20 May, 2019


Is Subawadarmaya Or Mother Nature God?

By Nishthar Idroos

Nishthar Idroos

Nishthar Idroos

Twelve years after the devastating tsunami another tragedy strikes Sri Lanka. The resplendent island is sent reeling. An attack from something as innocuous as water takes a calamitous toll. The nation is grief-stricken as human life and property takes a huge toll. Receding waters unveil the sheer magnitude. International press confirmed the destruction as being considerable with over 4000 homes fully or partly damaged and just over 100 lives lost.

Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the supposedly life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. People overtime maybe unconsciously capitulated to the myth that Mother Nature is independent and possesses unbridled autonomy and power to manifest her voracity and fury wherever and whenever to vent her anger. She supposedly shows this ear-splitting, cacophonous roar to devour a mouthful quite indiscriminately and release a thunderous eructation soon after. Sounds a trifle hilarious yet the belief is mainstream and ably supported by the world media.

We have intelligent and wise people in the community whose understanding of life’s trials is so puzzling. I read an article recently by a supposedly wise and intelligent person. I am reproducing an excerpt for the benefit of the reader. “We prayed for rain and asked the rain gods to save us from the sun god’s cruelty. Rain gods did answer our prayers, but they wreaked havoc and chaos. They destroyed our lives, our loved and dear ones, our crops and our cattle. Rain gods mercilessly destroyed entire villages and separated families” I like to ask something so obviously pertinent here? Who is this rain god? And who is this sun god? Can someone describe them to me please? Educate me their attributes and anything more if you have any such info? Describe an authentic book concerning the subject so that I can lay my hands on it.

Can some of us get together and teach a lesson or two to these pseudo gods? How dare do they wreak havoc on our lands? Which semi or demi god chieftain in-charge ordered these attacks. I am running for my rapier. I want to challenge this god, one of many who had taken the law on to his hands. This is not funny. I want to ensure that neither rain god nor sun god never, ever come anywhere close to Sri Lanka again? How can an imbecile mythological god cause such harm to man and his assets?

We have heard of predator drone teams working in well-fortified security zones inside the United States of America, unleashing diabolical weapons to places in Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan with deadly consequences. Supposed surgical strikes that blows the brains of unweaned toddlers and their parents. Laser-guided hellfire missiles that can hit moving vehicles, piloted remotely from bases in the USA. Operator directs cameras and radar to collect intelligence. Analysts select targets, commanders order the strike. Manmade destructions like the one stated above has a distinct process and a fully identified destroyer. There is a clear operator behind the machine who targets at the zone of destruction.

Using the same principle who then targets destruction with water and other sources from above and beneath the earth? Who causes earthquakes and other forms of disasters that regularly take huge tolls?

Earth is a watery place. About 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water. Surely these Cyclones, tornedoes and other forces of destruction can direct or self-navigate themselves to safer areas obviously not inhabited by humans thus saving life. But can they actually do that?

To pursue knowledge man would go to any extreme. He would go to a faraway land of his choice or purchase a book at whatever price just to fulfill the need. Why wouldn’t man find out as to who is capable of actually causing such mind boggling destruction without arrogating omnipotence to forces that in essence are lamentably powerless and woefully non-lethal without its Absolute Controller.

Let’s ponder briefly how previous nations experienced destruction with water. Who else can methodically and meticulously convey this to us?

We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he remained among them for fifty short of a thousand years; the flood engulfed them while they were wrongdoers. (Al Qur’an, 29:14) The Prophet Nuh (Noah) (peace be upon him) was sent to his people by Allah. They had distanced themselves from the commandments of the Lord and ascribed partners to Him. The Prophet Nuh (Noah) (peace be upon him) warned them that they should serve Allah alone and abandon the false worship which they had established in their community. But they denied him so We rescued him and those with him in the Ark. And We drowned the people who denied Our Signs. They were a blind people. (Al Qur’an 7:64) When the time of punishment came, the water in the ground combined with violent rains to cause a giant flood.

Among the trials with which Allah tests His slaves in order to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers is that which He mentions in the verse “And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Saabiroon (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’ They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones” (Al Qur’an 2:155-157)

I conclude this short piece with a warning from the Qur’an “O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous” (Al Qu’ran 2:21) In this short verse who is the Lord of the World’s addressing? Does the verse say O Christians or O Jews or O Muslims or O Buddhists or O Hindus, etc? This is an all-inclusive statement. It simply states “O mankind” – whoever considers that he or she is a member of this grand community called mankind then this message is for you.

