Issue No: 156
12th April 2013
1st Jamaadi al Thaani 1434 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
Collapse of buildings:
"There was a huge noise and the building collapsed behind me. Everyone started running, thinking it was an earthquake. There was dust everywhere. We then realised what had happened," reported an eyewitness to the fatal event on Friday 29th March, 2013 when a 16 floor building under construction in the city of Dar es Salam, Tanzania collapsed. The disastrous incident left 36 dead and numerous casualties.
On Thursday 4th April 2013, barely a week after this occurrence, 47 people died and numerous were wounded when an eight storey residential structure caved in like a pack of cards. This building too, in Thane at Mumbai, India, was still undergoing construction.
What happened?
Whilst it is not clear what caused the collapse of the buildings, the news media reporting on the above incidents state that the cause appeared to be due to the use of substandard building materials, poor engineering, ignoring construction regulations and laxity by regulators.
Around the world there is massive demand for housing and office space in the ever fast developing cities. This leads to temptation to build fast and make enormous returns. The developers are greedy to reap huge profits within a short time. In submission to quenching their greedy desires for quick and huge profits, these developers use poor quality building materials to cut costs. Through corrupt practices the builders are able to circumvent compliances to construction regulations, evade regulatory supervision and add unauthorised floors. This has led to disastrous outcomes.
The tragic incidents are moments of reflection on the consequence of submission to quench the bursting thirst of greed for wealth. Similarly the outcome for fulfilling greed of other desires such as power, prestige, influence and other yearnings is disaster.
Greed is an evil characteristic that is reprehended in Islam.
Is your nafs on guard not to yield to the evil characteristic of greed?
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat