COVID-19( A BLESSING IN DISGUISE TO BELIEVERS)

 COVID-19( A BLESSING IN DISGUISE TO BELIEVERS)

The world has seemingly become a more dangerous, sinister, and uncanny place for living and for living beings, with the emergence of covid-19. No doubt, this is one of the most deadly contagions that ever befalls the world of humanity. Everything has been shutdown, including; mosques, churches, synagogues, market places, businesses, institutions, transportations, and other sacred and Congregational centres as a result.

 Indeed this tragedy brings terror and fear to our dear world, it galvanizes us into taking different courses of action, it threatens our IMAN, it holds our dear world in orange suit, and subsequently puts everything the world has to do with to a state of halt. 

But as believers, we should remember that every calamity comes with costs and benefits, and our focus should be more on the benefits and the wisdoms that accompany such a calamity.

With regards to the trending, mortal and unprecedented plague(covid-19) afflicting the world of humanity, there are several benefits that we can derive, which i will try to summarise shortly.

But before i proceed, i would like to commend Dr. Yasir qhadhi for his powerful lectures on this issue(covid-19) , without which i couldn't have been able to prepare this  little piece.

 

I would also like to apologise for my mistakes, for any erroneous entry, and for anything that seems to be put forward without diligent explanation. That's as a result of lack of knowledge, understanding, and perfection, as  I'm just a student, triggered by internal impulse to write on the subject matter.

Ya Allah guide my pen and my heart towards writing what's right, and writing it in context.

Here i go...

FOUR(4) BENEFITS AND WISDOMS BEHIND COVID-19 EMERGENCE 

1. To Make us Humble

2. To make us appreciate that life and death are real 

3. It falsifies the notion that some people are greater than the others

4. To make us realise that we need family, friends, and our community

1. To make us humble:

One of the benefits of this potential plague is that, it makes us humble so as to realize that we're not powerful, we're not the runners of our affairs. It reminds us about our weaknesses, it depicts the extent of our vulnerability, it conquers our ego and arrogance, it makes us realise that no one is super human, and above all it justifies the existence and the sovereignty of the greatest of all(Allah).

Look at what's striking the world of humanity today, look at how ; the largest country in terms of population (China), the most powerful country(America) in the world history, the weak and the mighty countries around the world are being terrified by; a tiny miniscule, a tiny creation that can't be even seen by a mere ordinary microscope, except with the aid of an electronic microscope that emits electrons to help magnifying the virus for eyes to see it, a tiny creation that can only be seen when magnified 100000times as said by specialists and experts.

Indeed this is a reminder, this is a wake up call for us to be humble to Almighty Allah, and to realise that we're not powerful... and only Allah is all powerful.

As Allah said in the Qur'an:

"وإن يسلب هم الذباب شيىأ لا يستنقذوه منه، ضعف الطالب والمطلو"

" And if the fly snatches something from them, they cannot take it back, so weak are both the seeker and the sought..."

 This virus is indeed a testament to the above verse. Look at how a tiny creation has peculated the peace of the entire world, with all the technologies around us, but yet  we can't do anything about it, we cannot restore the peace that we seem to have never appreciated. Subhanallah!

Remember what Allah said again in the Qur'an

 "ويخلق مالا تعلمون"

" and He(Allah) creates that which you have no idear about"

Imagine if this type of calamity will remind us of all these things, then i think it's no more a calamity, but a blessing in disguise.

 Ya Allah! We indeed turn back to you, as you've shown us your power, ya Allah show us your forgiveness.

The second benefit from this calamity is:

2. To appreciate that life and death are real:

 We live in a world that offers every luxury that one can crave for, and as a result, we're so obsessed with it to the extent that we often forget about death and the hereafter. we seem to live comfortably thinking about no any portending misfortune, we seem to take this life and the flowers around it as eternal.

But with tribulation of this sort, we will realise that nothing in this globe is eternal, nothing is everlasting, as people become closer and closer to their graves every single day and every single minute.

This  reminds us that life and death are real, it dictates our minds to appreciate the reality around us, to appreciate the flavour that life has and the pain of death that will surely succeed it. This tragedy serves as a wake up call for us; to know that death is inevitable, to repent and turn back to Allah, and to know that the less we pay attention to the worldly material things and focus more on the the hearafter, the better for us and for the entire world of humanity.

 As Allah said in the holy Qur'an regarding the issue of mortality.

"وما جعلنا لبشر من قبلك الخلد، أفإن مت فهم الخالدون".

" And we granted not to any man(announcer) before you  immortality, if then you die,  would they live permanently".

"كل نفس ذاعقة الموت".

"Every soul shall taste death".

"إنك ميت وإنهم ميتون".

"Indeed you are to die, and they are to die".

The third benefits we can derive is:

3. It falsifies the notion that some people are greater than others:

It is sometimes only in time of calamity like this, that, we realise, no; race, tribe, colour, background, region, or country is superior to the other. The fact that this virus affects people irrespective of their background, ethnicity, and rigion, shows the foolishness of 'superiority complex', the foolishness of racism, and so on and so forth.

This reminds us that we are all equal in humanity, no one is greater, because of certain background, race, or ethnicity. The only one greater in the eyes of Allah, is the one who is 'the most pious'.

As Allah said in the holy Qur'an regarding the issue of superiority

 

"إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم".

"Indeed the greatest amongst you is the one who fears Allah the most".

 "كلكم من آدم  وآدم من تراب".

" All of you are from Adam, and Adam was from clay".

With all the costs that this calamity might have brought, note that it is also playing a massive role in scrapping some of the leading problems in our world, problems that are supremacy, superiority and racial related, which are why i consider it to be a blessing in disguise.

The fourth benefit from this calamity is :

4. To make us( the selfish among us) realise that we need family, friends, and our community:

Most of us(our people) tend to live a selfish life, a life that only caters for our personal well-beings, with zero concern to our family, friends, and our community at large.

How can we become true believers when we do not cherish for our friends, family, and community that which we do cherish for ourselves? 

Remember this hadith:

 "لا يؤمن أحدكم حتي يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه".

" Non of you is a true believer, unless he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself"

It is sometimes only when cataclysm of this nature befalls us that we realize how important it is to be fully in touch with our family, our friends, and our community, especially when the calamity strikes us directly. Think about it! Think about Who would be there looking after us? Who would be there supporting, encouraging, and giving us hope other than these people?

It makes us think about a lawful integration, it gives us a powerful call for reunion, it motivates us to install more investment—anything that blossom and unite our environment firmly—,as we will surely need it in time of adversity(like this one). 

Indeed this calamity is more of a blessing to us than a tragedy, as  it makes us realise that life is not eternal, it makes us realise that we are no more superior to anyone with regards to our culture, background, ethnicity, and race. It makes us realise that we are so vulnerable to the extent that we cannot control the reality around us, and above all, It makes us turn back to Allah for He is the most powerful and our sole aid.

Ya Allah! We sincerely repent

Ya Allah we cannot do it ourselves

Ya Allah we know we've been doing evil, forgive us ya Allah

Ya Allah do not hold us to account for what has been done by the fools amongst us 

Ya Allah you are our sole aid, intervene Ya Allah👋🏻

                                                                                     MUHAMMAD MALAM

31/03/2020.