Why? (3)

The king asked, "What is prophetic method of handling epidemics?" The Shaykh said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said “Cleanliness is half of faith.” And among the greatest forms of responsibility is that a person keeps completely clean, internally as previously discussed, and externally as follows. Firstly, hygiene : washing hands. Salman Al Farisi one day approached the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, “I read in the Torah ‘Blessings in food lies in washing the hand after meals.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Blessing in food lies in washing the hand before and after eating.” If washing the hands is encouraged prior and after eating than it’s a priori most important to wash one’s hands in precaution of epidemic diseases.
Secondly, social distancing. Sick people should quarantine and stay away from gatherings and mixing with those that are not sick. The Prophet (ﷺ) obligated that whoever is healthy should not come near the sick. This was enjoined especially for places of gathering like markets, gatherings, or the masjid. Amr ibn Sharid narrated on the authority of his father that a delegation (came to see the Prophet (ﷺ)) from Thaqif had a man with leprosy. (He wanted to approach the Prophet (ﷺ) and give his pledge of allegiance) Allah's Messenger(ﷺ) sent a message to him, “We have accepted your allegiance, so go back.”
This hadith teaches that one must practice social distancing in order to not contract disease as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught “Don't graze a sick herd with a healthy one.”
The Prophet (ﷺ) used this as a description that also healthy people should stay away from sick ones when their sickness is contagious. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “One should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion.'' Meaning that one shouldn’t mix with anyone with contagious diseases except if there are precautions or they are aiding them (such as health workers).

Thirdly, containment. The Prophet (ﷺ) said “When you hear that (plague, epidemic disease) is in a land, do not go to it and if it occurs in a land that you are already in, then do not leave it, fleeing from it.'”
Ibn Hajar, rahimahullah, discussed this matter in more detail, and said that there are three scenarios with regard to leaving a land in which the plague is occurring, first, when a person leaves in order to flee from it, and not for any other purpose. This is undoubtedly included in the prohibition; second, when he leaves for a purpose other than fleeing from it, such as work and the like. This is not included in the prohibition, and this is the category concerning the permissibility of which anNawawi narrated that there was scholarly consensus; third, when a person leaves for the purpose of work or otherwise, but adds to that the aim of being safe from the epidemic. The scholars differed concerning this, but Ibn Hajar stated that the view of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was that it is permissible to leave in this case.
A repercussion and application of this in our time, is that of quarantine and banning mass travel to the affected areas as soon as an epidemic is announced. It would not be of any sense nor wisdom to delay travel bans unless there is guarantee that a disease is contained. What we are witnessing in our time is a lackluster and undermined response that has far reaching effects when precautions aren’t taken immediately to contain the spread of disease as is exemplified by prophetic injunction through both – self-quarantine through religious injunction not to spread disease, as well as mass travel ban in order to have successful containment of the disease. 

Fourthly, closure of public spaces, and not attending congregational prayer and Jumu’ah in Masjids. Things such as public closure of schools, public events, are responses that require governmental advisory and scholarly councils. Ibn Qudamah mentions “...and a valid excuse for missing congregational and Jumuah prayer is the one who is fearful according to the Prophet peace be on him who said, "Whoever hears the caller to prayer, nothing prevents them from responding to him except a valid excuse. They asked what’s a valid excuse? And he responded, ‘fear or sickness.’ Fear has three levels, one, fear for oneself; two, fear for wealth; and three, fear for one’s family."

The Shaykh paused, then said, "O my king, now we are heading home. Know that a house for us is a place of eating, marriage, sleeping and rest. It is also a place of privacy, meeting one's spouse and children, a place to safeguard oneself. It is a place of security from evil and protection from the people. It is also a source of happiness if the right choices are made when forming it.
Most importantly, a home is an important means towards building the Muslim community. The society is made up from home and it is the origin. The home is life and the life is society. If the home is strong then the community will be strong in implementing the laws of Allah, resisting the aims of the enemies of Allah, to spread good and to stop evil from penetrating.

All praise be to Allah Who decrees sickness and grants cure, Who tests in order to give and cleanses until all that is left is pure. All praise be to Allah Who grants will to the weak and sees how the strong will use their faculties to help those in need, thereby helping to cure their greed, and all are examined in order to see who is best in deed.
He created us and fashioned us from clay so we are never deceived by our strength and remember our fragility. He sends universal signs that encompass the world so we remember the collective connection we have from the Divine to humanity. He gives life to the dead and revives hearts with His remembrance. Those who know Him are the richest, while those who may be perceived the wealthiest yet heedless of Him are truly the poor and lost in misguidance. No doubt, sickness is a test and a sign from the signs of Allah. And Allah knows best."

Reference : 
Hasib Noor, Prophetic Guidance on Epidemic Desease : Corona Virus 2020, The Legacy Institute.

[Part 1] 

Bahasa

Why? (2)

The Shaykh continued, "O my king, the words for a sickness that encompasses and spreads or epidemic in divine texts, the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) are Ta’un (الطاعون) or Waba’ (وباء). Sometimes these words are used interchangeably and other times they refer to a specific type of epidemic disease, diseases that are similar to pestilence or plague. Iyad said, "Ta’un refers to [specific type of sickness, pestilence or the well known plague] which is known for its boils that cover the body, and Waba’ refers to generally all (epidemic) sickness. Waba’ is referred to as Ta’un because of its likeness in leading to death, otherwise every Ta’un is Waba’, but not every Waba’ is a Ta’un. In short, Ta’un is often used interchangeably with Waba’ in divine texts as a general epidemic disease that leads to death – and in some specific contexts Ta’un refers to diseases that are like the well-known pestilence, or plague. This difference between Ta’un and Waba’ is important when discussing specific hadiths as they refer to them in light of the context used.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I saw (in a dream) a dreary-dark woman with unkempt hair going out of Madinah and settling at Mahai'a. I interpreted that as (a symbol of) the Waba’ (sickness, epidemic) of Madinah being transferred to Mahai'a, meaning, Al-Juhfa." Here the Prophet (ﷺ) was referring to Waba’ – specifically the Malaria and Influenza that existed in Madinah and it was known for making people sick and the city was rife with it to the extent both of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) parents could have passed away due to the sickness associated with the city. Waba’ here is referred to the general sickness, epidemic, that was killing some and making many sick.

The Prophet (ﷺ) would make a specific prayer for the city to be blessed and purified from this sickness, saying, "O Allah! Make Madinah beloved to us, as You made Makkah beloved to us, and even more! And transfer the fever that is in it to Al-Juhfa. O Allah! Bless our Mudd and our Sa' (kinds of measures for food and provision)."
And when the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Ta’un (plague, epidemic disease) is rijz (calamity) of punishment, He punished with those who came before you.” And Aisha said she asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about Ta’un (plagues) and he (ﷺ) said, “It is a punishment that Allah sends upon whoever He wills, but Allah has made it a mercy for believers. ….” Both of these contexts of Ta’un, refer again to the general epidemic diseases.

The Prophet (ﷺ) would say about Madinah, "There are at the entrances to Madinah angels who prevent Ta’un (plague) and Dajjal (the anti-christ) from entering it.” In this case, Ta’un refers to the specific disease of pestilence or the well-known plague, but Madinah is not protected from general epidemic sicknesses.
Imam Al-Nawawi said, "Ta’un here consists of purulent pustules (boils) that erupt on the body. These appear in the groin, or in the axillae, or the hands, or on the fingers and elsewhere on the body, accompanied by swelling and intense pain… Every Ta’un is a Waba’, but not every Waba’ is a Ta’un."
He continues to say, “As for Waba’ (epidemic disease), al-Khaleel and others said that it refers to the plague. Others said that it refers to any widespread disease. The correct view, as noted by scholars, is that it is any sickness that affects many people in one part of the land, but not all of it; differs from ordinary diseases in the large number of people affected and in other ways; and where they are all affected by the same kind of sickness, unlike at other times, when people suffer from different kinds of sickness. Every Ta’un is a Waba’, but not every Waba’ is a Ta’un.
This hadith is critical in our understanding as Madinah is protected from plague entering it, but not epidemic diseases!

There are many times were some epidemics in Makkah and Madinah.
Between 13-24 H - Abu AlAswad Du’aly (the famous scholar who derived the rules for Arabic grammar) narrates, “I went to Madinah when there was an outbreak of disease and the people were dying rapidly. I was sitting with `Umar and a funeral procession passed by…”
152 H – An inscription on a rock of a prayer asking for relief of an epidemic that struck Madinah found by historian, Muhammad Al-Mughadhawi. The inscription writes, "O Allah remove the Waba’ (epidemic disease) and difficulty from the people of Madinah," written in Jumada year 152.
735 H – Diphtheria epidemic struck Madinah that would kill 15 people every day. They had not seen anything like it prior to it.
749 H – an epidemic disease struck Makkah
1235 H (1814 CE) – 8000 die in Hijaz in general due to epidemic disease
1246 H (1831 CE) – An epidemic disease that came from India killed three fourths of the pilgrims in Makkah.
1252-1255 H (1837 CE – 1840 CE) – Hajj period in Makkah witnesses epidemic diseases.

The Prophet (ﷺ) in 9 H on the expedition of Tabuk, made a number of prophesies, among them that there will come a plague that will afflict a number of his followers. ‘Awf bin Malik Al-Ashja’i said, “I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the campaign of Tabuk, when he was in a tent made of leather, so I sat in front of the tent. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘Enter, O ‘Awf.’ I said, ‘All of me, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘All of you.’ Then he said, ‘O ‘Awf, remember six things (that will occur) before the Hour comes, one of which is my death.’ I was very shocked and saddened at that. He said, ‘Count that as the first. Then (will come) the conquest of Bayt Al Maqdis (Jerusalem); then a disease which will appear among you and cause you and your offspring to die as martyrs and will purify your deeds; then there will be (much) wealth among you, so that if a man were to be given one hundred Dinar, he would still be dissatisfied; and there will be tribulation among you that will not leave any Muslim house untouched; then there will be a treaty between you and the Romans, then they will betray you and march against you with eighty banners, under each of which will be twelve thousand (troops).’” 

The mention of the disease in the prophecy of the Prophet (ﷺ) occurred during the caliphate of Umar ibn Al Khattab. During a military campaign in the year 18 H/639 CE, a plague in Emmaus (Arabic: ‘Amawas), Palestine a city 30 kilometers away from Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) broke out and many companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) were afflicted. Al-Jawhari said “it was the first plague in Islam,” as prophesized by the Prophet (ﷺ). The caliph at that time, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, radhiyallahu 'anhu, heard about it, and out of his concern set out to meet them.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas narrates the events when ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab set out for Sham (Levant: Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, etc). When he got as far as a place called ‘Sargh’, the commanders of the army, Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn Jarrah and his companions met ‘Umar and told him that a plague had broken out in Sham.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said, ‘Umar said to me, ‘Call the early Muhajirun (the earliest Muslims and those who were the immigrants to Madinah) for me,’ I called them, sought their consultation and informed them that a plague had broken out in Sham. They disagreed. Some of them said, ‘You have set out on a matter and we do not think that you should retreat from it.’ Others said, ‘You have the rest of the people as well as the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, and we do not think that you should expose them to this plague.’ ‘Umar then said, ‘Leave.’ Then he said, ‘Call the Ansar (the helpers, the citizens of Madinah that gave refuge to all the migrants that came to the city) for me,’ and I called them and he consulted them.

Their reaction was as the Muhajirun and disagreed as they had disagreed. He said, ‘Leave.’ Then he said, ‘Call those who are here of the elders of Quraysh who emigrated the year of the Conquest of Makkah.’ So I called them, and none among them disagreed about it. They said, ‘We think that you should return with the people and not expose them to this plague.’ So ‘Umar made an announcement among the people: ‘I am returning in the morning, so return as well.’ Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn Jarrah said, ‘Are you fleeing from the decree of Allah?’ ‘Umar said, ‘If only someone other than you had said that, Abu ‘Ubaydah!’ Yes, ‘we are fleeing from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah‘. Do you think that if you had camels and they went down into a valley which had two sides, one of which was fertile and the other barren. Is it not that if you grazed them on the fertile side, then that grazing would be by the decree of Allah, and if you grazed them on the barren side, then that grazing would also be by the decree of Allah?’
‘Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Awf-who had been absent on some errand- then came and said, ‘I have some knowledge regarding this issue. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, “When you hear that [a plague] is in a land, do not go to it and if it occurs in a land that you are already in, then do not leave it, fleeing from it.'” ‘Umar praised Allah [due to him making the correct decision] and then left.”

The king asked, "O Shaykh, how the righteous dealt with plague and epidemic disease?" The Shaykh said, "In the Ta’un of ‘Amawas there are a number of spiritual lessons of how a believer deals with affliction of epidemic in the example of the companions of the Prophet – may Allah be pleased with them.
Abu Ubaydah ibn Al-Jarrah, the companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), among the ten promised paradise by the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was alive, stayed and aided his people and was in their service. He would get on the pulpit and comforting people who were afflicted by saying, “O People! This affliction is a mercy for you all, the prayer of the Prophet, and the passing of the righteous before you…” and he was afflicted with plague thereafter.
'Sa’id ibn Al-Musayyib narrates when Abu Ubaydah was afflicted with the plague, he called the believers around him and said, “I’m advising you all with an advice if you all accept it you would never cease to remain on good. Establish the prayer, fast the month of Ramadan, give charity, go to Hajj and Umrah, come together, advise your leaders and don’t cheat them. Do not let the world deceive you. Even if a person lived one thousand years, they will undoubtedly reach what you are witnessing before you, my demise. Allah has written death upon the children of Adam and they are in the state of passing. The smartest of them are the most subservient to their Rabb and the ones that act toward the final day of their destination. Wasalamu’alaikum wa rahmatullah. O Muadh ibn Jabal, lead the people in prayer.”

He passed away thereafter, Allah be pleased with him. Muadh ibn Jabal at his funeral stood before people and addressed them saying, “O People! Turn back to Allah, repent for your sins. For any servant that meets Allah repentant from their sins has a claim of deserving Allah to forgive them. Whoever has a loan on them let them pay it off because a servant (of Allah) is held under the pledge of giving back their loan. Whoever has woken up today and abandoned their brother (due to a disagreement and grudge) then go out and meet them and reconcile. It’s not befitting that any Muslim abandons their brother more than three days. O Muslims! You have been distressed by the passing of a man that I don’t claim I have seen a servant more dutiful or open hearted, nor more distant from harboring misfortune (toward others), or more loving of everyone and wishing good for them advising them than him. Stand and seek mercy for him and the prayer for him.”
Muadh ibn Jabal lost children and his family as well before passing himself, all the while patiently saying as Abu Ubaydah said before him, “This affliction is a mercy for you all, the prayer of the prophet, and the passing of the righteous before you." 