It’s time to take heed people.


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Latest comments

  • 4

    The veil is rent which blinded me!
    I am as all these other men,
    Who cry upon their gods and are not heard.
    Yet, there must be a way

    from the Light of Asia

    • 0

      Of knowledge man is given little.
      With it he strives to deride and belittle.
      A product of ecstatic discharge so brittle.
      Ignorance a disease and there is no hospital.

  • 1

    Salaams Sir,

    You may find the articles contained within the website: quransmessage dot com to be of interest.

  • 7

    Nishthar Idroos –

    GOD, Gods or Deities are Names given by Humans to Conditions which we cannot Understand by Reason, or any Other Means.

    “Driven by Fear, People Run for Security to Mountains and Forests, To Sacred Spots and Shrines.
    But none of these can be a Safe Refuge, because they cannot Free the Mind from Fear.”

    from the Dhammapada

  • 1

    Well said Hamlet well said. Goofa and Goddesses are irrelevant and machinations of our imagination out of a need to justify or explain events beyond comprehension. That’s why some millions engage in violence in name of an omnipotent god , others engage in ludicrous behaviors such as smashing coconuts or doing hooniyang.

  • 2


    You are doing another one of your incoherent Islamic rantings or just ranting. Those quotations were intended to secure tribal loyalty in medi-eval Arabia, by frightening poor often illiterate people.

    Try not to insult the Prophet Mohammed by quoting out of context and displaying your ignorance. Landslides happened here (as often elsewhere as well) because of deforestation due to over population. Some happened in Vancouver, Canada (where you said you live) as well in 2006. They happen naturally even before the Prophet was born.

    Besides there is no God, its man’s invention to control people and exploit them for their labour to build pyramids and big churches. Moses brought that idea from the Pharoes of Egypt who needed a lot of slave labour to build their “Vanity Projects” ie the Pyramids.

    Q: Why did the Taliban destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas in 3/2001 if Islam is so peaceful?

    • 2

      I agree that blasting the Bamiyan Buddha statues was a act of terrorism. Judging by your poor question, how do you consider yourself a good student when you deserve a F-grade or worse. Education does not mean you come with the right answers but also shapes your intelligence by raising astute questions? Your question shows very poor intellectual maturity. You will remain a student and we will determine goodness from the dumbness.

      “Q: Why did the Taliban destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas in 3/2001 if Islam is so peaceful?”
      How can you or any “matti moal” meaning clay brain student associate “Islam” with the Taliban and their violent acts on a religious ideology that is not peaceful? Does the Taliban although claiming to be Muslims represent the billion other Muslims and Islam worldwide? Just because extremists Buddhist monks destroy mosques in the East and Hindu fanatics destroy the Ayodhya Barbri Mosque in India, do these treacherous acts by ignorant and violent extremists speak for the entire Buddhist and Hindus religion that advocate peace?

  • 1

    Comrade Idroos, I think the word in your title should be spelled Swaba-Darmaya. The roots of that word “Swabha” is Sanskrit. Anyways, we got the message although association of environmental calamities with religion is quite unnecessary because mixing religion and science is not the way forward in this century. I have nothing against any religion. But we all know the divisions that religion cause in this country and world over.

  • 2


  • 2


    Buddha said that long ago.

    SO here is the punchline. MOTHER NATURE is not subject to whimsical notions of God/Goddesses/Deities. Floods and effects of floods are exacerbated by human activities such as rapid deforestation and building on slopes. But floods by themselves are inevitable when incessant rains ensure soil is oversaturated and the water cannot be absorbed anymore. Look at the floods in Southern Texas right now. Or floods in the monsoonal regions of the world. Allah or Jesus or Shiva have nothing to do with those conditions. Same goes for other natural calamities such as Earthquakes caused by the shifting and rubbing of tectonic plates.

    We can sit here and preach. We can say “Oh my god is bigger than your god or better than your god” “mine is the only way to heaven” ad infinitum. That does not make it fact or truth. BELIEFS are good way for all of us to cope with issues or to explain things we cannot explain with our mortal minds.

