Is COVID-19 a Conspiracy? An Honest Response.
Amid Coronavirus pandemic and its far-reaching impact on people worldwide, some people claim that we may have to cope with almost 10 lac infected cases merely in Pakistan. The experts say that the lockdown shall be extended to 3 months to flatten the Coronavirus curve. Although countries having a high number of Coronavirus cases are relying on lockdown to keep the situation under control, recent research by Harvard University reveals that social distancing may remain in place until 2022 unless a vaccine is ready.
People are not only fighting with the virus but also the conspiracy theories about it that are circulated by the media. The US is blaming China for this virus and Chinese authorities are claiming that it’s a US bioweapon. Some people also believe that the new 5G technology is responsible for this virus. With so many conspiracy theories circulating in the online sphere, most of us don’t know what should we do in this situation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U4pYr-8tSg
Now that everything is closed down in countries having the most active cases, people are confined in their homes. This is leading to a tense situation all over the world and people are suffering from depression and anxiety. One of the reasons behind these uncertain circumstances is that we don’t know who is doing this and why. Surprisingly, the highest number of deaths are reported in countries having the best healthcare facilities. World’s best doctors and researchers are already working on this and as soon as the vaccine is discovered, we will get it too In Shaa Allah. Pakistani doctors are also working hard on this and we can just pray to Allah that we can figure out its solution as soon as possible.
Since we are unable to understand the causes of this global health crisis, it is high time that we take guidance from Islam at this point and find out what Islam has to teach us. Let’s have a look at the teachings of Islam for situations like this:
Allah says in (Surah Al-Shura: 30)
وَمَآ أَصَٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٖ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِيكُمۡ وَيَعۡفُواْ عَن كَثِيرٖ ٣٠
Translation: “And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.”
It can be said that we are enduring these hardships because of our own wrongdoings and it is not a conspiracy as it is clearly mentioned in the Quran by Allah.
What Should We Do?
Allah Almighty tells us the way in (Surah Namal: 46)
قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبۡلَ ٱلۡحَسَنَةِۖ لَوۡلَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ٤٦
Translation: He said, “O my people, why are you impatient for evil instead of good? Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allah that you may receive mercy?”
And in (Surah Al-Noor: 31)
وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ٣١
Translation: “And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed.”
There are 4 requirements for seeking forgiveness or taubah;
- Permanently abandoning the sin
- Repentance for the sin
- Making sure not to do it again
- Give others their due rights
Following is a list of few common sins:
- To associate someone with Allah Almighty
- Not offering Namaz
- Not protecting the gaze
- Disobedience to parents
- Cursing Parents
- Telling a lie
- Temper
- Being proud
- Dishonesty
- Injustice
- Taking bribes
- Abusing other Muslims
- Adultery and Obscenity
- To abandon the relatives
- The females having similarity with the males
- Males having similarity with the females
- Listening Songs with music
- Denying the rights of others
- Killing an innocent
- False testimony
- Forswearing
- Practicing Magic
- Getting profit from Riba
- Getting away with the Orphans’ wealth and their inheritance
- To blame and accuse the innocent ones
- To tease neighbors
- Talebearing
- Suiciding
- To make pictures of the living beings
- To cry loudly over a dead body
- To make sacrifices for other than Allah
So, the question we need to ask ourselves is that are we ready to bid farewell to a sinful life? Along with taking precautionary measures, we can ask for forgiveness from Allah in the way described by Allah in the Quran and Sunnah. Also, we should make sure that we will avoid committing sins and abandon them permanently in the future. Not only this, but we should also aim to guide 10 more people into following this, convince and help them out even though it requires a lot of hard work. Let’s commit to this and work hard.