Drought

DRAFT

The Cave (18:40-43)

18:40

فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًۭا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًۭا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًۭا زَلَقًا ٤٠

It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a [disastrous] penalty from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,

— Saheeh International

تو امید ہے کہ میرا رب مجھ کو تمھارے باغ سے بہتر باغ دے دے اور تمھارے باغ پر آسمان سے کوئی آفت بھیج دے جس سے وہ باغ صاف میدا ن ہوکر رہ جائے

— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

18:41

أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَآؤُهَا غَوْرًۭا فَلَن تَسْتَطِيعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبًۭا ٤١

Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it."

— Saheeh International

یا اس کا پانی خشک ہوجائے، پھر تم اس کو کسی طرح نہ پاسکو

— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

18:42

وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصْبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى لَمْ أُشْرِكْ بِرَبِّىٓ أَحَدًۭا ٤٢

And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."[1]

— Saheeh International

[1]- He attributed his prosperity to himself rather than to Allāh and disbelieved in the account of the Hereafter.

اور اس کے پھل پر آفت آئی تو جو کچھ اس نے اس پر خرچ کیا تھا اس پر وہ ہاتھ ملتا رہ گیا اور وہ باغ اپنی ٹٹیوں پر گرا ہوا پڑا تھا اور وہ کہنے لگا کہ اے کاش، میں اپنے رب کے ساتھ کسی کو شریک نہ ٹھہراتا

— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

18:43

وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُۥ فِئَةٌۭ يَنصُرُونَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مُنتَصِرًا ٤٣

And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allāh, nor could he defend himself.

— Saheeh International

اور اس کے پاس کوئی جتھا نہ تھا جو خدا کے سوا اس کی مدد کرتا اورنہ وہ خود بدلہ لینے والا بن سکا

— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

[https://quran.com/18/40-43]

Water is essential for all living things to survive. When usable water is scarce, living things have a difficult time, and many lives may be lost, directly or indirectly. 

The above ayaat are from Surah alKahf where a man's flourishing gardens wilt and wither when the water source disappears. 

Surah alKahf contains a lot of guidance for end times. 

Among the prophecies of end-times is widespread famine, and the Anti-Christ (Dajjal) having supernatural powers / technology to favour those who worship him, while depriving those who refuse to worship him. It will be an age of 'fitna' where the believers' faith will put on trial. 

The world climate is already changing, and many areas are suffering forest fires and flash floods. Generally, it would be expected that such events would leave behind fertile soil in their wake, but now things seem to be changing. In the recent floods in the Punjab plains of Pakistan and India, the fertile topsoil has been washed off, leaving behind silt and sand. 

Since the past several years, rivers are reported as disappearing, and with their disappearance, fertile lands are becoming barren. Moreover, atmospheric rivers are also contributing to extreme weather. 

The climate is changing. 

The Quran informs us of water scarcity in ancient times. The Messengers of past civilisations would urge their nations to abandon sins and seek forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ , so that their water is restored.   

...

...

...