Author: Abu Ayesha
Earthquakes from the Islamic Perspective and Critique of Objectors (Part Seven)
Some of the Greatest Earthquakes in History
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Al-Dhahabi (may Allah bless him) writes in the events of the year 233 (Hijri): “In this year, a dreadful earthquake occurred in Damascus. The earthquake lasted for three hours. The walls collapsed, and people rushed toward the mosques, crying out to Allah the Almighty. Many people were trapped under the debris and were martyred. It is reported that about twenty thousand people were killed in this earthquake, and its tremors reached as far as Mosul. Some say that more than fifty thousand people were buried under the ruins.” (1)
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Another one of the greatest earthquakes that occurred several decades earlier was the 9.5-magnitude earthquake of 1960 in southern Chile, which struck at 11:37 a.m. on a Sunday. In this earthquake, approximately 1,655 people were killed, thousands were injured, and about two million were left homeless. This earthquake is regarded as one of the most terrifying earthquakes in history. (2)
The port of Puerto Saavedra was destroyed by the tsunami that followed, causing damages estimated at 550 million U.S. dollars. It is said that the earthquake originated at a depth of 33 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface and, in addition to the tsunami and vast destruction, it caused massive landslides.
A day later, a volcano near the Chilean lake erupted, spewing ash and molten materials up to 6,000 meters into the air, covering the sky of the region with gray clouds for an entire week.
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On March 26, 1964 (corresponding to 7 Hamal / Farvardin 1343 in the Persian calendar), at 5:36 p.m., a massive 9.2-magnitude earthquake struck Alaska. The quake occurred at a depth of 23 kilometers, and despite severe destruction, only 139 people were killed.
The earthquake triggered a tsunami with waves reaching 67 meters in height, causing damages amounting to 311 million U.S. dollars.
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The deadliest tsunami in history, which was felt across 14 countries throughout Asia and East Africa, was caused by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake near the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. (3)
One of the most catastrophic earthquakes ever recorded struck near the island of Sumatra on the morning of December 26, 2004 (6 Dey 1383). The quake occurred at a depth of 30 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface. In addition to the destruction caused by the earthquake itself, it triggered a horrific tsunami that devastated 14 countries across South Asia and East Africa. The waves generated by the tsunami reached heights of up to 50 meters.
This earthquake resulted in the deaths of nearly 22,790 people and left around 17 million people displaced. (4)
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A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale struck Kamchatka on November 4, 1952 (13 Aqrab / Aban 1331) at 4:00 p.m..
The main shock occurred 130 kilometers off Kamchatka, at a depth of 45 kilometers beneath the earth. However, the tsunami that followed proved to be far deadlier than the earthquake itself. The tsunami waves reached heights of up to 18 meters.
At that time, Kamchatka had a population of only 6,000 people, nearly half of whom — 2,336 individuals — perished in the disaster.
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On August 13, 1868, an earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude struck Arica, Peru (now part of Chile).
The massive tsunami generated by this earthquake was so powerful that it was felt even along the coasts of Hawaii and completely destroyed the city of Arequipa in South America.
At least 25,000 people lost their lives in the affected region. Four hours after the initial shock, tsunami waves measuring up to 16 meters high struck the coasts of Chile.
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On January 26, 1700, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake (estimated) occurred off the northern Pacific coast of the United States.
This was the only major earthquake recorded in North America near Vancouver Island, and evidence suggests that the large coastal communities in the Picana Bay area were completely wiped out by a massive wave.
The quake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, near the western coasts shared by the United States and Canada.
Although there are no precise statistics on the human and financial losses from this catastrophe, reports indicate that Japanese villages and settlements along the western U.S. coast were completely submerged by the resulting tsunami.
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On February 27, 2010 (8 Hoot / Esfand 1388), an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Concepción in Chile.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 35 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface and triggered a tsunami.
The tsunami caused by this quake was so intense that authorities in 53 countries were forced to issue tsunami warnings.
Despite Chile’s strong building structures, the earthquake resulted in the deaths of about 700 people.
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On January 13, 1906, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck along the border between Colombia and Ecuador, killing 1,500 people and injuring around 5,000 others.
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On November 1, 1755, an 8.7-magnitude earthquake hit Lisbon, Portugal, nearly destroying the entire city and killing about one-fourth of its population.
The quake was also felt in North Africa, France, and northern Italy, and it triggered both a tsunami and massive fires.
The famous poet Voltaire wrote a poem about this earthquake, calling it a great catastrophe.
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On August 15, 1950, in Assam–Tibet, a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 15 kilometers.
The epicenter was located in the Himalayan mountain range. Despite the mountainous and sparsely populated nature of the area, the earthquake caused around 4,800 deaths.
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The Turkey earthquake, in which more than 20,000 people were killed, occurred in 1999.(5)
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The Bam earthquake in Iran, which claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people, occurred on December 26, 2003.