The righteous of the past dealt with the reality of afflictions with the certainty of trusting in Allah and conviction that nothing granted can be only with His will and nothing taken can only be through His permission. They fully believed in their being that what befalls a human will never miss them, and what they missed was never meant for them, and this life is a mere temporal, yet gravely important preparatory phase of existence that prepared them for what is to come. As our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding plague that, "It is a punishment that Allah sends upon whoever He wills" - and that it is, "He made it a mercy to the Mu’minin," he (ﷺ) did not say Muslimin. Mu’minin here refers to a higher level of faith of those who internalize and have conviction of faith beyond just believing and entering into Islam. As the faith has three levels, Islam, Iman, and Ihsan. The phrase “mercy to Mu’minin” refers here to a higher level of faith that internalizes the wisdoms of Allah’s divine decree and actualizes it into not just actions of the limbs, statements of the tongue, but actions and statements of the heart as well such as absolute reliance on Allah, patience in times of adversity, and gratitude. This makes the statement of our Beloved Prophet (ﷺ) even that more powerful. Such believers echo the words of our Rabb who describes the mark of such believers. The Prophet (ﷺ) embodied the message taught by the Almighty, and imparted a spiritual lesson that is the most powerful form of hope in the most difficult of times. A message of perseverance, through tests, and knowing the wisdom is in the hands of the Most Merciful, All High, All Wise. Allah commanded His Prophet (ﷺ) to impart that message Himself by commanding the Prophet (ﷺ) to tell humanity and the believers,

قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

"Say, 'Never will we be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector.' And upon Allah let the believers rely." - [QS.9:51]

[Part 1]
[Part 3]

Bahasa

Why? (1)

The king asked, "O Shaykh, why Allah has sent on humanity affliction?" Shaykh Abdul Jaleel said, "No person can define why Allah has sent on humanity affliction.These are the wisdoms of Allah, He can only specify.
O my king, sickness is a sign of purification in Islam, when the Prophet (ﷺ) would enter the home of a sick person to visit, he would say,

لاَ بَأْسَ طَهُورٌ اِ نْ شَآ ءَ اللّهُ

“No harm, it is purification, if Allah wills.”
He (ﷺ) said, “the example of the believer, when he is afflicted by illness or fever, is that of a piece of iron placed in fire; its defects vanish and its good remains.” He said, "Visit the sick. Follow funeral processions. Remind yourselves of the next life." Read the kindness of the Beloved Messenger (ﷺ) who heard that a woman in his community was sick, asked about her, and her absence was noticed for him to seek to visit her, offer his prayers, and give her comforting words and presence. Umm al-Ala said, The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) visited me while I was sick. He said, "Be glad, Umm al-Ala', Allah removes the sins of a Muslim for their illness as fire removes the defects of gold and silver.” And the Beloved (ﷺ) said, "No calamity befalls a Muslim except that Allah removes sins from them because of it, even if it they were pricked by a thorn."

Although, sickness in a land can be purification, it can also be a sign of Allah’s displeasure due to sin or oppression. Amir al-Mu'minin, Abu Bakr Al Siddiq, radhiyallahu 'anhu, said,

"O you people! You recite this verse,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ ۖ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ ۚ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

"O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is your return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do." - [QS.5:105]
But I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "When people see an oppressor but do not prevent them (from their oppression and evil), it is likely that Allah will encompass them all with a punishment."

Allah ultimately judges every person that is afflicted based on their own intentions. Any person afflicted should have good suspicion of their Rabb. They should also hold their own soul accountable. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "An army will raid the Ka'bah and when it reaches a desert land, all of them will be swallowed up by the earth." Aisha, radhiyallahu 'anha, asked; "O Messenger of Allah! Why all of them?" He answered, "All of them will be swallowed by the earth but they will be raised for Judgement according to their intentions." Aisha said she asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about plagues and he (ﷺ) said, “It is a punishment that Allah sends upon whoever He wills, but Allah has made it a mercy for believers. Any servant who resides in a land afflicted by plague, remains patient and hoping for reward from Allah, knowing that nothing will befall them except what Allah has decreed, will be given the reward of a martyr.”

Sickness, and more specifically epidemics, brings about a sense of anxiety. The sense of the unknown afflicting sickness on us may give many feelings of uncertainty and some even helplessness. It is in these times that we build emotional and spiritual resilience. Among the beliefs core to our faith, which our faith is founded on, is believing that nothing befalls a person except that is the will of Allah and has divine purpose even if we may not understand it. Allah has purpose and wisdom that we may perceive, and some cases we may not. Yet our faith is ingrained in the ultimate trust we have that all is from Him and He is the Almighty, All wise.

Allah says,

مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُۥ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

"No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah . And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things." - [QS.64:11]

Even though we may not understand all the wisdoms behind adversity, hardships, universal change, and moments of struggle – in their passing, we witness our need to the Almighty and the reality of our neglect. The neglect of the soul. The neglect of its attachment to the Divine. Not that we necessarily need difficulty to learn, but it helps to reflect of some of its wisdoms as no one is saved from hardship, but we are all in need of faith to overcome them.

Moments of difficulty teach us empathy. A person who has gone through strife can empathize even more personally with someone worse than them. In these moments, we witness acts of compassion and service to humanity that we draw lessons from and binds us that only faith can teach us. The power of sacrifice is strongest when one has little to give, but in that moment, gives for the benefit of another, these are lessons taught to us by the Divine and His Beloved. The selfishness of humanity dwindles when they are collectively weak and learn that their only solution is turning to one another and calling to the One that binds them.  

