Qeer is situated to the north of Shiraz at a distance of forty Farsakhs; and is around fourteen Farsakhs from Firozabad. From Karzeen it is one and a half Farsakh.

It is said that the length of Qeer block is ten Farsakhs, which begins from Mubarakbad and its last point is Bagh Pasalar. Its breadth from Kefarkaan to Gandaman is two and a half Farsakhs and it is an area of Fars, where people go to spend their sUmmrs.

This block consists of 23 inhabited villages. Qeer was having electricity, water supply, wide roads and cement and buildings constructed from iron girders and its population was seven thousand people. On 25th Safar 1392 A.H. lunar, 21 Farwardin 1351 A.H. solar, this province became a target of divine fury, but the city of Qeer was completely destroyed in that earthquake. Not a single building remained intact. One third of the population perished. The two persons, who had witnessed it: Shaykh Muhammad Jawad and Shaykh Ahmad Rustagar have written an eyewitness account of that earthquake so that it may be a lesson for us.

Letter Of Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Muqeemj

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

This is regarding the tragic earthquake of Qeer Karzeen and Afarz and whatever occurred at that time - investigations that were conducted and the lives and properties lost in it. I state them by way of brief explanation.

On 25th Safar, 1392 A.H. fifteen minutes before sunrise, there was such a severe earthquake that it had no precedent. Those who were out of that area reported that initially a lightning flashed from the direction of Qibla and then from North. In the beginning it was light and then it became so intense that the earth was going around itself.

A terrible sound arose from it like the crack of thunder and the earthquake lasted for 15 seconds. All the houses collapsed. And buildings of cement, iron, lime and concrete also crashed.

Since young children were asleep and the ladies, who were awake were engrossed in ablution or prayers and some had finished their prayers and the men were also awake, so the majority of those who perished were young children and their mothers, who tried to bring them out due to their maternal love, but they got no reprieve. All were buried alive in the debris.

According to a definite estimate, the number of those who perished in Qeer alone numbered 2500 and nearly 500 died at the outskirts. Allah knows best.

Although some people were extracted from the debris from the morning of the 25th till the night of the 26th. From this some were alive and some had perished. One of the survivor, who was taken out alive that day was a boy of seven or eight years.

(1) Mahmud, son of Muhammad Safai, a resident. Many persons of this family were buried in the debris. Some were removed that day; one was dead, but Mahmud, who was taken out the next day, emerged alive.

He was asked whether someone gave him food and drink during those two days. He replied: My paternal uncle (mother's brother) Rasool Khaksari supplied me with biscuits and water. (Indeed he was given food and water from the unseen and the child thought that it was his uncle.

(2) Sayyid Hasan, a four-year-old son of Aga Sayyid Habibullah Husayni, who was buried in the debris at around 5:30 a.m. was taken out from the debris on 26th around 10 a.m. When he was asked if someone gave him food and water during that period; He replied: My mother. While the fact was that his mother was not buried in the debris. She was outside, although his two elder brothers: one aged eighteen and one younger, and a sister perished. This boy was taken out safe and sound.

(3) Among those who were taken out after 44 hours was Mansur, eleven-year-old son of Mash-hadi Ibrahim Maurizi. He was buried in the debris at 5:30 a.m. on the 251h and was removed on the 27th an hour past midnight. Due to being buried for such a long time, he was disabled in his legs, but after prolonged treatment was able to use them again. That is why it is said that if help would have reached sooner, there would have been fewer casualties, but this did not happen and most died under the debris after two days.

Prediction Of The Disaster

There was a man named Ja'far Husayni, who died two or rather three days before the earthquake. He was a religious man. During his terminal illness, he lay on the bed. His only son was seated besides him accompanied with friends and relatives. That late gentleman said: O traders and professionals, each of you give a thousand Tomans in alms, because your houses are going to be destroyed; and he repeated these many times.

Then he said: Give at least a hundred Tomans or your houses would be destroyed. After that he addressed his family members: All of you go out of Qeer. If you remain here, you would perish. And he repeated this statement also a number of times and died four days after that. Mercy of Allah be on him. That great earthquake occurred two days after his death, in which houses collapsed and there was tremendous loss to life and property. Mostly the address to traders and wealthy people meant that they should give alms and feed the poor so that the tragedy is averted. And it is possible that the late gentleman had also seen that disaster and it was revealed on him. God is the greatest! How heedless we human beings are. That we did not wake up and became alert even after these warning signs of the Almighty Allah.

