COVID-19: Let us Go Back to Fundamental Reality
Dr Osama Kanaker
The World Health Organization states that Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. Though this is the official international report, there are individuals who expressed different opinions through social media platforms. Most of these opinions are skeptical of the international report though they lack solid evidences. As long as different opinions are available, people’s stances will be different. The question of where it came from undergoes a continuous debate, and maybe remains unanswered.
Let us get back to the root cause of the issue. Allah SWT is the creator of the whole universe. He holds dominion over His kingdom, and nothing happens without His will. This is an unquestioned reality, and COVID-19 is not an exception. Nothing is happened aimlessly to make chaos in Allah’s kingdom. Allah SWT behaves in His kingdom with infinite wisdom.
Allah SWT created human beings in essence to worship Him. Though Allah SWT made us free, He taught us how to live a happy life that leads to a happier eternal one. Allah SWT guided us to Him by kindness. He sent us prophets and books, gave us health and wealth and created everything on earth for the comfort of human beings. Nonetheless, the freedom that was granted to human beings was misused. Corruption appeared on earth as a result of human misconduct. Food is processed, weather is polluted and, as a result, chronic diseases become abundant. Allah SWT confirmed this reality in the noble Qur’an by saying:
It means: “Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]”. (Ar-Rum, 41)
This corruption is a result of negligence of the Godly lifestyle that is full of cooperation, mercy, kindness, preferring others upon the self, brotherhood, etc. Selfishness, love of money, enmity and division prevail over human life though all human beings are originated to a single father and mother, Prophet Adam AS and his wife Eve. Many of human beings turned their back to Allah and denied His kindness. Therefore, Allah SWT replaced teaching by kindness with teaching by affliction. Some afflictions take place to drag human beings back to the primary mission that they were created for. Allah SWT said in the Qur’an:
It means “And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much” (Ash-Shura, 30).
Despite that (COVID-19) becomes a global pandemic, the major international concern remains how and where it comes from and how to manage its spread. The question of how and where does it come from is important because it helps to reach the source and get rid of it. The question of how to manage it is also significant to take the appropriate measures, but it still limited to a materialistic view rather than the fundamental cause. It is an affliction that is supposed to awaken human beings to sincerely go back to Allah to alleviate their shoulders from the burdens of submerging themselves with selfish lifestyle that increases the distance between human beings and Allah SWT. The efforts that have been spent to counter COVID-19 are important, but the paramount reality is insufficiently addressed.
Dr Osama Kanaker is a Senior Lecturer at the Communication Programme, Faculty of Leadership and Management,
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)