By: Tajamul Naseem Lone
The situation we are currently going through all over the world is a matter of serious concern. All the people irrespective of caste, creed, colour or religion are in a horrible situation. All are locked inside their homes and the streets, roads, markets, recreational sites, busy places etc wear a deserted look. all seem to be deserted. Even the religious places of different faiths are almost closed and everyone is requested to offer their prayers at home. The people who had never missed any single prayer are supposed to sit at home. Even in their homes, people are asked to maintain social distance. The members of the same family are told to stay in isolation if anyone shows any symptoms of the virus.
The scientists, doctors, researchers, and other medical science scholars are working in leaps and bounds and have been able to prepare a vaccine and antidote for this epidemic which isn’t hundred percent proven to kill the virus but gives immunity to fight it. Thus the whole world is one way or the other, concerned with it. The deaths and the new cases of infection are rising each day.
The religious and scientific scholars all over the world, are continuously guiding the common masses to go through different precautionary measures with respect to religion and scientific perspective. In such harsh times, we should not lose hope and, as Muslims, we must seek mercy from Almighty.
Scholars have unanimously decreed that, we should refrain from offering congregational prayers in the Masājid (sgl. Masjid), when we know, we are or could be affected (with the Corona virus), because to cause or carry such genre of trouble to a human with this epidemic, is disallowed in Islam. The Sunnah of prophet clearly teaches us that in a situation of pandemic, one must refrain from travelling to the place that is experiencing plague or travelling from such place to another. It is because one risks his/her life and also has a chance to become a career for the disease that must spread in large numbers.
We know, if a person’s life is at stake, and he /she meets the situation where he/she finds no option other than those things which are prohibited in general circumstances- Islam lifts its prohibition at that specific time and allows the very person to take necessary benefit from that generally prohibited thing.
The reason behind this is obvious that human life has been bestowed with great importance. So, those people who think or say, that they are pious and have never missed any prayer (Salāh) especially Friday congregational prayer(Saāhal-Jumu’ah) in their lives and take things like cough non-serious, thus refuse to abandon praying in Masājid actually are not following Sharī’ah (Islamic Law) rather perpetrating heinous sin.
There are evidences from the time of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W (SahābahR.A),who have observed and come across these types of situations and today it’s not going to be the last time, it can happen in the future also.
The first and foremost thing is that, we should possess the appropriate religious knowledge along with its real and nuanced understanding. It is not enough to have mere good intentions because you may be thinking that you are doing something good but without appropriate and the right knowledge, at the same time. You could, in fact, be committing a grave sin.
Similarly, there is a lot of talk going round that Coronavirus is a scourge of punishment from the Almighty Allah. As per Islamic perspective, anything that happens, if it will bring one closer to Allah, is actually the mercy of Almighty Allah and if it takes you more away from the Almighty Allah, then perhaps it may be a punishment of Allah.
If we take a look at the Sahābah may Allah be pleased with them- during their times there happened to be a plague (Tā’ūn) in the lands of Syria. Does it mean they were punished? The answer is, no. Some of them passed away and so on. It does not necessarily mean, that it was a punishment rather it was a mercy. There were rules and regulations in place. It was their time to be tested. Are we going to follow what Allah and His Messenger (S.A.W) have laid down or are we going to follow our own will and wish?
Bottomline
To be honest anything that draws one closer to Allah is not considered a punishment, it is actually a gift. Think positive and be positive. At last my request is that, time is still there. The doors of repentance (Tawbah) are always open, so we must turn to Allah before we return to Him.
The author works in the Department of School Education J&K and is presently posted at HSS Dangiwacha an : tajamulnaseem@gmail.com
