The mighty-garuda went on by telling a story,"A dog used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to bite them without notice. His master, suspended a bell about his neck, that he might give notice of his presence wherever he went. The Dog grew proud of his bell, and went tinkling it all over the market-place.An old hound said to him, 'Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That bell that you carry is not, believe me, any order of merit, but, on the contrary, a mark of disgrace, a public notice to all men to avoid you as an ill-mannered dog.'Notoriety is often mistaken for fame."On continuing the story of the healer and the seeker, the mighty-garuda then said, "But why must distancing?" asked the seeker. "O human!" exlaimed the healer, "Like viruses, there are four ways through which sins may invade a person, by looking, by desires, by speech, and by footsteps. Therefore, when implementing "social-distancing," you have to put on a mask, to cover these four ways.When a person got infected, sins have the effect of reducing one's intellect. When you consider two men, one obedient to Allah and the other disobedient to Allah, you will see that the intellect of the one who is obedient to Allah is better, that his opinion is sounder, and that he is often closer to the truth. Therefore, you will find that the Qur'an always addresses 'men of understanding,' among aothers,يُّؤْتِى الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَّشَاۤءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُّؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ اُوْتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيْرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ اِلَّآ اُولُوا الْاَلْبَابِ"He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding." [QS. Al-Baqarah(2):269]
'Wisdom' signifies sound perception and sound judgement. The purpose of this statement is to point out that one who is possessed of wisdom will follow Allah's path rather than that of Satan. The followers of Satan believe that it is the height of wisdom and shrewdness to be constantly concerned with saving out of one's earnings, and to be perpetually on the look-out for higher income. But for those endowed with Divine perception such an attitude is sheer folly. True wisdom consists in using one's resource moderately to meet one's needs and in spending whatever is left for charitable purposes. It may be possible for a person who does not spend for charitable purposes to attain a much greater degree of worldy prosperity than others. The life of this world, however, is only a fraction of man's total life which is not limited to the confines of this world. One who risks the well-being of his eternal existence for the sake of highly transient well-being in this world is indeed a fool. The truly wise person is he who makes full use of the tenure of this life and invests his resources in prosperity in this life that will never cease.How could a person have true intellect if he disobeys Allah in Allah's World, knowing that He is watching over him? He commits a sin, knowing that he cannot conceal himself from Allah's Sight, ignoring the fact that he is inviting the Curse of Allah upon him. He knows that his sinful activities drive him away from Allah's Pleasure and Allah's Protection. He knows that he would be denied looking at Allah's Face on the Day of Judgment, and would be in the company of those who had earned Allah's Anger. It is not difficult for a reasonable person to realize that attaining real pleasure, happiness and delight in this life and the Hereafter requires that one pleases the Rabb, and does not earn His Anger nor His Curse.A person who pleases Allah by adhering to His Commands, enjoys real pleasure in life, with a living heart that experiences every blessing bestowed upon it. But one who displeases Allah indulging in sinful activities, would not be free of worry, anxiety or misery. Therefore, a person who exchanges the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace; the Prophets, the true followers of the Prophet (ﷺ), the martyrs, and the righteous, with those who have earned Allah's Anger and Curse, certainly has a defective intellect.O human! When there is a rupture of relations with Allah, all causes of goodness disappear, while causes of evil emerge. What kind of life could one lead if one broke one's relations with one's Master, Whom one cannot do without, and Who is irreplaceable? Do you remember a qisa from the Qur'an that Allah, Who has created the heavens and the earth, has the power to keep a few persons in a state of sleep for a couple of hundred years and then to raise them up same as they were at the time of going to sleep. If you ever had pondered over the wonderful creation of the sun and the moon and the earth, you would never have expressed any doubt that such a thing was anything difficult for Allah? Do you not think that the people of the Cave and Ar-Raqim were one of Allah's wondrous signs?Allah said about the people of the Cave, the youth, said to one another,هٰٓؤُلَاۤءِ قَوۡمُنَا اتَّخَذُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِهٖۤ اٰلِهَةً ؕ لَوۡ لَا يَاۡتُوۡنَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ بِسُلۡطٰنٍۢ بَيِّنٍ ؕ فَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ افۡتَـرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا"These, our people, have taken besides Him deities. Why do they not bring for [worship of] them a clear authority? And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie?" [QS. Al-Kahf(18):15]وَاِذِ اعۡتَزَلۡـتُمُوۡهُمۡ وَمَا يَعۡبُدُوۡنَ اِلَّا اللّٰهَ فَاۡوٗۤا اِلَى الۡـكَهۡفِ يَنۡشُرۡ لَـكُمۡ رَبُّكُمۡ مِّنۡ رَّحۡمَتِهٖ وَيُهَيِّئۡ لَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ اَمۡرِكُمۡ مِّرۡفَقًا"Since you have distanced yourselves from them and what they worship besides Allah, take refuge in the cave. Your Rabb will extend His mercy to you and accommodate you in your ordeal.” [QS. Al-Kahf(18):16]And Allah also said,نَحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ نَبَاَهُمۡ بِالۡحَـقِّؕ اِنَّهُمۡ فِتۡيَةٌ اٰمَنُوۡا بِرَبِّهِمۡ وَزِدۡنٰهُمۡ هُدًى"It is We who relate to you, their story in truth. Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance." [QS. Al-Kahf(18):13]This is a true story about "men of understanding," who made a choice. Just as you practice social distancing to protect yourselves from a physical disease, they did so to protect themselves from a disease of the heart and mind.O human! There are two important rules in Islam meant to ensure a healthy physical body. The first rule is "No-harm" and the second rule is "Cleanliness."Allah says,اَلَّذِيْنَ يَتَّبِعُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلَ النَّبِيَّ الْاُمِّيَّ الَّذِيْ يَجِدُوْنَهٗ مَكْتُوْبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرٰىةِ وَالْاِنْجِيْلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَيَنْهٰىهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبٰۤىِٕثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ اِصْرَهُمْ وَالْاَغْلٰلَ الَّتِيْ كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْۗ فَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِهٖ وَعَزَّرُوْهُ وَنَصَرُوْهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّوْرَ الَّذِيْٓ اُنْزِلَ مَعَهٗٓ ۙاُولٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., described] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and prohibits them from what is wrong and makes lawful for them what is good and forbids them from what is evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So, they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful." [QS. Al-A'Raf(7):157]People used to think that alcohol had some health benefits. In fact, too much alcohol, ages the brain, increases the risk of breast cancer, damages the liver, kidney and pancreas, leads to many cardiovascular problems and heart diseases, causes a burning sensation in the chest, erodes the stomach lining (gradually inducing ulcers), raises the blood pressure, and increases the risk of impotence - it "provokes the desire but takes away the performance". In addition, alcohol raises the risk of miscarriage and increases the chance of birth defects if consumed during pregnancy, and women who drink regularly are more prone to premenstrual mood swings and cravings.Some people think that drinking alcohol in cold weather warms the body. What alcohol actually does is to dilate the superficial blood vessels causing the blood to rush towards them, which gives a temporary feeling of warmth. This feeling is soon dissipated by heat transfer from the body to the surrounding environment due to the continuous blood circulation. In addition, alcohol causes temporary numbness of the hypothalamus (the region of the brain responsible for giving you warnings if your body feels cold, hot, hungry or thirsty). This causes the intoxicated person not to feel the cold, and this is the reason one hears about people who froze to death in winter time, when a lot of people drink alcohol and go outdoors without even noticing that they were cold.The Prophet (ﷺ) said,لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ"There should neither be harming (of others without cause), nor reciprocating harm (between two parties)." [Sunan Ibn Majah and al-Daaraqutni; Hasan by Al-Albani]This hadith mentions one of the most important principles in Islamic law. Its lesson or ruling virtually touches upon every aspect of fiqh. This brief statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) has been understood in many different ways. Again, the hadith basically says, "No dharar and no dhiraar." One interpretation of the hadith is that the two words dharar and dharaar simply mean the same thing, "harming," and have been stated together as a type of emphasis. A second interpretation is that dharar means that no one is to be harmed, meaning that a person who is being harmed is not required to be patient and take that harm, while dhiraar means that no one is to harm anyone else. A third interpretation is, that dharar is a case where a person gets some benefit fom something while his neighbor is harmed by it. Dhiraar, on the other hand, is refrence to a case where the person himself enjoys no beneft fom something while it is harmful to his neighbor. However, the best or strongest interpretation seems to be that, the translation here, "There is not to be any causing of harm nor is there to be any reciprocating of harm."Ibn Rajab breaks down "harm" into two categories. The frst category is an act whose only result is the harming of others. This type of act is an evil and is prohibited in Islam. Indeed, one cannot imagine a true believer doing such a deed to his brother in Islam. It strikes at the very root of the brotherhood and love that each Muslim should have for each other.The second category is where the act brings about some benefit to the person but harms another person. A much more problematic area is where a person performs an act that is permissible and beneficial for him but that, unfortunately, has negative consequences for others. An example is when a person uses his property in a way that is permissible but while doing so, he has damaged his neighbor's property. No Muslim should ever intentionally cause harm to another Muslim. If he does so, even if his act is considered legal in this world, he may be held sinfl and accountable fr that act on the Day of Judgment.As for the second rule, besides the purification of the heart, mind and inner self, the physical cleanliness must be concerned as well.The Prophet (ﷺ) said,الطهور شطر الإيمان"Purification is half the Iman." [Sahih Muslim]The Prophet (ﷺ) said to the Ansar,يَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَثْنَى عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الطُّهُورِ فَمَا طُهُورُكُمْ " . قَالُوا نَتَوَضَّأُ لِلصَّلاَةِ وَنَغْتَسِلُ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ وَنَسْتَنْجِي بِالْمَاءِ . قَالَ " هُوَ ذَلِكَ فَعَلَيْكُمُوهُ"'O Ansar! Allah has praised you for your cleanliness. What is the nature of your cleanliness?' They said: 'We perform ablution for prayer and we take bath to cleanse ourselves of impurity due to sexual activity, and we clean ourselves with water (after urinating). He said: 'This is what it is. So adhere to it.'" [Sunan Ibn Majah; Hasan]Bathing, a ritual shower, is compulsory in Islam in cases of nocturnal emission of semen, or the corresponding fluid in women, sexual intercourse and for women, after menstruation and at the end of the period of post-childbirth bleeding. In addition, there are some cases where bathing is recommended in the Sunnah, like the shower on the two Eid days and every Friday, before the congregational prayers that mark those days.There is a very important physical reason for the wisdom behind these Islamic requirements. Bacteria and viruses - especially the common cold - collect on the hands, in between fingers and under fingernails; feet and toes, too, get dirty quickly. The mouth, nose, and ears are also places that germs tend to collect, and the eyes are very susceptible to infection. The Islamic ritual ablution ensures that all these parts of the body are rinsed free of surface germs before the prayer.As previously mentioned, that a person who has a defective intellect, is he who exchanges the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace; the Prophets, the true followers of the Prophet (ﷺ), the martyrs, and the righteous, with those who have earned Allah's Anger and Curse. These youth, do the opposite. They cut ties with people who had cut their ties with Allah, then replaced them by reestablishing a relationship with Allah. Those youths, those who belong to the "men of understanding."So, those precocious youths realized at an early age that the good and bad in people are each as contagious as a virus. They knew that the company you keep can make you or break you. We know this because an anonymous dog is eternally honored in the Qur'an simply for having guarded the boys as they slept in the cave, as Ibn Kathir wrote that "this is the benefit of befriending good people: this dog is now memorialized and valued."One bad friend can destroy you. So a "man of understanding" takes no chances when it comes to the company he keeps. Most of the Salaf preferred seclusion over mixing with people. The Prophet (ﷺ) gave an example while seclusion in the latter part of Ramadan. He (ﷺ) would seclude himself from people, not mixing with or paying attention to them. There's no time for gossiping or socialization.Ibn al-Jawzi identified at least four ways that seclusion can change you for the better, i.e. your heart, your mind, your dignity, and your discipline. But seclusion is only as appropriate as the beneficial changes it causes within you, so it should be applied with care. You must look at the person and his circumstances, his company and their circumstances, what he gains from them, what he loses through them, compare the gains and losses. Keep in mind, that the caliphs, are responsible for the safety and survival of the people, then you'll see the truth of the matter.And Allah knows best."
References:
- Imam Shams-ud-Din Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah, Spiritual Disease and Its Cure, Edited by Shaikh Zakariya 'Amiraat, Al-Firdous
- Rev. Geo. Fyler Townsend, M.A., Aesop Fables, George Routledge and Sons
- Amira Ayad, Healing the Body and Soul, IIPH
- Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo, Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi Volume 2, Al-Basheer Publications
- UAE Council for Fatwa, Fatwa No. 11, 2020, Pertaining to the Rulings of Performing Congregational Rites in Light of the Spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease)
