KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has ordered clerics and preachers across Afghanistan to declare that the recent deadly earthquake in the country’s east was a punishment from God for “people’s sins, defiance of divine commands, and the spread of crime among Muslims.”
In a directive issued on Thursday, the Taliban Ministry of Guidance, Hajj and Religious Affairs instructed clerics and Friday preachers to speak about the causes of earthquakes in their sermons.
The document describes quakes as “divine punishment for Muslims” and urges believers to repent, pray, and return to piety to avoid future disasters. It also says Muslims must show “patience and perseverance” during such events.
One passage of the Taliban’s directive reads: “In this world, earthquakes are divine punishment for Muslims.” Another says disasters should be a warning for believers to turn away from sins and return to God. The guidance also urges clerics to remind communities that “piety is the only path to salvation from all miseries and punishments.”
A resident of Uruzgan province who attended Friday prayers told KabulNow that the local imam described the quake as “God’s punishment for people’s bad deeds.” According to the source, similar sermons were delivered in other mosques across southern Afghanistan.
Scientists, however, strongly reject such claims. Geologists emphasize that earthquakes are natural events caused by the movement of tectonic plates and seismic fault activity. Afghanistan, sitting at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian plates, is among the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. Scientists stress that seismic activity has no link to human behavior or morality.
The Taliban’s directive comes in the aftermath of a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck late on August 31. The tremor devastated the eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, and Nuristan, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring nearly 4,000, according to Taliban figures. Thousands of homes were destroyed, and aftershocks continue to rattle the mountainous region, hampering rescue and relief efforts.
This is the third major quake to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. In June 2022, a powerful quake in Paktika province killed about 1,000 people and left thousands homeless. In October 2023, a series of quakes in Herat left more than 1,000 people dead and nearly 4,000 injured, according to the UN.
The country also suffers recurring floods, landslides, and prolonged droughts, adding to the hardships faced by millions already living in poverty.