In reality, we learn that the true preparation we need is a spiritual one. The washing and purification we need is of the heart. The quarantine we need is quarantining our ego, desires, and addiction to sins. Faith teaches us that the most desperate times – teach us more about our vulnerability and true selves. We watched as many of us were told, there is a temporary ban from going to the most sacred and holiest of places, Makkah and Madinah. Yes, a sign of faith is not only being sad at not being able to visit, but how many of us asked if the spirit of the sacred rests in our hearts? Does the sanctity of Allah found in the Ka’bah in Makkah rest as well in our chest? Does the love, peace, tranquility, and solace we find in City of our Beloved and following his way concern us just as much? We may reflect on the temporary ban, but may we never be banned from the mercy of Allah. May we never be withheld from the visitation of Our Beloved Prophet(ﷺ), by following his example and embodying his message that he was sent as a mercy to all creation. May we never feel so attached to this world that we cling to it fighting over its dirt, when to the dirt is our final return.

Plans may have changed, money has been lost, but true faith prepares you for this kind of adversity, it doesn’t necessarily remove it. In loss of wealth, especially you will see the mark of a believer. Everything given or taken is from the Most High, Most Giving, and Most Appreciative. If you feel loss now, think of the one who has nothing. Being thankful in times of struggle, makes it easier to do so in enrichment.

The king asked, "O Shaykh, how scholars viewed plagues?" The Shaykh said, "As for epidemic disease being sent, the hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) refers to a clear distinction of how scholars viewed plagues. Among Universal Wisdoms applicable to different people, according to their intentions and how Allah willed for them, first, sign – it is a sign for reflecting over the universal power of the Almighty and returning to Him. Second, blessing and mercy – as the Prophet (ﷺ) said. Third, cause – their time and date they were destined to pass away has come and this was a cause, if it wasn’t the Corona virus, it would have been something else. Fourth, punishment – to oppressors and those who reject.

Furthermore, this goes into the realm of Islamic theodicy that explains the levels at which a servant of Allah understands a calamity. Either it is, elevation – a test in which God raises the status of those whom He loves; purification – of sins that were committed and it is better for them that they are cleansed in this life than the next; reflection – of signs delivered to a person to come back to their Rabb; or affliction – punishment for sins and rejection.
We don’t have a universal reading of a prophetic statement which clearly depends on the person and condition of the person being afflicted. Only Allah judges individuals and the exact wisdoms for why they are afflicted are specific to them. The aforementioned hadith again highlights the universal wisdoms we have mentioned and types of afflictions a person holds themselves accountable for. All are raised and accorded their own intention. Aisha, radhiyallahu 'anha, asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Why all of them?" He (ﷺ) answered, "All of them will be swallowed by the earth but they will be raised for Judgement according to their intentions."

It’s from among Allah’s universal principles that even if this punishment were to befall it could encompass others based on the intentions and wisdoms as mentioned above and it doesn’t differentiate between believer, nonbeliever, innocent, or oppressor. And Allah says,

وَاتَّقُوْا فِتْنَةً لَّا تُصِيْبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوْا مِنْكُمْ خَاۤصَّةً ۚوَاعْلَمُوْٓا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيْدُ

"And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively, and know that Allah is severe in penalty." - [QS.8:25]

Rather it’s incumbent on every believer to take the means necessary to protect themselves from it, medically, physically, and not to forget of course spiritually, and take preventative measures for themselves and others.

With that being said, the divine wisdoms of an affliction encompassing people is mentioned by Zaynab bint Jahsh, radhiyallahu 'anha, with her who reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) came out one day to her in a state of fear and said, “La ilaha illa Allah (i.e. None is truly worthy of worship but Allah). Woe to the Arabs from of an imminent evil that will strike. Today an opening of this size has been made in the barrier restraining Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog).” And he made a circle with his thumb and index finger. Zaynab said, “O Messenger of Allah, will we perish while there are righteous people among us?” He replied: “Yes, if wickedness spreads, prevails.”

The overarching reality of divine decree that is mentioned in these hadith, of an epidemic, that may strike the world at once, and groups of people in particular – are from among the signs of Allah that He sends to creation. Signs of the reality of the pervasive hand Allah has over His creation, that oppressors cannot escape His grasp, and that to Him belongs all dominion and to Him is final return. Ultimately the wisdom of Allah transcends the limited scope of our view of understanding and only the Almighty has perfect essence in His wisdom, sublime in His decree, and subtle in His effect. These are just some wisdoms enumerated from our Divine texts and others include wisdoms such as protecting you from something even greater, or a wakeup call to reflect on one’s own mortality and turn to God, and simply awareness of not spreading disease through better hygiene. Allah says,

اِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا کَمَآءٍ اَنۡزَلۡنٰہُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ فَاخۡتَلَطَ بِہٖ نَبَاتُ الۡاَرۡضِ مِمَّا یَاۡکُلُ النَّاسُ وَ الۡاَنۡعَامُ ؕ حَتّٰۤی اِذَاۤ اَخَذَتِ الۡاَرۡضُ زُخۡرُفَہَا وَ ازَّیَّنَتۡ وَ ظَنَّ اَہۡلُہَاۤ اَنَّہُمۡ قٰدِرُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہَاۤ ۙ اَتٰہَاۤ اَمۡرُنَا لَیۡلًا اَوۡ نَہَارًا فَجَعَلۡنٰہَا حَصِیۡدًا کَاَنۡ لَّمۡ تَغۡنَ بِالۡاَمۡسِ ؕ کَذٰلِکَ نُفَصِّلُ الۡاٰیٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ یَّتَفَکَّرُوۡنَ

"The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought." ― [QS. 10:24]

The Muslim philosophy of dealing with hardships then, is to reflect over the universal wisdoms and ask oneself “what can I do?” rather than questioning an unseen paradigm and justifying being paralyzed by one’s own theological misgivings, “why did Allah do?”

