In the Ohio University of the U.S.A. there is a
department known as the Disaster Research Centre.
It was established in 1963, and has so far studied
over one hundred different calamities affecting
human beings on a vast scale. It was discovered that
at moments of crisis, an extraordinary new potential
develops in people which saves them from
succumbing to disasters and their aftermath.
In
1961, for example, Texas was struck by a severe
coastal tempest, but less than half of the inhabitants
opted to vacate the area. Over 50 percent of them
had the confidence to stay on in spite of the storm
warnings issued to them four days in advance.
Subsequently, in 1971, a big dam was weakened
considerably following an earthquake, which
seriously endangered the lives of 70,000 people, but
at that very critical time only 7 percent of the
population chose to leave their hearths and homes.
Such research has also revealed that the victims of
such disasters still maintain high hopes for the
future. The citizens of the two affected areas of
Texas, having witnessed the destruction caused by
horrible floods, were interviewed about what they
felt were their future prospects. Surprisingly, less
then ten percent expressed apprehension and
misgivings. The rest of them, irrespective of the
large-scale destruction, were hopeful about their
future. The above-mentioned institute concluded
the report of the research it had conducted on
disasters by saying, “The reality of events suggests
that human beings are amazingly controlled and
resilient in the face of adversity. Perhaps heroism,
not panic or shock, is the right word to describe
their most common behaviour in times of disaster.”
The Creator has endowed His creature man with
extraordinary capabilities, one of which is his
capacity to plan his life anew with tremendous
vigour, even when threatened with total
annihilation. Man can do more than compensate for
his losses. The discovery of this natural, hidden
potential in man serves to teach a great lesson, that
is, that no individual, whether singly or as part of a
group, who suffers trials and tribulations, should
ever waste a moment’s time in lamenting and
grieving over his losses. Instead, he should press
God-given capabilities into service to reconstruct
his life. It is quite possible that the very
circumstances in which he seemed to be heading
towards complete annihilation, could serve to
unfold a new and brighter phase of his existence.
--Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
( Ref - The Moral Vision)
