The word used in the ahadith is taa‘oon. It means any widespread disease that leads to the death of many people. Coronavirus includes any virus belonging to the family of Coronaviridae. Coronaviruses have enveloped virions (virus particles) that measure approximately 120 nm (1 nm= 10-9 metre) in diameter. Well, that is a lot smaller than bacteria that cause such diseases, and hence, deadlier.
In the late 2019 a virus closely related to the SARS coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China. This new virus caused an illness known as COVID-19, which was similar to SARS and was being characterized primarily by fever and acute respiratory symptoms. The virus is highly contagious and by the beginning of 2020, it has spread across Europe, South and Central Asia, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia among other countries. It didn’t respect any border or any imaginary community. It traversed through all.
In this issue of Zaanvun Lokchaar, our own Moulvi and Sufi will debate how Muslims across the globe need to respond to it. Let us hear them out.
Q. To date, more than 16,000 people have died after getting infected with COVID-19. Moulvi saeb, what do you think Muslims should do apart from praying for one another?
Moulvi: It is very tragic to see people dying like this. It is even harsher when you can’t do anything about it. It seems nature is taking its revenge in every which way. May God protect us all, and by all I mean all the humanity. Muslims should not only pray for fellow Muslims but for the entire humanity.
Muslims should abide by the instructions of doctors, scientists and WHO. However, it is high time they resort to repenting their sins. They should also listen to their respective authorities and try as much as they can to segregate themselves, physically. The congregational prayers should be suspended for a while.
Q. Sufi saeb, I saw you getting very uncomfortable while hearing out the Moulvi saeb. What do you think Muslims should do?
Sufi: Yes, I did get itchy while hearing Moulvi saeb out. But, I am also in agreement about certain things he said. We should pray for all humanity and we should also hear the experts out on such matters.
However, I am not in agreement with suspending congregational prayers. In Sufi tradition, we do bandaars in Kashmir. We go and hear some godly person out, and then eat together at the end. Besides namaz, we also do mouloods for the love of God and his Prophet (SAW). We support congregational prayers because we believe God might listen to someone among the congregation, and that will help all in the end. Our belief is rooted in a story of Hazrat Moosa (AW). It happened when God didn’t send rain and nothing grew from the bosom of the earth. It caused drought. Then the people repented and prayed in congregations, and God listened to someone in some congregation, and rain came down from the heavens.
I am not an expert on virology, but I believe that while all those activities which involve social gatherings should be suspended until this vicious pandemic is over, mosques, shrines, temples and churches should be kept open for prayers.
Q. Moulvi Saeb, how do you want to respond to that?
Moulvi: This would have been easier if we, the ulema, hadn’t complicated Islam for our personal benefits. Islam is very clear about plagues. Bukhari and Muslim narrate a hadith from Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf in which he said, “I heard the messenger of Allah (SAW) say: ‘If you hear that 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.” (Bukhari, 5739 & Muslim, 2219)
The same is reported elsewhere by Bukhari and Muslim which is narrated by Usman Ibn Zaid.
Most of the scholars are in agreement with this technique. This is also one of the most widely used techniques even in the modern world. Be it SARS, Ebola or Novel Coronavirus, the same method has always been followed.
However, we have developed modern health equipment that helps us in understanding whether the person has contracted the virus or not. It has helped the countries to call back their citizens whose tests have been negative all along.
Don’t get me wrong here. We are not debating how the congregation helps in du‘aa. We are debating how crowds can make it easier for the virus to spread. Don’t you know what happened to an ijtima of Tableegi Jamaat in Malaysia? 190 people got infected in a single event. And once they got back to their friends and relatives, they carried the new virus too. All I am saying is that every crowd can transmit the infection, be it a religious congregation or a party in a five-star hotel. We need to suspend all.
Q. Sufi Saeb, I want you to comment on the hadith Moulvi Saeb mentioned. Also, we aren’t talking about the rains here. We are taking about a virus that transmits through humans and animals alike.
Sufi: Look, it is God’s azaab on us. Such azaabs have come in the past, too. But no caliph or sultan ordered the closure of mosques. We have to repent in mosques. A mosque is a house of Allah. Coming to the hadith, we aren’t telling you to go to China or any affected country. We also abide by the law. But don’t we go out to buy our essentials: Bakery, milk and other daily items? When there’s no harm in going to a kandirwaan or a goor, why are we only afraid of going to mosques? Also, can’t newspapers carry the virus with them?
