THE main argument that some of the people used to put forward for not accepting the Holy Quran as the Divine scripture when it was being revealed, was that it presented certain historical facts and events as revelation. Some of the pagans rather called it a collection of stories of the people of the past.

There is no doubt that the Quran does cite a number of historical facts, incidents and events but with a definite object, namely, to make the process of guidance more meaningful and effective. It is common knowledge that the process of guidance, in order to be effective, should not be confined to mere instructions or a few sets of dos and don’ts. One can learn a lot from practical examples and experiences and ups and downs in the lives of others.

If we look at various stories and examples narrated in the Quran, we come to know that each of these are meant to impart an important lesson. For example, the Quran tells us that the whole system of the universe is designed and structured on the principle of balance (55:7). This, in other words, implies that without due compliance with the principle of balance, survival in the system cannot be possible for long. That’s why the Quran at the same time exhorts us not to disturb the balance (55:8). The Quran also tells us that the Divine law sets in motion to restore the balance when the people disturb it and in that process some people get perished. As it says “Nor be of those who reject the signs of Allah, otherwise you shall be of those who perish” (10:95). Balance in the creation is one of the main signs of Allah.

The Quran cites a number of examples of such persons and people. One is that of Pharaoh who besides creating a division among the people (28:4, 39) was favouring one set of people and committing atrocities on the other. He had crossed all the limits of arrogance and transgression with the result that he along with his companions had to be eliminated for restoring the balance (28:40).

The story of the people of Madyan could be another example. they were commercial people whose way of life was infected by fraud, deception, hypocrisy, corruption and commission of excesses. The Messenger Shoaib (A.S), sent to them, did his best to make them mend their ways but they persisted in wrongdoings and disturbed the balance to an extent that their total elimination was the only way to restore the balance (11:85-94). Another story having similar object could be that of Yusuf (A.S). The step-brothers contrived an evil plot to eliminate him and took practical steps in that direction. As a result his father lost his eyesight and Yusuf (A.S) also passed through a lot of hardship. But in consequence of that very plot, Yusuf (A.S) ascended to one of the highest offices of the state and what fell to the lot of step-brothers was humiliation and regret. The eyesight of his father also got restored. Hence, the first lesson one should learn from this story could be that even a calamity may at times serve as an harbinger of some good fortune.

The confinement of Yusuf (A.S.) for no fault on his part apparently seemed to be too harsh and unjust but he would not have ascended to one of the highest offices of the state had he not been so confined. The other lesson could be that plotting of evils recoils on the plotters. And the third lesson could be that the Divine law sets in motion to restore the balance when it is disturbed (12:4-104).

The incident of the overnight destruction of a beautiful garden tells us as to what the outcome of arrogance and ingratitude could be (18:42). Hence one should not forget that whatever wealth or substance he has rightfully got could be only by Providence of Allah and will remain his, so long as Allah Wills, for which he should be grateful to Him.

According to another story narrated in the Quran (21:78, 79), the standing crop in the farm of one person was destroyed by the sheep of another. The matter came up for decision before David (A.S) who ruled that all the sheep should be given to the owner of the farm. Solomon (A.S) came to know about the decision who said that if he were to decide the case, he would have given a different decision. When David heard about it, he called his son Solomon and asked him what decision would he give in the matter. Solomon said, his decision would be that all the sheep be given in the charge of the owner of the farm so that he can make use of them for his livelihood and the owner of the sheep shall grow fresh crop in the farm. When the crop would reach the same stage in which it was destroyed, the farm shall be handed over to its owner and the sheep shall be returned to their owner. David agreed and gave the same decision after setting aside the earlier one.

The first lesson one should learn from this story could be that in the case of loss or damage, the compensation to be awarded should be proportionate to the extent of loss or damage caused. The second could be that a wrong or unjust decision should not be allowed to subsist.