    If Islam is so good, they will speak out(and with the exception of Mr. Izeth Hassen no one else on this forum has) against radical ISIS extremism emanating from Wahabi backward Sunni intolerant ideology spreading from Saudi Arabia. It is a damn scab and shame on Islam; Most Islamic adherents are peaceful hardworking people just like most Buddhists, Hindus, Christians etc. When BBS thugs(I think they are sexually repressed demented people pretending to be monks) went on their thuggish endeavours, people used that to attack all Sri Lankan buddhists. That defies logic because in that case we can say the few million ISIS terrorist thug rapist, child molesters and beheaders represent Islam. NO NO NO They do not. They just twist the words and use select passages to wreak their hatefilled mayhem on anyone who refuses to adhere to their diktats. That is wrong. That is why I came to respect Mr. Izeth Hassen. He spoke out again radical extremism. Buddhists must do the same and not ignore the small minority of thugs in the BBS.

    Nature has no respect for our individual beliefs in Gods/Goddesses/Deities etc. We feel good by praying for rain but that is all we do; we do it to feel good; same with the waste of money on things like doing a “pichcha mal pooja” or jasmine flower offering at a Dagoba/Temple. That is an illogical unbuddhist waste of money. As for Taleban, the less we say about it the better; they are sub-educated backward boy buggering jock scratching radicals who enslave boys for their sexual needs and want to ban women from having equal rights to education and healthcare. That is because they are afraid to lose control of their subservient women if women get an education and start questioning the orders of their male Lords. Sad reality is that Karl Marx was not too far off when he said “Religion is the opium of the masses” but then Communists went on to deify and treat their political leaders like gods too. From Lenin, Marx to the degenerate vile Kims of N.Korea to Mao , fallible dictators were treated as deities. That too my friend is the human condition.

    I will leave by asking a question that bothers me. Only once have I seen a Sri Lankan woman who happens to be Muslim expressing her views on Colombo Telegraph. All other articles by Sri Lankan Muslims have been by women. Sri Lanka has immensely accomplished women who happen to be Muslims who can write about their contribution to higher education, medical fields etc. Yet even on the issue of the black head to toe Saudi Dress which is now in vogue ONLY MALE middle aged Muslim Sri Lankans write here. WHY? when a doctor at CMC asked two muslim women why they are suddenly sporting these black garbs which are not muslim but A-R-A-B S-A-U-D-I ATTIRE, they said to the lady doctor “oka thamai dhan fashion eka”. Imagine hot humid tropics and wearing something their males ordered them to or they copy after working in Saudi Arabia?

    WHY Mr. Izeth? Lateef? Hilmy?

  • 3

    MAN MADE GOD.Period. How can you call any of these so called creators “God or Gods” when they can kill their own creations after claiming to love them and/or to be The Most Merciful? Get a life Idroos.

    • 1

      Both good and evil are from Allah. This is clearly stated in the Quran. All Islamic scholars without exception, said that good and evil are from Allah. The belief that evil is not from Allah is the view held by the followers of Christianity and some heretical sects. Humans cannot create their own qadar (Pre-ordainment).

      Read what your creator says

      (If any good reaches them, they say, “This is from Allah,” but if any evil befalls them, they say, “This happened because of you.” Say: “All things are from Allah.” What is wrong with these people that they do not understand any word?) [An-Nisa’ 78]

  • 1

    All gods evolved though man’s imagination or lack of it. Allah is also the same.

    Idroos, read the book “Why I am not a Muslim”. Be enlightened.

    There is no god but nature. Humans are a product of nature.

    If Allah made the world and all its beings, I must say Allah or for that matter any god is the devil incarnate itself. Think about it.

  • 1

    Allah The Creator of The Heavens and The earth with everything in it says in the Quran: “The creation of the Heavens and the Earth is indeed greater then the creation of mankind; yet, most of mankind know not.” –

    Most of the comments above testify the ignorance that’s rampant today.

  • 0

    I couldn’t help but chuckle in derision at this basic fear mongering propaganda to pitch for some god named Allah at the end of a discussion on science and mother nature. In other words, this gentleman just tried to tell the world of rationalists about a mythical god of his personal beliefs. I respect his ownership of his beliefs but that is not based on data or science. Good luck to the gentleman who might be implying that if we don’t believe in his beliefs we might not exist or be labeled infidels! Oh by the eay, it’s swabhaadarmaya aka nature. Mother nature has no patience for superstitions.

  • 1

    The tsunami was truly a natural disaster. Timely human intervention could have spared many lives.
    But the spate of landslides is entirely man-made.

    Where does God come into the equation?

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