News related to the coronavirus have long become commonplace and regular in the news flow of «Voice of Islam».
Information about those affected in various countries, travel bans to and from them, cancellation of collective and Friday prayers in mosques in various countries, temporary suspension of Umrah and visits to the Kaaba, and so on. However, some Muslims in countries where the epidemic has not yet occurred or, more precisely, where they think it has not occurred, perceive this news as not affecting them personally. There are also those who like to laugh at the panic, declare that the coronavirus is just the flu, or speculate that everything is preordained by Allah and therefore we should continue to live as before.
To be honest, there is only one characterization for such behavior today, when information about what is happening in the epicenters of the pandemic, as well as calculations and forecasts of its spread, are already available — «ignorance and courage».
We would like to give some advice to our readers in general and to Muslims in particular:
- Given the current rate of pandemic spread, the question is not whether it will come to you or not, but when and in what form it will come — as a problem that can be controlled or as a disaster that will engulf your region. This will depend on the effectiveness of the measures taken by the government and the behavior of all people, including you and your acquaintances.
- To reduce the chances of the pandemic spreading in your area and to increase the chances of keeping the situation under control, panic is not necessary, but caution and responsibility are. Without showing them, you can contribute to the infection of thousands of people, including yourself and your loved ones, which will ultimately lead to a rapid increase in the number of deaths from the virus and the collapse of the health care system and all means of sustenance. By showing them at your level and at the level of your family and community of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc., you are helping to prevent this catastrophic scenario.
- Quarantine, or isolation, is the main weapon in the fight against the pandemic. In its strictest form, it is used when a person is already infected with the virus. In such cases, these people are not allowed to leave the premises, be it their home or a hospital room, where they are placed if necessary and possible. Of course, people are quarantined with their family members, and in some cases, entire apartment buildings are quarantined if there are apartments and residents with the virus.If you are not infected with the virus, your loved ones are not infected, and you live in a house where there are no infected people, your quarantine consists of minimizing visits to crowded places and contacts with people from risk groups (those who come into contact with a large number of people, with cold symptoms, etc.). Try to choose places and times when there are as few people as possible.
- Distance — if you are forced to visit crowded places (stores, medical facilities, workplaces, etc.), try to keep a physical distance (ideally 2 meters) from other people and avoid physical contact with them, such as handshakes, hugs, etc. When touching handrails, door handles and other surfaces that come in contact with people, it is preferable to wear gloves or use disposable napkins, bags, etc.
- Disinfection — Wash your hands with soap as often as possible, and if this is not possible, try to obtain and use antiseptics. Disinfection is especially necessary after returning from crowded places or after contact with people and surfaces.
- Drink warm liquids as often as possible — they kill the virus in the early stages of entering the intestines. Of course, drink from your own or disposable utensils and avoid drinking and eating from communal utensils.
- If you or your loved ones show symptoms of infection (temperature over 38°C with dry cough), do not hesitate to report it to the hotlines in your place of residence. The sooner you see a doctor, even if you are diagnosed with coronavirus, the greater the chance that the disease will not progress to a severe stage. And the more infected people are identified in the country or area, the more effective the fight against the epidemic will be.
Now, about Muslims. Everything said about avoiding crowded places applies fully to religious events: congregational prayers, classes, etc. In many countries, decisions have been made by governments to close mosques, and the King of Saudi Arabia has suspended Umrah, and if the situation does not improve significantly, there is a high probability that it will be canceled or severely restricted in terms of the number of participants this year. In many non-Muslim countries where governments have not yet imposed mandatory restrictions, such decisions are made by Islamic organizations.
Unfortunately, there are people who are criminally negligent in this matter. An example of outrageous behavior in such a situation can be seen in the decision of the Greek Orthodox Church to continue to celebrate the Eucharist with a common chalice and a spoon, claiming that they cannot be infected by it, as well as to hold various processions against the coronavirus, and so on. Some Muslims are not far behind them, insisting on holding collective meetings and even continuing to shake hands during meetings.
At the same time, Islamic law provides instructions that the obligation of collective prayer is lifted if it is associated with a threat, and there are cases in history where Muslims from certain countries did not go to Hajj for extended periods of time due to unsafe transportation with them.
Furthermore, one of the rare advantages of being a Muslim living in a non-Muslim society is that if your local Imam shows an inappropriate assessment of the situation and the risks, you are not obliged to obey him. Therefore, if you see that you can harm not only yourself and your family, but also those around you, perform individual worship instead of collective worship, which loses its obligation in such moments until the situation normalizes according to the assessment of medical experts, regardless of what your imam says.
As for the continuation of communication among Muslims, praise be to Allah, in the age of social media, this is not a problem — sermons and lessons can be conducted remotely, not to mention the ongoing discussions on various topics that can and should be made more meaningful in the absence of the opportunity to meet in person.
Your intention and effort is yours, and the result is Allah’s.