurrence in Malaysia, due to various reasons. I will touch on the reason of the car condition and how it affects and results in car accidents. An accident can be defined as an “unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance.”  The car condition covers a range of various parts of the car, such as the condition of the car's tyres, its windshield wiper, its brakes, etc. I will cover 10 aspects: the tyres, steering wheel, windshield wiper, brakes, headlamp, suspension system, engine cooling system, fan belt, signal lights and lubrication system. After that, I will state how Islam is relevant to the topic and give different perspectives of scholars and my own and tie everything up in a final conclusion. Let's begin.

“Nay, but you love the present life of this world,

And neglect the Hereafter.

Some faces that Day shall be shining and radiant.

Looking at their Lord;

And some faces, that Day, will be dark and gloomy,

Thinking that some calamity was about to fall on them;

Nay, when the soul reaches to the collar bone (ie. up to the throat in its exit),

And it will be said: 'Who can cure him and save him from death?'

And he (the dying person) will conclude that it was (the time) of departing (death);

And leg will be joined with another leg (shrouded)

The drive will be, on that Day, to your Lord!”

(Al Qiyamah 75:20-30)

The tyre's essential function is “to interact with the road in order to produce the friction necessary for support and movement of the vehicle body. The tyre is also required to cushion the vehicle against road irregularities and to operate for many miles with great reliability.”  Without the tyre, the vehicle wouldn't even be able to move. “The friction (fraction) between  the tyre and the road determines the handling characteristics of any vehicle.”  The tread is the part of the tyre that comes in contact with the road surface. It wears out over time and a worn tread is cause for some serious concern as due to it, there is less grip between the tyre and road and at high speeds or rainy days, the driver and its passengers become highly liable to an accident. When the tyres lose their grip, the whole car may go out of control. It is therefore greatly advisable that tyres be checked before any journey, and that when the tread is worn out, it is changed immediately. Better save lives than money.

A windshield wiper is a device used to remove rain and debris from a windshield. It may seem like a simple thing but in cases such as heavy rainfall, it plays a very important role. Without this properly functioning, the driver would be unable to see the road properly and this can lead to some very dangerous accidents depending on the road the driver is traveling on. For example, my cousin was driving in horrid rainfall one day heading for home from her campus. Her windshield wipers were broken but she didn't have the time to fix them. The whole ride she had to lean her body closer to the windshield and squint her eyes in hope to see better. They're reaching a traffic light and she's slowing down the car to a stop when suddenly the whole car shook. She bumped straight into the car in front of her. This is just one example of many and it gives a picture of just how important it is to assure that every part of a car is working properly before a journey, even if it be as seemingly insignificant as a windshield wiper.

Brakes are probably one of the most important things that should be functioning when driving a car. A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. It makes sure the car stops when it has to. Without it, a car would continue driving until it hits another car or gets into some other form of an accident. “The basic functions of a brake system are to slow the speed of the vehicle, to maintain its speed during downhill operation, and to hold the vehicle stationary after it has come to a complete stop.”  Brakes can also wear out and this is dangerous, especially at curves and during bad weather. It is essential that the brake be checked frequently to ensure that it is properly functioning even if for a short ride.

A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. The creation of the headlamp has caused many accidents at night to be avoided as it helped drivers guide their way through the dark. Not only does it light the way for you, but it notifies other cars that you are approaching. Imagine how driving at night, or in rainfall, or in a fog would be without headlamps. Nothing would be visible and no one would be able to see you. So it would be very easy for you to drive into anything and very easy for anything to hit you.

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two. “Street driven cars and trucks use a suspension system to keep the tyres on the road and to provide acceptable riding comfort.  A vehicle with a solid suspension, or no suspension, would bounce off the ground when the tyres hit a bump. If the tyres are off the ground, even for a fraction of a second, loss of control is possible. The purpose of the suspension is to provide the vehicle with a smooth ride, accurate steering, responsive handling, support for the weight of the vehicle and maintenance of acceptable tyre wear.”  The suspension system, as stated, is a very important part of the car and its safety when traveling. A car requires a suspension system at proper settings, not on either extreme to ensure a safe and peaceful drive.

A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel or hand wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles and vessels (ships and boats). It consists of a “rigid rim and a number of spokes connecting the rim to the center hub.”  It is the device that controls the direction of the car. “The steering linkage relays steering forces from the steering gear to the front wheels.”  If the steering wheel wasn't working, the driver would have no control of the car and its tyres and the way it should go. The driver would be unable to steer away from hitting a car, a tree, an animal on the road. Not only can the driver hurt him/herself but could cause some serious injuries to their passengers and other cars and animals or pedestrians on the road.

The engine cooling system is the process of whereby the engine is kept cool so that it will function safely and at the appropriate working temperature throughout the ride. The system uses water mixed with coolant to keep the engine cool. This cool mixture will go through all the parts of the hot engine and regains its coolness via the radiator which is positioned in front of the car. One must constantly check the engine temperature dial normally facing the driver on the dashboard. It has two points – hot and cold. The mark should be around the middle point of the two as that is the appropriate temperature range. Should the dial be heading on the hot side, this would cause the engine to overheat and may result in the car engine to suddenly burst into flames, or explode.