[Part 2]

Bahasa

Reset!

Owl came forward, in a low voice, he hummed,

I saw Mother Earth
Was sad
Her tears, pouring
Were golds and diamonds you remembering?
Forests, mountains, rice fileds, seas
Are wealth deposits
Now, mother is grieving
Whimpering and praying

Then owl greeted, "As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuh!" The birds replied, "Wa ʿalaykumu s-salāmu wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuh!" Kea said, "O Owl, is there a story you will share with us?" Owl said, "Yes, listen carefully!" Then the owl began the story...

"Once, there was a land, the Never-never Land, who ruled by a just king, King Abdul Malik, and he ruled his land wisely. The king was a nice man, quiet and modest, and gentle, he really could not hurt a fly. He did not dress extravagantly, and he never announced, either directly or through paid buzzers and influencers, how cheap the clothes he was wearing. He did not eat expensive food or drink costly wines, he did not spend the taxpayer's money on pompous palaces or fine horses. The taxes his people had to pay, he used to have schools and universities built so the young could learn all the different trades and study all the sciences and thus, be able to serve each other better. He also had hospitals built and doctors trained so his people should not suffer from sickness more than necessary. He had roads and railways built, not for the benefit of the entrepreneur or his popularity, so that the goods were produced in one part of the country could be quickly delivered to all the other parts of the country where they were needed. He admonished his judges to give just verdicts and he did no allow his officials to accept bribes.
He loved his wife, Queen Jameela, and in the evenings he sat with his son, Prince Hassan, and conversing with him. But what he liked to do most was to sit in his study with his books and the reports from all parts of the country and work out new plans to make the life of his people even better. The king was not conceited at all, but he was a clear thinker, and when he looked at the reports, he got from all parts of the country he had to conclude that he really was ruling the country well.

One day, the king looked grim, this could not be separated from the attention of his commander, Sa'ad. Sa'ad always accompanies the king wherever he goes, like the time that always escorts this life. With courtesy, Sa'ad greeted the king, "O king, what is wrong with you? It seems that you are sad?" Hearing Sa'ad's greetings, the king woke up from his reverie. He replied, "O Sa'ad, I am thinking about what is happening in this world. I am also sorry. O Sa'ad, this situation is very alarming. I want to talk to the king's advisors. Ask Shaykh Abdul Jaleel to come see me!" Sa'ad replied, "Yes, your majesty!"

A few moments later, Shaykh Abdul Jaleel had spoken with the king. The king said, "O Shaykh, the world now is focusing on the coronavirus, when all of our news agencies, all of our understanding has blocked out almost everything else in our lives, we have to realize the great picture the overall understanding of what is happening right up untill now. The calamities are coming almost like the nine signs given to Musa, alayhissalaam, for Pharaos.
In other parts of the world,, seventeen point nine million acres were burnt, three thousand homes were damaged, a half a billion animals were killed. It was a state of emergency and it was reported they called it fireballs coming from the sky.

In other land, the smoke reached all the way to another land, which is thousands miles away. Another land, suffered under severe flooding tens of thousands of people were displaced and this flooding is actually continuing up until today. Other land, suffered from terrible earthquakes 5.8 to 6.4 on the Richter scale eleven more earthquakes.

Followed these major ones, much volcanoes have hit several land. In another land, high winds had appeared, heavy rain, snowfall huge waves, electricity was lost. In one part of a land, a whole village was covered with foam. Our neighbor land suffered under an earthquake of 6.8 on the Richter scale. Heavy rains created landslides devastating the land. In a far far away land, one of the worst droughts that has been suffered in decades and then, locusts hundreds and millions of flying insects, the locusts, a single swarm of locusts, a hundred and fifty million locusts would destroy enough food for 2,500 people. These locusts devastated the land.

In other country, severe flooding a state of emergency, and then of course, the Alnd of Panda, the corruption has appeared on the land, in the sea, because of what humanity's hands have done. have put ourselves into this, and however, it has come about whether it has come about because of our pollution, because of our destructions, because of our confusion or maybe because of a type of germ warfare from a laboratory, however it has come about, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala has allowed this to happen, and we as Muslims, we accept the fact that is now stalking the land, this corruption affected the economic system and the system of people that would do barter or would trade with natural things, with things, with intrinsic value, with gold and silver, and animals, and other types of items, began to trade with paper money. In this paper money over the course of centuries, became worthless, until now, the economy is a type of illusion. It is an illusion of a world economy."  