True Dream

A person named Ramadhan Tahiri said that on the evening of 25th Safar, on the morning of which the earthquake occurred, a child of mine was ill and he could not sleep. He was very restless. Close to the sunrise, I saw him weeping incessantly. I called his mother who woke up and said: There is time for the morning yet. I said that it was close. I am going to sleep for some time. Wake me up at the time of Prayer. I fell asleep.

I saw in dream that a young man had come to my door and was asking me to come out. I asked him what he wanted and he again asked me to come out. I went out. I saw a huge open space in front of my house. He said: See. I asked: What? He replied: Look at the houses and buildings. When I looked, I saw that all the houses had collapsed. I asked: Are they our houses? He replied: Yes. I said: All the people here pray and fast. He said: All this is show off. There is no sincerity. Although I pleaded with him, it was of no use and he went away.

I woke up and saw that it was the time for Prayer. My wife asked: Why were you crying in your sleep and why were so distressed? I said: Nothing. You pick up two kids and I will pick up two, so that we may take them out of the house. Other people were also present in the house. As soon as I held the hands of the kids the earthquake started and we could not even move.

All of us were buried in the debris. Many children and their mothers perished, and I was removed from the debris along with some other people. When I came out, I became worried that my wife and children were buried in the debris. There was no one else there; what should I do? I saw a relative of mine approach me and called out: Uncle, uncle. I said: Help us, my children are dying below the debris. Help me to extricate them. He said: Some of my people are also buried, I cannot do anything.

There was a young student in our house. I called out to him for help. He also said weeping: I cannot do anything, and he went away from there. Then a relative and neighbor of mine arrived. He was very distressed and anxious. I said: Come for the sake of God, and help me. My children are dying. He said: My children are also buried in the debris and there is no helper. In other words, it was a scene of the final Judgment Day. All were concerned about themselves. If I write all the details of the incident, it would be too long.

A woman of Qeer said: The night before the earthquake, an hour after midnight I saw in dream that a Sayyid has come to my place. He was wearing a turban and one of its ends was around his neck. He was accompanied by a lady in veil. He told me to wake up and put on a light. I lighted a lamp. He told me to come out of the house immediately.

I said: Master I have constructed this house after six or seven years of hardships and have just shifted into it recently. He said: The disaster is going to occur now; it is necessary for you to come out. I asked him if I can awaken my husband.

He replied: You must hurry up. I said it would have been better if the sun had risen. He said: Light the stove and place water for boiling, but you will not get time to make tea.

I called out to my husband, Haider and lighted the stove. The morning call for prayer started. I prayed to Abu ‘l-Fadhl Abbas and pleaded to him in all earnest to come and help me.

A young man with his hands missing came to my door. I said: Aga Sayyid Kazim, what is happening. (Aga Sayyid Kazim was a scholar from Qeer, who died in that earthquake). He said: Wake up your husband, Haider, and tell him that his mother is dead. Ask him to take her last remains away. After that a light earthquake started. I just had time to take the children out when it gathered strength. Although our house was cracked in many places, it did not collapse and praise be to Allah, there was no loss of life.

A faithful lady narrated: I had a dream around a month and a half before the earthquake. In that dream, I saw a cloud riseup from the west. A man was standing in it and reciting the call for prayer (Adhan). As the cloud floated in the atmosphere, he continued to call out each statement after another and his voice rang out in the whole world and was audible everywhere. When he came above Qeer, he fell silent. I narrated this dream to a companion of mine, who said that its interpretation was that Qeer would be completely destroyed.

Sayyid Ali Murtazvi, a resident of Qeer says: I saw in dream the night before the earthquake that a black cloud has come from the direction of Qibla and the people of Qeer were pleading at it to go away and that destruction should not befall Qeer, but it was of no use and that cloud from north suddenly enveloped all of Qeer and then it descended to the Qibla and went away from there.

