- The pandemic is a wake-up call
The Coronavirus has taken over the world by unprecedented shock. I am not a medico to profess about the virus. I have no clue about it from a medical perspective. Neither do I think the world-class doctors, World Health Organization, international bodies or internal medicine have been able to comprehend the reason for its occurrence, prognosis, how long it would last and what would be its long–term implications. But I can surely predict the world’s canvass socially and economically is going to change unimaginably.
Very importantly, I feel very strongly this is a time for self-reflection and self-introspection.
We are over 7.5 billion people inhabiting the planet Earth. From recorded human history, we have been using the Earth’s resources, initially in a sane distributive manner (when everyone took according to his need) and then more brutally and abusively. I think Mother Earth has produced in abundance from time immemorial but if we humans plan to abuse the resources of our planet solely to our benefit, then the forces of nature would retaliate. The benefit of the Divine is for all mankind. The Divine laws of the Creator are designed so as to take corrective remedial measures.
The Laws of Nature have an element of changelessness ingrained. The entire planetary world has been mandated to orbit in a certain designed fashion. Their fate [qismat, takqdeer] has been fixed by the Almighty. They do not have any discretionary powers like human beings. Is it possible that the Sun starts rising and setting everyday from a different position? The Earth along with other eight planets in our solar system cannot change their course whenever they desire? We cannot change the behavior of the heavenly bodies, their atmosphere, their positions. God created the universe in a balance and nobody has the power or the potential to intervene or usurp this equilibrium of nature. Once the Creator designed the entire heavens and earth, He made this commitment to mankind that He shall not change His laws. He even did not give Himself this luxury to be discretionary. Why was the universe designed in this format? The simple answer is that so the Laws of Nature have an element of validity and reliability. Therefore, relying on the validity of the Divine Laws of Nature, we can comprehend how the forces of Nature operate. How man has been able to conquer the Moon and explore other planetary world is because by mathematical calculation we know their movement; their longitude and latitude positions can be scientifically calculated.
If this virus had not occurred, the earth would have retaliated in some other manner to remind us of how ruthlessly we are treating her. It is a call of the forces of nature but personally I think that we would never learn even from this catastrophe
Now we have discussed how the Creator has designed the format of the Universe, let us ponder what we are doing to Mother Earth. We have tried over decades to interrupt in the design of Nature. We are trying to upset the perfect balance, equilibrium and synchronicity created by the Creator. We are trying to intervene into various avenues whish are un-explorable; in short we cannot act God. We cannot defy the Laws of Nature.
Let us follow the limitations which the Creator has set for us and research and explore by remaining within those boundaries. No matter how far we have advanced scientifically, can the doctors produce skin? Therefore, we do not have to be over-ambitious but act like pragmatic human beings, not usurping and intervening into the areas over which we have no inherent control.
Now let us ponder a few verses of the Holy Quran.
The observance of social distancing has been mentioned in 58:11: “O Jamat-ul-Momimeen! [the munafiqeen come to your assemblies and sit close together so that they can whisper to each other] so, when you are told to spread out in gatherings, do so and sit separately from each other. [This should be the normal way of sitting in such gatherings] The emphasis on personal hygiene has been mentioned in one Hadith; “your personal cleanliness is half of your faith”.
Allah invites mankind to think and ponder how the Universal Laws operate in the entire Galaxy. “The truth of Our laws can be understood by observing these universal signs.” [25:59] “In six aeons Allah created the heavens and earth and kept the control of the whole universe in His own hands, so that everything in it would continue to develop fully”. [36:38-40, 44-45] “ Our law never changes. Laws are also fixed for mankind but man has been given the freedom of choice . We have built the universe that is spread out in the cosmos. The expanse of Our power has no boundaries” [55: 18, 33] “How His Divine law encompasses the entire universe. You will have to stay within this universe in which His law is prevalent every-where. You cannot escape from it”.
From the above few verses of the Holy Quran, it is established that the ultimate control lies with the Creator.
When homo sapiens were created billions of years ago, there was a stage that [76:16] “the human being was for a long time not something which could exist on its own”. [Then by passing him through various stages of evolutionary development, We brought him to this stage]. Scientists claim that there are one hundred billion cells in human brain and Albert Einstein was the only one who utilized his brain to the maximum {approximately 4 to 5 percent]. Now with this where do we stand?
We are at a very initial preliminary stage as far as the development of human psyche is concerned. Let us not try to harness and conquer all when we do not have the capability at present. Let us wait for the stage when we are fully developed psychically, spiritually and scientifically to understand how the laws of universe operate. It would take centuries before our brain is developed to the level we realize that all mankind is one and we have to work in harmony and for the welfare of the entire humanity .
Coming back to the virus, it is our own creation in consequence of abusing the laws of nature. It is a lesson to be learnt in this century. We should never attempt to disturb the ecological balance prevalent in our planet. If this virus had not occurred, the earth would have retaliated in some other manner to remind us of how ruthlessly we are treating her. It is a call of the forces of nature but personally I think that we would never learn even from this catastrophe.