Shaykh Abdul Jaleel said, "Allah said,

أَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰانِ الرَّجِيْمِ

"I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed"

ظَهَرَ الۡفَسَادُ فِى الۡبَرِّ وَالۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ اَيۡدِى النَّاسِ لِيُذِيۡقَهُمۡ بَعۡضَ الَّذِىۡ عَمِلُوۡا لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ

"Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]." - [QS.30:41]

As a result of adopting shirk and atheism and ignoring the Hereafter, the wickedness, oppression and tyranny, inevitably appear in human conduct and character. Allah shows the evil consequences of some of the acts of men in this world before the punishment of the Hereafter, so that they understand the reality, feel the error of their conjectures and turn to the righteous belief, which the Prophets of Allah have been presenting before man since the earliest times, and besides adopting which there is no other way of ordering human conduct on sound foundations.

Allah also said,

وَلَنـُذِيۡقَنَّهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَدۡنٰى دُوۡنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ

"We shall certainly have them taste some chastisement in this world in addition to the greater chastisement (of the Hereafter); perhaps they will retract (from their transgression)." - [QS.32:21]

“The greater punishment” is the torment of the Hereafter, which will be imposed on the guilty ones in consequence of disbelief and disobedience. “Nearer punishment”, in contrast, implies those calamities which afflict man even in this world, e.g., diseases in the life of individuals, deaths of the near and dear ones, serious accidents, losses, failures, etc. and storms, earthquakes, floods, epidemics, famines, riots, wars and many other disasters, in collective life, which affect hundreds of thousands of the people simultaneously. The reason given for sending these calamities is that the people should take heed even before they are involved in the “greater torment” and give up the attitude and way of life in consequence of which they will have to suffer the greater torment ultimately. In other words, it means this: Allah has not kept man in perfect security in the world so that he may live in full peace, and become involved in the misunderstanding that there is no power above him, which can cause him harm. But Allah has so arranged things that He sends disasters and calamities on individuals as well as on nations and countries from time to time, which give man the feeling that he is helpless and that there is about him an All- Powerful Sovereign Who is ruling His universal kingdom. These calamities remind each individual and groups and nation that there is another Power above them Who is controlling their destinies. Everything has not been placed at man’s disposal. The real Power is in the hand of the Sovereign. When a calamity from Him descends on man, you can neither avert it by any artifice, nor can escape from it by invoking a jinn, or a spirit, or a god or goddess, or a prophet or saint. Considered in this light, these calamities are not mere calamities but warnings of Allah, which are sent to make man conscious of the reality and to remove his misunderstandings. If man learns a lesson from these and corrects his belief and conduct here in the world, he will not have to face the greater torment of Allah in the Hereafter.

O your majesty! Now we're on a reset, and because of the loss of employment, because of the of the change in our lifestyles, it is literally forcing us to go back to a more natural way of life and it is bringing out more and more Islamic ways of life, the way that Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala has created developed for human beings. Corruption in social life, the immorality reaching epic proportions with the internet, with prostitution, with pornography, epic proportions around the world, a whole generation coming up with their language, changing their lifestyle, changing.

Now we have reached a very critical point, in the history of this planet, with a virus stalking the land, and with people now reconsidering their relationships, can white continue to hate black, can non-Arab be against Arab, can the nations be based on ethnic ethnicity and tribe continue to do this? We are a human race, if people are suffering in one land, or suffering in another land, then the rest of the world is suffering because we're all one human family.
We're all part of one family were part of one global village, corruption on a political level, that our leaders should be the most truthful ones and not the ones who are speaking lies and who are basing what they say on votes or basing what they say on control of the individuals. We know that there is a leader of a country who wins the election in an inappropriate way, gives false promises and is supported by irresponsible people, legalizing his cheating. One day, leaders like this will be forced by circumstances to realize their false-promises. Power does not always glorify us, but sometimes, the power humiliates us.

Corruption in the financial relationships of people in the economy, the small number of rich and the growing number of poor people on the face of the planet Earth. Our relationships have to change, and the governments who will be hoarding money and who have been changing things based upon their understanding of the economy, will have to do a reset. But now, first things first, we are heading home! And Allah know best."

Reference :
- Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick, Virtual Friday Talk, Islamic Institute of Toronto.

Bahasa

A Greatest Moral Virtue

The swan recited a poem,

Sometimes, the truth,
we are tempted to hide.
Due to our guilt,
or just simple pride.

An exaggeration,
may lead to a lie.
Those that affected,
may break down and cry.

When honesty,
we try to avoid.
Relationships,
are often destroyed.

Then she said, "O my brothers and sisters, do you know one of the greatest of all moral virtues? Many of the noblest of human qualities like integrity, chastity, and valor springs forth from it." The birds answered, "Tell us, O Swan!" The Swan ssaid, "It is honesty. Some people might suppose that honesty is restricted to words. This is not the case. Honesty can manifest itself in our actions as well as in our innermost state of being.
The great scholar and ethical thinker, al-Muhâsibî, said, “For honesty to be complete, it must exist in three things. It must exist in the heart as one’s faith, it must exist in the intentions behind one’s deeds, and it must be present in the words that one speaks.”

