Mercy to the Humanity: What He Would Have Done?
By Mohajer Ansari
Pasadena, CA
According to the global body of immunologists and medical experts, the most effective tools to contain COVID-19 are good hygiene and quarantining. For centuries, this has been the established first line of prevention of infectious disease.
Our beloved Rasulullah, Muhammad (saw) was not an expert on matters of deadly illnesses, he nonetheless, had sound and sane advice for preventing and combating a pandemic – an advice quite relevant today in cases like COVID-19.
He had said: If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; if you are in a locality where plague has broken out, do not leave it. Those with contagious diseases should be kept away from those who are healthy.
He strongly encouraged people to adhere to hygienic practices that would keep them safe - infection or no infection. Some very well-known statements of his are: Wash your hands after you wake up; you do not know what your hands might have touched while you slept. The blessings of food lie in washing hands before and after eating.
Sounds relevant? You bet. When we abandoned these simple rituals and replaced the washing practice with paper towels and napkins on our dinner tables, Barakah also left our homes.
What was his advice to people who were ill? Run to the Masjid? No! Instead : Make use of medical treatment, for God has not created a disease without giving a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease - old age.
Ours is a religion of sound reasons. In recent weeks and months, some Muslims have emphatically promoted - without an iota of authenticity from earlier scholars - the idea that prayer would be better at ensuring safety from coronavirus than adhering to basic rules of social distancing and quarantine. Some have taken it even further by encouraging mass gatherings in thousands, holding unsubstantiated prayer sessions, chanting supplications in unison across the whole town and village, etc. The prophetic traditions and practices of the Companions negate all these innovations very strongly.
He always encouraged people to seek correct guidance in their religion, but he also instructed them to take basic precautionary measures for their safety and well-being, based on their God-given intellect, power of reasoning and common sense. How can a sick, weak and mentally impaired individual concentrate devotedly in his prayers? For that reason alone, a mentally challenged person is exempt from all forms of prayers!
And that’s where the true understanding of our religious predecessors shines like sun in contrast to the fake teaching and practices promoted by the modern-day cult-like you-tuber clerics who unfortunately are ill-equipped in both religious matters and worldly affairs.
The famous Andalusian Abu al-Walid Mohammad Ibn Rushd (aka Averroes to the Europeans) was the first virologist known to the modern world. He not only showed how contagious diseases spread but also how to contain them. That strategy came upon him by correlating good health with the cleanliness and sanitation aspects emphasized in many prophetic traditions.
It may come as a surprise to many epidemiologists and medical professionals (including Muslims) that Ibn Rushd was a multifaceted genius who crisscrossed many a fields, such as, Qur’an, Hadith, Philosophy, Astronomy and Medicine. But above all, he was an extremely knowledgeable religious man, whose analyses and deductions were rooted in Qur’an and the prophetic traditions (ahadith). He wrote, “anyone who studies anatomy, will find his faith increase in the omnipotence and oneness of Allah.”
The depth of his faith and knowledge of religion is deeply reflected in his medical and philosophical opinions. He demonstrated that the spiritual knowledge contained in Qur’an and Hadith is never on a collision course with the physical world, but the two rather resonate in perfect harmony.
Compare that brilliance with the belligerent dark-age attitude of today’s fame hungry religious figures. Some have incited their blind followers to defy the social distancing laws in Southeast Asian countries, notably, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, leading to wide spread of Coronavirus far beyond the borders of these countries.
In all of this, the hard stance of Tableeghi Jama’at is beyond comprehension, which again goes to prove that there is a stark difference between degree and education, between academic knowledge and comprehension. Show me one instance of even slightly tangible knowledge gain, goodness or social uplifting anywhere on this planet that came out of the passive slogan of “O Muslims, be good Muslims!” Pictures don’t lie, now do they?
Before dispatching his soldiers to foreign territories, Omar bin al-Khattab would instruct them: obey the law of the land! Unfortunately, today Muslims in their own countries shamelessly flaunt the curfew imposed on large gatherings such as Jumu’ah, in order to curtail the spread of the virus.
An organization, a structure, a movement or anything whose irresponsible intentions and actions are doing harm to the humanity at large by their narrow interpretations of the Qur’anic teachings and those of Rasulullah (saw) and his companions, must be restricted.
At a time like this, Muslims should be united and vociferous against the rising tide of blind fundamentalism.
The valuable traits of Rasulullah (saw) should teach us plenty about dealing with difficulties and calamities. In turbulent and uncertain times like now, when the entire world is fearful and desperately looking for a respite, the attitude of a Muslim should be different. He/she shouldn’t be bogged down in the debate about a ‘Chinese’ or an ‘American’ virus. He/she shouldn’t become a hoarder either, remembering always that ours is a religion of moderation.
Rather, while taking all the practical precautions and looking for the right cure actively, we should be cognizant of others, their needs and sufferings as well - be they our own family, relatives, friends, neighbors, acquaintances or even strangers. In this phase of social distancing, a simple phone call, a brief sincere text or virtual meeting can make a big difference.
And speak to people kindly (Qur’an: 2/83).
Good words - whether written or spoken - had never had such power and impact as now.
Don’t you see how Allah gives a similitude of a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed (in the ground) and its branches (high) in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by the permission of its Lord (Qur’an: 14/24-25).
Of all the times, this is the most crucial time to review the current events in the light of our relationship with our Creator - both individual and collective. Mishaps and calamities have been happening since the beginning of times. Yet, every time something unpleasant happens, most people unfailingly tend to look for the physical causes of such events. Some among the rest with threadbare faith begin blaming God as being cruel, punishing and what not. To this innate tendency, Qur’an responds:
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by (reason of) what people have earned by their own hands, so He may let them taste part of (the consequence of) what they have done; that perhaps they will return (to righteousness). (30/41)
In contrast, Muslims’ attitude in the midst of any event - big or small - should be steady and firm and not radical, maniacal or paranoid, as exemplified in this poignant narration by Rasulullah (saw) through his insightful teaching to Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas (Allah be pleased with him):
One day I was riding behind the Prophet (saw) on the same mount, and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice): Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah (alone); and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah (alone). And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already ordained against you. The pens have been lifted and the ink has dried.”
Al-Tirmidhi has classified it as authentic and sound.
Another version reads: “Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by (and you have failed to attain) was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.”
This single narration should suffice to dictate our behavior in the current situation.
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