Read the Friday Sermon Below:
Everyone knows very well how the coronavirus has wreaked havoc in every country in the world where there have been more than two million deaths and millions and millions who are contaminated with the virus. The economies of many countries are on their knees; even the countries that claim to be super-powered cannot do anything. With Covid-19, countries are deserted, confined. During containment, everyone except essential services like the police, pharmacies, hospitals remain open to help the people of their respective countries, to maintain order and to treat the sick. These confinement times are essential in order not to spread the virus and to better detect those who are suffering from it. During confinement, the borders are closed. All shops, supermarkets, markets etc. are closed except under special conditions. Everyone stays at home and takes precautions, wears masks and unfortunately many people are also losing their jobs. The situation is certainly critical.
Last week, when starting the first part of my sermon on the signs of Allah, the hypocrites and infidels, as well as interest (Riba), Covid-19 and a call for unity, I did not know what which would follow. [Huzur said that every time before he prepares his sermon, he always seek divine help on which subject to address and Allah even inspired him to talk on this subject by directing him to the verse 27 of the Chapter 2 – Al-Baqara, which he began expounding since last week.] That same day [05 March 2021], our small Mauritius contracted a new local case of Covid-19, and from Wednesday 10th of March, a national containment was implemented to thwart the virus. And today is the 12th of March, and it’s Independence Day of our little island [53 years of Independence and 29 years of Republic], and today, officially speaking, we have 99 local cases of Covid-19. So, all of us as one people, one nation, we must be united and do all we can within our very limited means to keep ourselves and our neighbours and the citizens of our country safe from this virus and its spread. If this situation continues in this way, it is quite possible that there will be a State of Emergency in Mauritius where no one will have the right to circulate and this would be for the well-being of the population in order to protect those who are not infected by this virus from those who are infected with it. The regions of the Central Plateau such as Vacoas, Phoenix, Curepipe, etc. have become Red Zones because there are more cases of Covid-19 there.
[More than once during the course of his sermon, Huzur (atba) warned the believers, the people of Mauritius and whole humanity to return to the worship of the sole Creator of the Heavens and Earth and to maintain distance with the satans of this world and all satanic attractions just like one is maintaining social distancing with others in order not to contract the virus. He said, beware lest another virus, more virulent and deadly than the Covid-19 appears, and will be so dangerous that one would not even have time to go in Quarantine.]
In the face of the virus, man is powerless. It [The virus] is more powerful and destructive than powerful weapons of destruction such as nuclear bombs and other weapons of mass destruction; a small virus that infects and kills millions of people on this earth. Before that, we saw the emergence of viruses and other diseases, such as H1N1, SARS, as well as dengue, Zika, Ebola and Chikungunya. The Chikungunya has had its law reign since March 2005 and we are still not rid of it yet. And now we have the great Covid-19 pandemic which reigns the world supreme, forcing all people to remain confined to their homes since December 2019. Certainly the situation is serious because the virus is still here after more than a year.
Politicians and
scientists have failed to address the problem. “We must take precautions”
we are told; at least that’s what health professionals tell us. But… taking
precautions and getting vaccinated [Astra Zeneca vaccines], especially when it’s
a vaccine that has never been tested in the long term and nobody really knows
the real consequences of these “miracle” vaccines, then does it not go against
the total trust that one should have in Allah?
The believer, like
every human being, must place his trust in Almighty God and turn to Him in
prayer, in His exclusive worship, without associating anything with Him. As
citizens of a country we must respect the codes of laws of a country, but as believers,
we must not forget the divine instructions and His promises concerning this
killer but at the same time revitalizing plague which is inviting the world to
another chapter; A new world.
The government of Mauritius with its Minister of Health have received Astra Zeneca vaccines from India and the front-liners vaccination campaign has been launched. Astra Zeneca’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine has been obtained with a donation from the Indian government. In an article in the “Weekend of 31 January 2021” newspaper, it was written that at the airport, around 20 immigration police officers suffered from high fever. After being vaccinated, most took “sick leaves”.
In other sectors,
it is argued that the example must come from above. Especially since more and more
“front-liners” are refusing to be vaccinated. The largest number of refusals
would be within the police. They wonder why the Prime Minister or the Minister
of Health does not get vaccinated in front of everyone and the MBC [national
television] to encourage others. As a result of these descriptions, the Prime
Minister came to national television to encourage others to make this vaccine.
I am not against
taking precautions, be careful! Take precautions and obey the divine order -
the command of God - and place your trust in God, for it is He who created the
universe and all that you find in the universe and even you humanity. But... as
I said to you: Doesn’t taking precautions go against the total trust that one
should have in Allah? If we only obey what the state and the health ministry
tell us, and we think that: “Here I am, I am safe” and also if it
happens that we do the Astra Zeneca vaccine and now then we say: “I am completely
safe against Covid-19”. But no! Here, divine instruction takes precedence.
