By Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
17 April 2021
Due To The Uncertainty Caused By The Covid-19 Pandemic, The People Are In The Grip Of Fear Of Death And Destruction. Let Us See How Quran Helps People Out Of Similar Situations.
Highlights:
1. Humanity is crying for help, which is nowhere in sight. What is the role of Faith? Can Deep Faith in Divinity Help?
2. This difficult time should be taken as a test from Allah. The brightest of the days come after the darkest of nights.
3. A strong believer is a better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, although both are good.
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We cannot deny the fact that our world is facing troubled times for more than a year now. One or the other part of the world is in the severe grip of uncertain times due to the recent pandemic Covid-19.
There may be different theories in the air about this trying time but ultimately there is no denying that humanity is crying for help, which is nowhere in sight. The People are in the grip of fear of death and destruction. Every eye is wet. Every mouth is open in disbelief. There is a crying silence. One can experience the sound of silence in the atmosphere.
The sound of a knock on the door or that of the ambulance siren on the road is enough to frighten even the bravest and the boldest among us. When there is no hope, there is the hope of our Creator to save us from these difficult times as He has done it on various occasions in the history of 1400 years of Islam. Allah has come to the rescue of the individuals and the communities whenever they have shown their faith in Him and asked for help.
Having Faith that Things will Get Better
So, surely with hardship comes ease. (Al-Inshirah 5-6) - Dr Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving. (Al-Mulk 67: 2) - Dr Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
The two above-mentioned Ayaat are the true reflection of the hardships and the easiness of life. The Ayat is a pointer of easy times after the difficult times. And the second Ayat clears all doubts, if any, that this world is an examination hall and the human beings are tested for their belief both in life and death.
It is not the death that we must fear, but it is the life that is full of tests, especially for those Allah loves the most. As far as death is concerned everything, except a few incidents that have got a mention in the Holy Quran and Ahadees, is in dark. Those among us who fail to understand that difficult times are a test of our firm belief and patience from our Creator, also fail to see the ease and comfort after every difficulty. Do not forget, the brightest of the days come after the darkest of nights.
This difficult time should be taken as a test from Allah and should show our firm belief in the Creator, His apostle Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and all that He has sent. Allah, the Almighty has said in the Holy Quran (Al-Baqarah 2:214) addressing His Messenger and all the humanity that path to Allah is surely full of tough times. But always remember as Allah says, ‘with hardship comes ease:
‘Or think ye that ye will enter paradise while yet there hath not come unto you the like of (that which came to) those who passed away before you? Affliction and adversity befell them, they were shaken as with earthquake, till the messenger (of Allah) and those who believed along with him said: When cometh Allah's help? Now surely Allah's help is nigh. (Surah Al-Baqarah - 2:214) Pickthall’
The human being should fall for the grace and mercy of Allah, the Most Merciful as it has always shown us the light during darkness. Consider the following verse:
“They after that you turned away. Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah upon you, indeed you would have been among the losers. (Quran, Surah Al-Baqara: 64)”
Do not Feel You Are Alone
Those among us who have faith in the divine power should never feel helpless because this feeling is a sign of weak faith in Allah and His Mercy. Read the following narration by Abu Hurayrah (RA), it asks you to stay strong in the direst of the situations:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to do that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless. If anything befalls you, do not say ‘If only I had done (such and such), the such and such would have happened,’ rather say: ‘Allah has decreed and what He wills He does,’ for ‘if only’ opens the door to the work of the Shaitan.” (Muslim, 2664).
Importance of having a Positive Support Group
When we are low at heart and are surrounded by feelings of grief, loneliness, sorrow all around, we should be in the company of people who are positive thinkers and supportive. We must not forget the famous maxim, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ The presence of wise and virtuous people creates an atmosphere of positive waves. Consider the following Hadees:
Narrated Abu Musa, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said,
“The example of a good companion (friend) in comparison with a bad one is like that of one who sells musk and the blacksmith. From the first, you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell, while from the blacksmith you would either get burned or smell a bad scent.” [Saheeh Hadith by Bukhari].
As the maxim goes, ‘man is known by his company’, being in the surrounding of the inspiring people will also influence your approach towards life and if there is any negativity, which is common during the difficult times, it will change into positive thinking. In the present situation, it is a way of coming out of the pandemic depression and of being helpful to society.
Remember Allah during the Times of Happiness
Those who remember their friends during the good times have the nerve of asking them for help, if needed, during the tough times also. In the same vein, do not forget Allah when you have good times. Keep remembering and thanking Him for His mercy. Following Ayat describing the story of Prophet Yunus (AS) exhorts us to remember Allah during tough times.
Out of His mercy, Allah finally relieved him out of that calamity. He tells us in the Qur’an: “Had he not been of them who glorify Allah, he would have indeed remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection.” (Qur’an, Surah As-Saffaat: 143-144)
May we see the brightest day of the ‘post pandemic’ era and all humanity be safe under the mercy of Allah.
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Also Read: Islamic Guidelines on Epidemics Can Help People Cope With Covid-19
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And Allah knows the best.
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