Such terrifying dreams, which were predicting the disaster, are many, but it would prolong the discussion to mention them all. In the same way, those who were taken out from the debris were very few, but it is enough for gaining a lesson. How many are the causes of moral lesson and how few are those who take lesson from them.

What I personally witnessed was that when I was busy in Islamic missionary work in Tangruin, on 24th Safar at late afternoon, I had to go away to Bandobast, a place one Farsakh away, upon an invitation and from there I came to the place of Bedouins for missionary work and mourning of Imam Husayn ('a) and that was at a distance of five Farsakhs from Qeer.

I lectured on religious topics and ethical training and was busy with Azadari mourning for two hours. At night. after dinner, the few people who had come to Tangruin said: Let us go back to Tangruin and you may sleep over there. I said that I was extremely exhausted. I will sleep here tonight and come the following morning.

So those people left me there and went away. I went to sleep; then I got up in the morning, offered the Morning Prayer and lay down again. I had not yet gone back to sleep when the earthquake started. I rose to come out of the tent, but so powerful was the shaking that I fell down there only. I tried to get up the second time and fell down again. The third time I rested my hands on the ground. The earth was going round and round and shaking in fury.

When it was over, I came out of the tent. There was a huge mountain nearby and it was shaking so violently that rocks and stones were breaking away from it and rolling down the sides. The mountain was making sounds of thunder and lightning and in the earth split from place to place. There was a split near Aabe Yaad Mountain and water gushed out like a spring, whose depth cannot be estimated. There is a big water body, like a lake, which is not moving. In some places the water level went down and in some cases there was more water, as happened in Qeer.

Allah knows best about His exigencies. May Allah save all the believer men and women from all calamities, for the sake of the right of Muhammad and his purified progeny.

Furthermore, Qeer was initially a small place and in the age of development it had assumed the shape of a city, although it was having a population of 6000 and boasted of six or seven mosques, there was no scholar of any standing there. Those scholars, who visited the place during the month of Ramadhan or Muharram and Safar, were also not so highly educated. The citizens of that place usually paid scant attention to knowledge and learning.

All were mostly materialists and they had no interest in religion and piety. If one of them became more attentive to religion, he was chastised and condemned by all. Even after this divine calamity, those people did not learn any lesson. On the contrary. they became further deviated and more unfortunate. I don't know what their end would be.

I will not take more of your valuable time and conclude this discussion with an invocation that may the Almighty Allah keep all believers in His security from every kind of tragedy and calamity through the rights of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad, and his purified progeny, if Allah wills.

Muhammad Jawad Muqeemi

Letter Of Aga Shaykh Ahmad Rustagari

On 25th Safar, 92 A.H. when there was earthquake in Qcer and Karzcen, I was present in a village of Karzeen named, Sarehashma. I was awake and after the morning preliminaries and prayers, was reciting post-prayer recitations when the ground started shaking. At once I understood that it was an earthquake. So I waited for a while thinking that once it stops, I would pray the Ayaat Prayer, but when it stopped I came to the door to look what was happening outside.

Suddenly there was tremendous noise from the heavens and I was thrown out of the door and fell seven meters away near a tree. I unconsciously clung to the tree and the earthquake continued. When I regained senses, I saw that everything around me was completely destroyed. The atmosphere became dark for sometime and then the sun arose, although the earthquake had lasted only for twenty-five seconds, it had caused a tremendous loss of life.

In other words, since it was early morning, people had left their houses to go out for farming work, but not many had gone out of the village. I asked all of them not to leave the town and instead cooperate in saving people buried under the debris. Thus, using any and all available tools they managed to take out around one hundred fifty persons from below the debris. Out of them sixty-one had perished.

I took the assistance of Shaykh Mansur Mahmoodi, who had also survived the quake and came out of the Husayniyah before it collapsed to shroud and bury those who had perished. After working in unison for four hours, we managed to bury all of them in separate graves.

I stayed there for three more days for condolence to the people of that village and then returned home, although I was able to gather a lot of information about Qeer and Karzeen.

Important Reminder

Some Muslims unknowingly, under the deviation of materialist people have started considering such phenomena as fury of Nature and in writings and newspapers they call them anger of Nature, but they don 't know that these words are against reason and Shariah. They are against reason, because anger and fury are signs of 1erception; for example when a man or animal perceives inappropriate behavior from someone, he becomes angry at him and takes revenge. On this basis, since no perception is there in Nature, like a physical body, anger and fury is not possible from it.

