Gods’ Hand in Devastation
In the sixteenth century, a highly infectious disease known as the Black Plague, began to spread across the shores of Europe. The term the Black Plague was quickly recognized and feared by all Europeans. In just a short amount of time the disease had spread throughout the entire continent of Europe, killing roughly fifty percent of Europeans. Those who survived the disease were left wondering “why did this happen?”. The survivors could not wrap their heads around the amount of innocent lives that were taken, and the devastation left behind by the plague. The pandemic changed people’s lives forever, and for many changed what they believed in. No matter what religion a person followed, he/she was searching for answers. Christians and Muslims had very different views on why God would inflict such devastation on his people, but they both agreed on the idea the God’s hand played the ultimate role in the disaster. Christians responded to the devastation by claiming God inflicted the plague to rid the world of sin, whereas Muslims believed God
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Muslims did not believe in the idea of ordinal sin. They did not believe humanity had committed a great act of sin, and therefore they did not believe that God created the Black Death as a means of punishment. Muslims viewed the Black Death as more of a natural disaster in which God did not try to prevent. Additionally, Muslims believed that the Black Death served as a martyrdom for those individuals who were truly committed to their faith. Ibn al-Wardi, of Aleppo, Syria states in an essay on the Report of the Pestilence “When a Muslim endures misfortune, then patience is in his worship.” This refers to the idea that God created the plague to discern those who were strong in their faith and willing to be martyrs. He continues on with idea stating that true believers would seek refuge in God and trust in His plan for