According to yet another story narrated in the Quran (38:22,23), once two persons came to David. One of them said that the other, who was his brother, had 99 ewes while he himself had only one. His brother, he said, was now demanding that his only ewe should also be given in his charge and that he was so powerful in speech that he had almost prevailed over him. David, after hearing the story, said that the person having 99 ewes was certainly wrong in demanding his brother’s ewe. After pronouncing this ruling David fell down prostrate and sought Allah’s forgiveness.

The first lesson one can learn from this story could be that neither abundance nor might can by itself be the basis of a right. The claim to a right must have some sound and solid basis. The other lesson could be that the existence of such basis must be proved by relevant and cogent evidence. Mere assertion, however persuasive, cannot be enough to establish such basis. The third lesson could be that no one shall be condemned unheard even if he is manifestly wrong. The only plausible explanation of why David sought Allah’s forgiveness after pronouncing his decision could be that he gave the decision without hearing the other party and not that the decision was wrong because it was not set aside like the one mentioned above.

The story of the employment of Moses (A.S) before his appointment as the Messenger of Allah, as narrated in the Quran (28:22-28), presents the first example of employment relationship based on a freely bargained contract. Both the parties entered into contract as equal partners and with full freedom to make offers and to accept or not to accept them. There was also marked degree of reciprocity in the rights and obligations arising out of the contract. The would-be employer promised not to be harsh or cruel to Moses while the latter agreed to serve him for eight or may be for ten years provided no excesses were committed against him. The contract also emphasises the need for a legal cover against the excesses of the employer as is now-a-days being provided through legislation to the workers.

Thus, through simple stories and examples, the Quran teaches us lessons of fundamental importance to some aspects of life.

WHEN the Asian tsunami struck last year, Pakistan was luckily spared one of the worst disasters in recent memory, but ran out of its luck in less than a year as a 7.6 Richter scale earthquake hit its northern region on October 8 (which is now blamed on our sins, though it is hard to imagine the sins that those trapped in remote mountain areas could indulge in).

It is now feared that the loss of life and other collateral damage in terms of injuries, destruction of homes and of private and public property, as well as the human tragedies may soon rival that of the Asian tsunami.

The astounding scale of the destruction caused by the earthquake, the estimates of which have kept escalating and remain yet open-ended because of the inaccessibility of many areas. The landslides that have come in the aftermath and the aftershocks that continued for over a week, have only complicated matters. If these factors, along with the poor weather conditions that are affecting relief efforts, as well as the looming threat of the on-coming winter, are taken into account, along with the continuing scarcity of tents, the death toll could well reach 100,000 or more and the number of injured and those made homeless and deprived of their livelihoods could be many times larger.

As often happens, mainly because of the absence or poor quality of monitoring, the scale of the disaster was underestimated in the beginning, despite the tumbling of a luxury apartment tower in Islamabad, signalling the extent of the impact in areas where construction codes are non-existent, not merely violated as in the case of Margalla Towers, and which were much closer to the epicentre of the earthquake, but much farther from the focus of the government’s immediate attention.

The emotional reaction drawn by the earthquake in Pakistan has been quite overwhelming as demonstrated by the show of unity in adversity. It was as if people felt that it was pay back time for them in support of their suffering countrymen whom they had neglected in the past and by their governments which had themselves thrived on the miseries of the poor in the name of alleviating poverty, which is endemic in these regions. Within a couple of days the offices and godowns of welfare organizations, such as Edhi, NRSP, Sungee, and MQM, and political and religious parties, including Jamiat-e-Dawa, and many NGOs, began piling up with relief goods, such as foodstuff, milk, water, sugar, soap, tea, medicines and clothing. However, it became increasingly difficult to find trucks, suzukis and other vans which would transport them to the affected areas from the major towns. The fares charged by the transporters tripled and quadrupled within a few days, yet they could not stem the tide of generosity that had been unleashed by the earthquake, although they diverted some of the generosity into the pockets of profiteers, instead of reaching those who needed them the most.