In this way, through the evidence of possibility, it is learnt with certainly that the earth and all which is present in it are created by the creator of the universe. Generally they are examples of his infinite wisdom and power. And from the heavens to the earth, every particle is under control of Almighty Allah. Thus, all phenomena, which take place, are through the will of Almighty Allah and it is not possible for any occurrence to take place without His wish and will. In fact, without His permission not a leaf drops from the tree and not a drop of rain falls:

وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا

"...and there falls not a leaf, but He knows it." (Surah al-An’aam 6:59).

Natural Causes Of Accidents

If it is said that there are some known and distinctive causes for those accidents: like the cause of floods is heavy and continuous rai n, and the cause of earthquake is seismic activity under the crust of the earth and the molten lava, which starts moving and tries to get an outlet, or the floods, which move under the surface of the earth.

Effect of the cause is from the one who causes the cause We would say: We don't deny the system of cause and effect. We also say that the destruction of houses is from rain, which descends from the clouds and the clouds are also vapors, which rise up from the seas due to rise in temperature.

Or for example, fruits grow from the tree and the tree has also grown up from the seed, which was sown in the ground and given ability to germinate. The birth of an animal is caused by the sperm and that occurs with unison with a female ovule. In this way are all phenomena of the universe, but the discussion is about the creation of causes, their effects and the becoming apparent of their qualities. According to definite judgment of reason, the existence of every cause is not from itself. It has not come into existence through a creature like itself; on the contrary the creator of the whole universe has created it. In the same way, its distinctive quality and effect is also not from itself. The causes of all causes had made it as the cause of creation of something else and in all the parts of existence only He is the nurturer and controller of everything, and in this He is also without a partner.

(Regarding this topic, we have discussed in detail in the book of Immaculate Conscience1, under the chapter of Monotheism] For example, like the original creation of water is from the Almighty Allah. Changing of it into vapor through rise in temperature and then the coming of the vapor in form of cloud and after that descent of rain from it; all of it is from the command and permission of Almighty Allah. That is, divine exigency dictates where and in what quantity it would fall. In the same way, divine will is also present in floods and disasters caused by floods.

Same is the case of earthquakes. All seismic activity that occurs under the earth's crust is due to the will of the Almighty and the intensity of the earthquake etc, all is controlled by divine will. There might be earthquakes in wilderness and unpopulated regions causing no harm to humanity. Or the earthquake may occur in populated areas where not a brick becomes loose. On the other hand, when divine exigency dictates there might be widespread destruction even in places where there are solid and strong buildings.

مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا

"No evil befalls on the earth nor in your own souls, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence." (Surah al-Hadid 57:22).

Seven Conditions Of Natural Calamities

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq ('a) says: Nothing happens in the earth and the heavens without seven conditions: That is divine will, intention, destined matter, destiny, permission, book and destined death; one who thinks that he can annul anyone of them, is certainly a disbeliever.

In another tradition Imam Musa Kazim ('a) said: One who is having a different belief, has in fact attributed falsehood to Almighty Allah or has rejected the divine command.

From this it becomes clear that earthquakes and other similar phenomena occur through divine permission and will.

Is It Divine Fury?

If it is asked whether natural disasters occur due to divine anger and fury? First of all we should understand that the Almighty Allah is pleased at the good deeds of the creatures and is infuriated at their evil deeds, but it is different from the anger and pleasure of people.

For example if a human being encounters another having favorable traits and benefits for him, he is at once pleased and is ready to reward him and act nicely with him in order to give vent to his feelings. On the other hand, if a man comes across a person who enrages him, he would at once try to seek revenge and cause hurt to him, so that his emotions may be satisfied.

But such is not the case with Almighty Allah. He is purified and immune from all such things. Thus, if all the people become righteous or on the contrary if all the people in the world start disobeying Him, he would not be affected in the least.

If all the creatures become disbelievers, it would not affect His greatness in the least, although He has not made the acts of human beings vain and ineffective. On the contrary, if some people are obedient to Him, He rewards them through His rewards and blessings. In the same way, if they are rebellious, He also punishes them severely. Know that Allah is severe in requiting (evil) and that Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

In other words, pleasure and fury of God is His same reward and punishment and the world of recompense is completely in a great world after death: that is Purgatory (Barzakh) and Judgment Day.

Although, regarding worldly life it is apparent from traditions and traditional reports that some obedience and worship acts, in addition to reward and punishment of the hereafter also cause warding off of evil and increase in wealth and age. As is the effect of some sins; which in addition to punishment of hereafter also cause descent of calamities in this world; like greed, severe miserliness, hardness of heart, injustice, trespassing on mutual rights and omission of enjoining good and forbidding evil.2

It is also necessary to mention that descent of calamities as retribution of sins is not absolute and total, because it is possible that the forbearing and merciful Lord may give respite to sinners; so that perhaps they may repent or perform a good act, which may remove the effect of sin. It is also possible that due to the severity of disobedience, no calamity may befall him; on the contrary there is increase in his bounties, so that his chastisement in hereafter is increased. There are many evidences of this in the Holy Qur’an and to quote them here would prolong the discussion.

Objections And Their Replies

From what has been written so far, it can be concluded that the earthquake in which there are mortalities some families are destroyed and another group becomes helpless and grief-stricken. Like other calamities, it is an example of divine chastisement and revenge.

If it is asked how a general calamity can be revenge and chastisement of Allah; whereas there are among the calamity affected people, those who are not deserving of it; or those who are helpless, weak and children? Secondly, there are many, who are more sinful than these victims, but they remain safe and sound. This seems to be opposed to justice and equity.

In reply, we would say: revenge and chastisement is only for the sinners, but for the sinless people, who perish in calamities it is the end of their worldly troubles and it enables them to reach everlasting peace and comfort as soon as possible, although for the grief and hardships that they have to face, the God, who is powerful, will requite and reward them.

In other words, calamity for the sinful is chastisement and for sinless it is a blessing and a cause for divine rewards and ranks. It is mentioned in traditional reports that children, who die in childhood, in the world of Purgatory (Barzakh) they are under the guardianship of Prophet Ibrahim ('a) and on Judgment Day they would meet their parents; intercede for them and enter Paradise with them.

However, for those who survive this calamity and fall into hardships, for them it is a divine lesson and a warning bell, so that they may repent; turn their attention to righteousness and gain from the teachings of religion;3

Particularly with regard to the remaining safe of a group; as mentioned before, this world is not the world of retribution; that every sinner should be recompensed for his evil character in this world itself. It is also said that when divine wisdom demands, the Almighty Allah punishes some people so that he may be warned. That he should refrain from disobedience and rebellion and not abandon obedience of God, which is a medium of his success and fortune.

Secondly, it is not necessary that when a calamity descends, other people should also be affected. They would also, when it is their turn and when divine wisdom demands, be punished. Apart from that, calamity does not mean earthquake alone. It is possible that Almighty Allah may involve them in a more serious trouble. Like at present most countries are involved in wars and disputes, and peace and comfort is taken away from them. [Such calamities are mentioned in detail in the book of Immaculate Conscience.]

Thirdly, most of the time in societies there are some aged persons, who have worshipped the Almighty Allah all their life and also there are some sincere young people, who have turned away from selfish desires and turned to Almighty Allah, and through their sincerity and supplications, the calamity is removed from their community.

If people who are righteous, humble to the court of God, and infants had not been there, the calamity would have befallen you.

• 1. Published by Ansariyan Publications.
• 2. Imam Baqir (a.s.) said, "The Almighty Allah revealed on Shuaib (n.s ) 'I shall destroy a hundred thousand people from your nation. Forty thousand sinners and sixty thousand righteous.' 'O my Lord! The sinners deserve the punishment, but why the righteous?' asked Shuaib (a.s.). Allah replied, 'Because they socialized with sinners and in spite of My dislike they never hated them and never restrained them from sins." (Wasail ush-Shia)
• 3. Thus regarding the nation of Lut ('a), which was turned upside down, and the destroyed houses in it, are lessons for those who pass them.

  And most surely you pass by them in the morning, and at night; do you not then understand? (Surah Saffat 37:137-138).