God says in the Quran: “Who could be more wicked than someone who prevents God’s name from being mentioned in his house of worship…?” (Surah Baqarah, 114) Also, there were plagues in the past in Mecca and Medina. The then king of Egypt wanted to suspend hajj for that year. However, after consulting the ulema, it was decided that it can’t be suspended since it is one of the pillars of Islam.
To us Sufis, who have contributed greatly to metaphysics, we believe that God has returned the favour to the Chinese, Italian and French governments, for the former prevented Uighurs from performing namaz, and put them in the concentration camps, while the other two countries prevented Muslim women from wearing hijab.
Q. Moulvi saeb, do you still think that congregations should be suspended after listening to Sufi saeb’s reponse?
Moulvi: Indeed, I still believe that. As I said earlier, a crowd is a crowd. Be it for essential needs or for obligatory prayers, one has to avoid gatherings of any kind. In verse 195 of the same surah, God also says, “…do not cast yourself into destruction by your own hands. Do good, God loves the doers of good.” Considering the evidence we have about crowds accelerating the spread of the virus, this verse fits the matter at hand perfectly.
The verse Sufi saeb quoted doesn’t actually refer to suspension of mosques as a precautionary measure. It is for those who stop people from going to mosques in normal times. We can’t apply the same rule in abnormal times.
In the very next verse, God says, “Perform the hajj and the umrah for the sake of God. If you are prevented from doing so, then make whatever offering you can afford and do not shave your heads until the offering has reached the place of sacrifice….” And all instructions given for what should be done in an abnormal state of affairs. The best offering one can make right now is to buy some masks and testing kits to save the lives of people; for God says in the same surah, “If you save one life, it is as if you have saved the entire humanity.”
In surah Al Nisa, God says, “Do not kill one another for God is most merciful to you.” Your act of going out to a congregation can harm not only you, but your family members, relatives and friends also. The Prophet (SAW), too, said, “Do not harm yourself or others.” This hadith supports the above mentioned verse. And it applies to both healthy and sick people. He (SAW) also prohibited people who had eaten garlic or onion from joining the congregational prayers in masjid, for the smell coming out of their mouths might cause discomfort to others. Now, imagine what would the Prophet (SAW) have done in the current scenario. He even prohibited people from joining congregational prayers during rains because they might fall ill. It is COVID-19 jinab; it doesn’t only remain in the air; it is transmitted by just a little touch.
Q. Sufi saeb, do you want to reply to that, or should we move ahead to our next question?
Sufi: Yes, I would like to reply to that. I guess, I should do nothing but agree with what Moulvi saeb has very lucidly explained. His dalayil are stronger than ours and we should accept that. After all, all the great ulemas have said that when you get a stronger dalil, you should follow that and keep yours aside.
However, I just have a few issues pending. Moulvi saeb, if you could help me with what the Prophet meant when he said, “A person who didn’t come to mosque after hearing the azan, his prayer won’t be registered if he didn’t have any uzur [Valid reason or cause].” Can you help us with that? Also, why was namaz performed in congregation even during the time of war?
Q. Moulvi saeb, kindly respond to that.
Moulvi: I am glad you turned my attention towards these issues. In the first hadith, it is mentioned that if a person avoids going to mosque without any uzur (a valid reason) even after hearing azan, the person’s prayers will not be registered. As you know, the fear of falling ill is one of the reasons approved by Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafi, and the fear of contracting COVID-19, therefore, more than qualifies as a valid reason. As far as the second hadith about congregational prayers being performed even during the times of war is concerned, I am sure that if there is a plague, even war will be suspended. That is my understanding of Islam. I hope it is yours too.
Q. Sufi Saeb, is there anything you want to say?
Sufi: I want to thank Moulvi Saeb for clearing my doubts. Readers, debate as we do, but remember, if there are no differences in opinion, knowledge won’t get benefitted. Debates should be conducted in such a way that you should have nothing but love against your opponent at the end of the day. We have to learn to appreciate the reason even if it goes against us. Thank You and God Bless one and all.