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The Indian Ocean earthquake, which caused a tsunami resulting in nearly 500,000 drownings, occurred on December 26, 2004.
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On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia triggered the Indian Ocean tsunami, killing 230,000 people across dozens of countries.
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On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan, triggering a tsunami that claimed the lives of nearly 20,000 people.
This earthquake is considered one of the most devastating in history, causing enormous destruction and leading to one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters. (7)
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On March 28, 2005, an 8.6-magnitude earthquake struck northern Sumatra, Indonesia, resulting in the deaths of about 1,300 people.
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On May 12, 2008, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Sichuan, China, causing the deaths of more than 87,500 people.
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On January 26, 2001, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Gujarat, India, killing 20,000 people.
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On October 8, 2005, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Kashmir region of Pakistan, leading to the deaths of more than 80,000 people.
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On September 28, 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook Indonesia, resulting in the deaths of more than 4,300 people. (8)
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The 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake occurred on February 6, 2023 (17 Dalw / Bahman 1401).
This massive and catastrophic earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck central and southern Turkey and northern and western Syria, lasting for 75 seconds and causing extensive destruction.
In total, more than 59,000 people were killed and 121,704 others were injured across both countries.
The epicenter of the quake was located 34 kilometers west of the city of Gaziantep, at a depth of 17.9 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface, and it was extremely intense and terrifying.
Another powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck nine hours later, toward the north and northeast of Kahramanmaraş Province, about 105 kilometers away from the epicenter of the first quake, and lasted for 45 seconds.
The 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake was ranked as the strongest earthquake in the modern era of this region, following the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. (9)
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In Afghanistan, on October 7, 2023, at approximately 11:03 a.m., a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 14 kilometers in an area near Zinda Jan District in Herat Province. (10)
On the same day and in the following days, several large aftershocks occurred, including tremors measuring 5.5, 5.9, and 6.9 magnitudes on the Richter scale.
The epicenter of the first earthquake was located 36 kilometers northeast of Zinda Jan District in Herat Province.
This earthquake caused massive human and financial losses, and many houses in villages and rural areas were completely leveled to the ground.
It is worth mentioning that, in addition to human and financial casualties, many people also lost their livestock in this disaster.
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The Kunar earthquake in Afghanistan, which occurred on August 31, 2025, at 11:47 p.m. local time, was also one of the major earthquakes in recent history.
This 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 8–10 kilometers in Kunar Province, specifically in the Nurgal District.
Aftershocks measuring up to 5.2 magnitudes were reported in the following days.
A large number of people lost their lives in this earthquake as well.
Reports indicate that 800 people were killed and 2,500 others were injured in this tragedy. (11)
Note 1:
The purpose of mentioning these earthquakes and the figures provided is to emphasize that earthquakes are not confined to one specific region or place.
This calamity can strike anyone, anywhere, and from these examples, it becomes clear that no corner of the world has been safe from earthquakes, nor can their occurrence be predicted with certainty.
In the future, such disasters may occur anywhere, and no one—except Allah—can prevent them.
Note 2:
In the next section of this research, insha’Allah, we will discuss in greater depth whether earthquakes are exclusive to a specific group or whether they are events that encompass all people.
In that part, we will also address the objections and doubts raised by the critics.
To be continued…
Previous Part
References:
- Al-Humaid, Abdulkarim bin Saleh, Al-Tafakkur wal-I‘tibar bi-Ayat al-Kusuf wal-Zalazil wal-I‘sar (Contemplation and Reflection on the Signs of Eclipses, Earthquakes, and Hurricanes), 1426 A.H., p. 54.
- The Most Terrifying Earthquakes in the World to Date, Eli Gasht Travel Magazine website, date of publication: 1402 Solar Hijri.
- Tasnim News Agency, The 10 Most Powerful Recorded Earthquakes in the World, November 14, 2017.
- The Most Terrifying Earthquakes in the World to Date, Eli Gasht Travel Magazine website, date of publication: 1402 Solar Hijri.
- Muslim, Abu Shakir, Why Earthquakes!, pp. 24–28, 2nd Edition, 1398 Solar Hijri.
- Earthquake and Tsunami in Indonesia…, Radio Farda, date of publication: 1397 Solar Hijri.
- ISNA News Agency website, date of report broadcast: 1401 Solar Hijri.
- The World’s Largest Earthquakes Since 2000, Fardaye Eqtesad website, date of publication: 1401 Solar Hijri.
- The 2023 Turkey–Syria Earthquake, Wikipedia (Free Encyclopedia). See also: Mehr News Agency, What Happened in the Turkey and Syria Earthquake, published in 1401 Solar Hijri.
- A Look at the Earthquakes in Herat, Afghanistan, Iranian Geological Society website, 1402 Solar Hijri.
- TOLOnews, Kunar Earthquake: So Far About 800 Martyred and 2,500 Injured, date of publication: 1404 Solar Hijri.
