Adil Saleem*

Allāh has blessed us with a religion that is complete and perfect for all times and places. Allāh tells us in the Qur’ān: “This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion”.
Whatever problem or issue a Muslim faces, he returns back to Allāh and his Messenger for guidance. Recently, humanity is suffering from corona virus which is spreading worldwide, affecting the lives of people, and causing death to others.
As Muslims, we admit that trials and tribulations are part of life, this is something that Allāh informs us of and warns us so that when we are afflicted, we remember that it is ultimately Allāh who controls of our affairs. It is He who will provide help and His knowledge of our affairs surpasses our restricted intellect. As He says in the Qur’ān: “Do you think you that you will enter Paradise without such [trials] as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, ‘When [will] the Help of Allāh [come]?’ Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allāh is near!”
Allāh sends us tests to see how we will react and handle them. How are we going to respond?
So how do we respond to a calamity? Allāh’s answer is: “Who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allāh, and indeed to Him we will return.’”

The concept of pre-destination is extremely important for a Muslim to understand. When incidents such as the corona virus occur, a Muslim should know that this is what Allāh had decreed 50,000 years before the creation of the universe. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained:“Allāh had written the ordained measures (and due proportions) of the creation, fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth…” [1]
All good and bad is from Allāh, as is mentioned in the Hadeeth of Jabir: ‘No slave of Allāh will truly believe until he believes in al-Qadr; its good and bad from Allāh, and until he knows that what has befallen him was not going to miss him and that what missed him was not going to befallen him.’ [2]

A Muslim should not overreact; at the same time, he should not be oblivious about a situation and do nothing!
Taking the necessary means and then relying upon Allāh is something which is emphasized in Islam.
Many of the health guidelines given by the NHS are in fact normal practices for Muslims, some of which are as follows:
1. Washing hands: this is a part of ablution, a Muslim’s daily ritual of purity.
2. General cleanliness: the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Cleanliness is part of faith”. Keeping our surroundings tidy, cleaning up after ourselves, and wiping surfaces down are all aspects of cleanliness which must be adhered to in these situations.
3. Covering your mouth when sneezing. The Prophet would cover his mouth when he sneezed. This basic etiquette can take big part in the stopping of the spread of viruses
“Whenever the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) sneezed, he would cover his mouth with his hand or a piece of cloth.”
4. Quarantine in times of viruses which can spread. The Prophet gave instructions on what to do if there is an outbreak. Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf that he said:“I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) say: “If you hear that it (the plague) is in a land, do not go there, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave, fleeing from it.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also taught us how to protect ourselves by maintaining our adhkar from the Sunnah. One such dua that he taught us was:
“In the name of Allāh with Whose name nothing can harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing”
Always have a positive outlook regardless of the situation you’re in, this is what our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us. On that he said: “Amazing is the affair of the believer, verily all of his affairs are good and this is not for no one except the believer. If something of good/happiness befalls him, he is grateful and that is good for him. If something of harm befalls him, he is patient and that is good for him.”
The corona virus is a reminder to us all of our weak state. Regardless of our social standing and our financial position, we are helpless. Allāh says: “Mankind was created weak”.
Situations like this remind us to turn back to Allāh. Allāh controls everything and He is the one that can relieve us from our difficulties, we must return to Allāh and seek refuge in Him and ask for His protection.

*Complete article is found on the web site www.IslamiCity.com.
Notes: [1] Muslims [2] Tirmidhi [3] Tirmidhi