The tardy start of the relief operations was defended by the government citing the example of New Orleans, — perhaps, one of the worst managed disasters in recent years. However, as the news of the gravity of the earthquake poured in on the media (both Pakistani and foreign) the public emotion started reaching its crescendo. Students, office workers, housewives and businessmen all began to dig deep into their pockets and start contributing, in cash and kind towards the relief of their brethren in Azad Kashmir and the Karakoram valley.

It was as if the Kashmir “jihad” had acquired a new meaning and even the religious fundamentalist groups turned their attention to rescue and relief, rather than the liberation of Indian-held Kashmir. Instead of the mujahideen camps which I witnessed on a visit five years ago (and which had probably gone “underground”, both literally and metaphorically), I saw relief camps for the victims of the earthquake sprouting all over the area on my post-earthquake visit.

The government had eventually to put its act together and started to put its dormant, if not nonexistent, crisis management machinery in place with the army given a pivotal role. Since the affected areas, especially Azad Kashmir, had a large army presence, it was natural that the army be in the vanguard of rescue efforts, although being shell-shocked by its own losses, it reacted rather belatedly. Its action in sidelining the NGOs and other civilian relief agencies a short-sighted move.

One example of this is that the shortage of trucks to transport goods was created partly by the acquisition of these by the army personnel who wanted their goods and men to reach the affected areas first. More recently, the army has taken the monopoly of tent purchases at home and has even taken over supplies ordered from abroad by the NGOs and other private groups and individuals.

Once set in motion, the army’s logistical and medical machinery, played a commendable role in rescue operations and in clearing up the rubble and rebuilding infrastructure. However, the army, with all its qualities, is hardly known for its sensitivity in dealing with people in distress — a task which could have been much more ably performed by the NGOs and other civilian agencies. The appointment of an army general as the Chief Relief Commissioner and another to look after Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, also poses the problem of effective coordination between the army and civilian efforts.

The poor response of the international community to Pakistan’s earthquake crisis is indeed deplorable and no amount of sophistry, including the tired argument of aid fatigue, can absolve the major international donors of their failure to rise to the occasion in a situation of tragedy of this magnitude. Unfortunately, the government’s foreign policy alliances, especially with the United States, have not paid the dividends that was expected.

As the UN’s chief relief coordinator, Mr Egeland, has pointed out, the number of helicopters needed for an efficient and far-reaching relief operation is woefully inadequate and the present fleet needs to be increased severalfold. Mr Egeland has suggested that something akin to the airlift to overcome the Berlin blockade in the 1950s, with the helicopters being used instead of large transport planes, is needed to avoid an impending human disaster.

As an important non-Nato ally of the United States Pakistan deserves better. A combination of diplomacy and muscle-flexing, instead of pusillanimous pleadings, could achieve much more than the measly number of Chinook helicopters that fly between Islamabad and the northern heliports. Instead, we have received a few planeloads of Nato troops for logistic and medical support — a gesture which seems to have not gone down too well, even with the government’s political supporters.

It is also strange that Pakistan showed some initial reluctance to accept Cuban doctors for fear of annoying the US. Eventually, a group of 180 experienced Cuban specialists in surgery, trauma and anaesthesiology were allowed in and are currently working in Pakistan, with their backpacks of necessary instruments, materials and medicines. Cuba has offered to send up to 800 such highly qualified professionals to Pakistan and set up three field hospitals with dozens of beds and hundreds of tents designed for winter temperatures. Cuba’s record in disaster management is outstanding and has been ranked by the United Nations as the best in the world.

The government’s earthquake relief programme is in a political bind. In seeking foreign aid, it is hamstrung by its unbounded love for and fear of the US and its reservations about Indian aid and helicopter offer. Undiminished hate for and suspicion of India, as well as its poor “image”. On the domestic front, both the relief and rehabilitation effort and the country’s overall economic and political development are being hamstrung by the military’s reluctance to move towards a withdrawal strategy, except on its own terms.

The sooner the military realizes that the enormous challenges the country faces cannot be satisfactorily met by it alone and requires full cooperation of civilian actors, the better will be the prospect of overcoming its current predicament.