And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our
appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, "My Lord, if
You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would
You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your
trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are
our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of
forgivers. {7:155}
Interestingly enough, Prophet Moses points out a crucial concept
in this verse. He and his followers are now in a believing state, believing in
one God and obeying his command. They are in good hands. Yet suddenly, an
earthquake seizes them. Strange, right? Why would God put them through this
punishment after they believed? Or wait, did it occur to serve as a type of
punishment? No one knows for sure, but Moses made an interesting point. He says
“Oh God, this is a trial from You that can lead some people astray and at the
same time guide people to You”. Is that so? Think of our day and age. A
calamity occurs. The person going through that calamity can see it in both
ways. It could be looked at as something bad. But then looking at it in a
different angle, you can see where it may have avoided harm to come. In another
example, sometimes when a person is given a hardship, he/she decides to lose
all faith in God, leading him to be from those whose calamity caused them to go
astray. At the same time, if a person is given a hardship, it can make his
faith stronger and reaffirm his beliefs, guiding him/her to God, as Moses also
affirmed.
Tests, calamities, trials, tribulations, etc do not always
serve as punishments for us. Rather, they can serve as a source of our very own
guidance, and peace in the long run.
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