Coronavirus COVID-19

I know the coronavirus isn’t that scary for a lot of people. Many of you are young and healthy and will be able to defeat it without medical help. But think of those who are immunocompromised. Your caution keeps them safe. Wash your hands and, if you’re sick, try and stay away from crowds.

A timely hadith in light of COVID-19.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) advised quarantining to contain a deadly outbreak. He said:

“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”

-Reference: Bukhari 5728

Aside from a prescription for public health, this hadith imparts two moral responsibilities:

1. To avoid endangering your health.

2. To prevent endangering another’s health.

That is really Islamic spirit, to protect the well being of other creatures.

المدن خالية

المطارات فارغة

الجيوش عاجزة

الحكومات مذهولة

المسؤولون في صدمة

الشعوب خائفة ومذعورة

كل ذلك فعله فيروس لا يُرى بالعين المجردة!

-وَخُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا- النساء/28

Cities are empty

Airports are empty

Armies are powerless

Governments are terrified

Officials in shock

Peoples are fearful and frightened

All this was done by a virus.

{The human being was created weak}

-Quran 4:28

Sickness reminds us of our weakness and dependence on God. Some take a lesson while others return back to their haughtiness and pride. In a state of weakness we were first created, and in a state of weakness we end our lives. During the intervening years, we face one state of weakness after another, in both body and spirit. Our bodies suffer from sickness. Even those of us who are blessed with robust health must ultimately succumb to the weakness of old age. Our spirits are plagued with heedlessness. Our minds can be touched with insanity. We can see how weakness surrounds our existence from all sides. Our own incapacity causes us to appreciate the greatness and the might of our Creator all the more.

Stay safe.