We must be honest in words and deeds. Honesty penetrates the innermost fibre of a person when the inner being is in harmony with the outer self. A person’s deeds are honest only when he practices what he professes. Dishonesty in deed is more despicable than dishonesty in word, for it is only but a hypocritical display of sincerity. This is what the brothers of Prophet Yusuf, alayhissalam, did when they came with Yusuf’s bloodied clothing to their father.
Truth in word is the most familiar and obvious kind of truth, since every statement that is inconsistent with reality is obviously a lie. Allah says,

وَ لَا تَقُوۡلُوۡا لِمَا تَصِفُ اَلۡسِنَتُکُمُ الۡکَذِبَ ہٰذَا حَلٰلٌ وَّ ہٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفۡتَرُوۡا عَلَی اللّٰہِ الۡکَذِبَ ؕ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یَفۡتَرُوۡنَ عَلَی اللّٰہِ الۡکَذِبَ لَا یُفۡلِحُوۡنَ

“And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, "This is lawful and this is unlawful," to invent falsehood about Allah . Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allah will not succeed.” - [QS.16:116]

In the Quran, Allah informs us that our honesty will bring us good even in this world. And of course, honesty will be of doubtless benefit to us in the Hereafter. Allah says,

قَالَ اللّٰہُ ہٰذَا یَوۡمُ یَنۡفَعُ الصّٰدِقِیۡنَ صِدۡقُہُمۡ ؕ لَہُمۡ جَنّٰتٌ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡتَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَاۤ اَبَدًا ؕ رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَ رَضُوۡا عَنۡہُ ؕ ذٰلِکَ الۡفَوۡزُ الۡعَظِیۡمُ

“Allah will say, "This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness." For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment.” - [QS.5:119]

Apart from being honest in words and deeds, we must be honest in our relationship with our Creator, Allah. There are many dimensions to this most important expression of honesty.
There is our sincerity to Allah in terms of our belief – where we acknowledge and accept that He is the Supreme Sovereign and the One and Only deserving to be worshipped. Then there is being cognisant that Allah is ever watchful of what we do.
There is the sense of humility and shame that we must feel before Him. If we truly want to be honest in our relationship with Allah, we must become so fully sincere to Him that there remains in our hearts no other motive for what we do but to seek His pleasure.
We must care nothing for the thanks and appreciation of our fellow men. We can achieve this by making our greatest concern the attainment of Allah’s mercy. We must be constantly aware that Allah is ever watchful over us.  

Apart from being honest in our relationship with our Creator, we must be honest in with fellow humans. Honesty with other people is also extremely important. There are many aspects to this as well. First, we must be honest in our dispensation towards others. We should not behave deceptively and present a false face to people. Instead, we must be genuine and straightforward with people as much as possible. We must be honest in what we say. This requires from us to be careful to ascertain the truth of the news that we hear before we go ahead and pass it on to others.
We must be honest in giving advice to people. We should be sincere in our advice and truly do our best to help people avoid misfortune and attain what is good for them. We need to be even more honest with our spouses. We must be able to confide in them and speak freely to them about our concerns, our secrets, and our ambitions. A husband or wife is a life partner, a friend, a confidante. The more openly a husband and wife are able to communicate with each other in an atmosphere of trust and confidence, the stronger their relationship will be.

Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) was renowned for his honesty long before he began to receive revelation and became Allah’s Messenger. He had been known among his people for years as al-Ameen (The Trustworthy). The Prophet (ﷺ) informed us of the effects that both honesty and dishonesty have on our personalities. Hasan ibn Ali reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لَا يَرِيبُكَ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ طُمَأْنِينَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ رِيبَةٌ

"Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Verily, truth brings peace of mind and falsehood sows doubt." [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2518; Sahih]

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا

"You must be truthful. Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to be truthful and encourages honesty until he is recorded with Allah as truthful. And beware of falsehood. Verily, falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Hellfire. A man continues tell lies and encourages falsehood until he is recorded with Allah as a liar." [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2607;Muttafaqun Alayhi]

He also explained the effects that honesty and dishonesty have on our interpersonal dealings. Hakim ibn Hizam reported that The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,

الْبَيِّعَانِ بِالْخِيَارِ مَا لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقَا فَإِنْ صَدَقَا وَبَيَّنَا بُورِكَ لَهُمَا فِي بَيْعِهِمَا وَإِنْ كَذَبَا وَكَتَمَا مُحِقَ بَرَكَةُ بَيْعِهِمَا

"Both parties in a business transaction have the right to annul it, as long as they have not separated. If they are truthful and clear with one another, there is blessing in their transaction. If they lie and conceal something, the blessing of their transaction will be eliminated." [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1973; Muttafaqun Alayhi]

Honesty, in fact, engenders strength on every level. On the personal level, it provides integrity, self worth, and inner fortitude. On the social level, it lends depth and substance to our relationships with other people. On the spiritual level, it brings about the sincerity to our Rabb that is the key to our salvation.
At the end of the day, everyone deserves our honesty. Nobody wants to be lied to, not even us. And Allah knows best.

Reference :
- AM Ba Dahdah, Honesty, Islam Today

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