I am not telling you not to do the vaccine because of the side effects of this
vaccine, but I am telling you to obey Allah because He is the Greatest Healer.
Even if you do the vaccine, do you think you are actually safe from this virus?
Think of the story
of Saul (Talut) who received divine instruction to tell his soldiers not to
drink water from the river except what a hand can hold back, but most of the soldiers
disobeyed the divine order. And among those who obeyed the divine instruction,
there was David [Da’ud] who was later chosen by Allah as His Caliph [Khalifatullah].
All this is the test of faith that Allah does from time to time with His
servants.
Allah wants the
welfare of mankind, and this welfare is both spiritual and physical. God wants
your attention, that you turn your back on the satans and adore Him and trust
Him and speak to Him in prayer [Duahs, Salat, etc.]. Allah knows best
whether this vaccine is good for you in the long run or not. Insha-Allah,
in the near future, it is He who will give the exact formula for his antidote,
or even that you will see that this virus will disappear completely. Everything
is ultimately in His power. He is the one who decides. Even if you do this
Astra Zeneca vaccine, do you think it will save you if there is not the breath
of God in it? And for how long will this vaccine save you? A year or two years?
Consider that your illness may get worse and worse in the future.
So for me
personally if I do not trust God and pray to Him alone and obey His
commandments, it is a sign of weakness in my belief because it is Allah Who
gives health and sickness. He is the ultimate remedy for all diseases. He is
The Healer and The Cure. He encompasses knowledge in Him. So turn to Him
exclusively, worship Him alone.
Regarding Covid-19, should we see it as a simple virus that spreads naturally or is it a sign of the wrath of Allah? So then, is disease prevention permitted in Islam, or is it incompatible with faith in destiny and trusting in Allah (swt)?
First, let’s talk about the importance of health, because it is often seen as something natural, which we have within us from birth to death. As we have a body, limbs, vital organs, and everything that every living being has, we forget that health is a favour from Allah, that He bestows it on whomever He wills; it is even the greatest blessing after faith. It is therefore not a definitive acquisition, and can be taken over by the One who granted it to us; and unfortunately, its value is only realized when it deteriorates or is lost.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) knew its importance, and he urged his companions to ask Allah for health and well-being; the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said in this sense: “Ask Allah for welfare, health and protection, for there is no greater favour after faith than this.” (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
Our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) himself asked for duahs: “O Allah, I ask you for well-being and protection in this temporal world and in the hereafter.” (Ibn Majah)
And as with any benefit that Allah (swt) grants us, we will have to justify its use on the Day of Judgment, as Allah recalls in Surah Al-Takathur, Verse 9.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said in a Hadith narrated by Tirmidhi, that Allah (swt) will ask His servant on the Day of Judgement: “Have We not granted you a healthy body?”
Of course, any favour
bestowed by Allah must be considered and used conscientiously. Thus, it is hard
to imagine a Muslim, carefree, not praying to the Unique God.
Islam is also synonymous with hygiene. The Muslim must keep himself clean because cleanliness is half of faith. Because of this a Muslim must take a bath every day and do his ablution [Wu’zu] five times a day to keep and protect his physical body clean and also to purify his soul by asking for help with God to protect him from all kinds of dangers and also diseases. If he is infected with the virus, he should not panic or lose faith in Allah. On the contrary, he must resign himself to the will of Allah and beg Him to cure him of this evil and to protect his family and his environment.
So, it is the duty of every person and also it is the duty of a Muslim to take care of his body and watch over this divine gift of health.
Protect your body from all substances harmful to the body, by its absorption or use: Hence the ban on alcohol, whose harmful effects are no longer cited [as we have talked on this subject many times], and pork, unanimously recognized as an important factor in disease by experts in parasitology. Add to this the use of narcotics, whether they are hard or soft drugs. And this is a principle in the Shariah, as Allah (swt) says in the Quran:
“(He)
makes good things lawful for them, forbids them [the] bad things.” (Al-A'raf 7: 158)
Preventing the Disease
Prevent evil by taking sufficient precautions so that it does not touch you. This last point is the most interesting, because it directly answers our question about fate and trust in Allah: it is also the only way that exists in the case of Covid-19, knowing that the virus is not contracted by absorption of food, but [among others] by the bite of the aedes albopictus [tiger mosquito], and that there is to date no existing remedy. The virus is like the legs of a purple or a mosquito and spreads throughout the body of its victim. The vaccine in question does not kill the virus, but cuts off its legs somewhat, but the virus remains in the victim’s body. The only Healer is Allah, it is He alone whom we must invoke by placing our trust in Him and by taking care of our body as Islam teaches us, by staying clean and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Insha-Allah.
I pray that Allah gives me the Tawfiq to continue on the same subject next week because it is certainly essential to warn against this virus so dangerous, and also not to forget the other diseases which also make a good number of deaths and infected around the world. Insha-Allah. Ameen.