The lubrication system ensures the smooth running of the engine. Engine parts are made of stainless steel and in order to work, constantly create friction against each other such as parts like the piston. This system oils all these parts so that the constant motion the parts go through runs smoothly. Depending on the oil used, the car should be brought to change its oil every 5000 to 10000 km. Should the lubrication system not be taken care of, for example it hasn't been changed in a long time or there is a leakage somewhere amongst the many parts, this will result in less oil and thus more rough friction from the parts. This may cause serious damage to the engine parts and could result in an engine breakdown and the car suddenly stopping. Not only is it dangerous safety-wise, but replacing engine parts can also cause quite a large amount of money.

The fan belt is a part of the engine that rotates certain mechanical tools within the engine. It works as a belt outlining the various devices. When one device moves, it moves the belt along and this results in movement of the other devices outlined by the belt. It also plays a vital role in the functioning of the engine. It has to be checked around every 10000 km to make sure there is no damage to the belt, or in case it needs to be changed. Should the belt snap at any moment during the drive, the engine will stop, resulting in the car to stop and be in a vulnerable position on the road. The overall functioning of the engine of a car is very important for its proper running and safety and therefore, cars should be sent for service after every 5000 km at least to ensure that nothing is wrong with the engine.

Signal lights are placed at the back of a car and help notify cars behind and around the driver on whether the driver wants to go left or right. It may seem simple, but should any of the signal lights be broken, it is very risky. At junctions, at U-turns, when overtaking, if the signal isn't given first and other cars aren't aware of where you're heading to, a head-on collision, a gigantic bump from the back, a smack at the side, etc, may occur. So if any of the signal lights seem to not be working or is broken for one reason or another, be sure to get it fixed quick.

After much research, I still couldn't find any entirely relevant scholar's opinion on how the car condition is relevant to car accidents. What I did find though was a fatwa  on whether or not a person who dies as the result of a car accident be regarded as a martyr by Sheikh 'Abdul 'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him). I found it interesting so I thought I'd share it. The answer is yes, possibly, in two cases – one is if the person dies as a result of bleeding in his stomach as there is a hadith which was narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiAllahun'anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) said: “The martyrs are five: the one who dies of the plague; the one who dies of a stomach trouble (al-mabtoon); the one who drowns; the one who is crushed by a falling wall; and the martyr who dies for the sake of Allah.”  In an addition narrated by At-Tirmidhi (1846), it says: “...and the one who dies of pleurisy, and the woman who dies together (with her baby).”  And two is if the person dies as a result of a crash, whether the person died inside the car or outside as this could be likened to being crushed by a falling wall.

In a survey conducted by the US Department of Transportation on National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey, under critical reasons attributed to vehicles, over 43 percent was attributed to “tyre failure or degradation/wheel failure, followed by brake failure/degradation that was assigned to 25 percent of the vehicles.”

In my opinion, it's about preparation. Anas (radi Allahu 'anhu) reported that a person asked Rasul Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam), “Should I tie my camel and have tawakkal (trust in Allah for the camel's protection) or should I leave her untied and have tawakkal?” Rasul Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) replied, “Tie her and have tawakkal.”  Tawakkal means to put in one's best efforts to do what Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) expects one to do and then leave the results to Allah's will. You could say that ending up in a car accident was fate, qadr of Allah, and it is but this does not mean that before the trip, you don't have to take necessary precautions to avoid accidents. What I'm saying is that you should, before going on any journey, be it a short trip to work or a 7 hour drive to your hometown, make sure your car is in fit condition to travel. Make sure all its parts are working fine, and that you have enough petrol. Make sure you tie your camel first. Then you enter the car, read the du'a, start the engine and have tawakkal in Allah to take care of you throughout the trip. If even after doing all this an accident still happens, it's fate, sabr. Be patient and say Alhamdulillah because Allah always knows best.

I have given to you a rough outline of why and how the car condition affects road accidents. I have explained 10 parts – the tyres, fan belt, suspension system, headlamps, windshield wipers, lubrication system, engine cooling system, brakes, signal lights and steering wheel - and how they contribute to the working of the car and what may happen should they not be working. I have tried my best to find relevant scholar's opinions on the matter and given my own. Overall, to summarise, the car is made of various parts. All these parts come together to ensure the smooth running of the car. Should any one of it be damaged, the overall condition of the car will be affected. This, especially if it is carelessly taken care of, could result in occurrence some serious accidents. Yes, certain parts that need repairing may be rather costly but you've got to realize that money isn't all that important especially when it comes to the safety of not only yourself, but your passengers, and even of all the lives of the other car passengers around you. Safety first. Then tawakkal.

References:

[1]Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 2012.

[2]John C. Dixon, Tires, Suspension and Handling, Arnold, page 67, 1996.

[3]James D. Halderman, Automotive Steering, Suspension and Alignment, Pearson, page 55, 2010.

[4]Rudolf Limpert, Brake Design and Safety, Society of Automotive Engineers Incorporated, page 1, 1999.

[5]James D. Halderman, Automotive Steering, Suspension and Alignment, Pearson, page 123, 2010.

[6]James D. Halderman, Automotive Steering, Suspension and Alignment, Pearson, page 229, 2010.

[7]James D. Halderman, Automotive Steering, Suspension and Alignment, Pearson, page 249, 2010.

[8]Fatwa Noor 'Ala Al-Darb, 3/1426

[9]Narrated by Al-Bukhari, 2674 and Muslim, 1914

[10]Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 311 and Ibn Maajah, 2803

[11]Narrated by At-Tirmidhi