Oh Corono! God is with us
By Qazi Athar
Friday is an important day for the Muslims, just like Saturday is to Jews, and Sunday to Christians. Muslims hold bigger congregations on every Friday around the world. For them it’s a day of utmost significance and reverence. They have been commanded to leave their worldly pursuits and to rush to the mosques as early as they can for the congregational prayers. Muslims have the spiritual attachment to the Friday prayers.
However the outbreak of deadly coronovirus has led to suspension of all congregational prayers, Friday prayers (Jumah) included, throughout the continents to prevent the spread of disease which has infected half a million and killed thousands of people around the globe. This outbreak has led to temporary closure of mosques around the world, which is perhaps unprecedented and unparalleled in human history. No congregational prayers have taken place, even in the two holiest mosques of Masjid-e-Haraam (Kaabah) and Masjid-e-Nabwi (SAW).
On this Friday, it was disheartening that even after the ‘Adhaan’ (ritual call for prayers) for Friday prayers, we were unable to move out to hold a congregation, unlike what used to be the case. This Friday elders ensured that everyone is at home, instead of making sure that everyone goes to mosque for prayers as they would do until now. A strange anxiety was piling up on me since morning on Friday, as I knew I could no longer hear the spiritual ‘Kuthba’ (sermon) of the prayer leader, and that I won’t be able to put on new tidy cloths and apply ‘ittar’ as been commanded by the Prophet (SAW). I am sure all Muslims would be having similar experience on this day. However, I reminded myself that what we are going through is a pandemic, which has unleashed a wave of terror into the hearts and minds of masses all over the world.
This deadly pandemic doesn’t discriminate, it hits everyone, irrespective of religion, status, gender or nationality. The opinion of majority of respected Ulema (religious scholars) is that since large gatherings are potential sources of spread of infections, its lawful for the faithful to pray at their respective homes. Everyone, who stays at home is a solider, and is playing his bit to help in containing this menace. We could very well join back congregational prayers in our mosques, provided we save ourselves from the deadly virus by staying at home for now. The pain of leaving the congregational prayers is deep and wide in the community as it’s one of the basic pillars of the Islam, but saving lives is also an obligation, which takes precedence over the congregational ‘Salah’ (prayers). Almighty says in Qur’an “if you save a single human being, it’s as if you have saved the entire humanity.”
By staying at home, we should understand that we are doing great service to the human kind, breaking the transmission chain through which coronavirus spreads and wrecks havoc. It is also a high time to put aside our disagreements and join hands together to fight against this deadly pandemic unitedly. We could save the humanity by just not moving out.
Yes, I understand that sitting at home, will create crises for the underprivileged, but the God is merciful, he will reward the sufferers abundantly. Affluent people are under the obligation to play their part at the time of this global crisis. They should come forward to extend helping hand to unprivileged people around.
Yes, we will sail through these troubled times, God willing, but the key for success is to ‘seek patience through prayers’ and utilize this time, to draw yourself closer to your creator, educate yourself in terms of religion and world, spend the quality time with your family, and talk to relatives and try to bring everyone closer emotionally but stay away physically as warranted by the situation. This time of distress too shall pass, God willing, as the Prophet (SAW) told his companion Abu Bakar (RA) “Don’t fear or grieve, indeed God is with us.”
(Author is a lawyer and can be reached at [email protected])
