We're not only talking about events and mass gatherings that are being cancelled
We're talking about the Haram, the city that never sleeps has far come to a pause.
And we're having Masajids around the world that are saying "Pray in your homes" it's a madness.
It is but we have to rise to the occasion to face reality
I can confess that beginning when I heard about Corona I thought it was being a bit exaggerated
and I thought this thing is going to die down and so on and you know there a lot of conspiracy theories and so on
When we start seeing the impact on the ground
Then I said "You know what, we as leaders should be saying the right things"
And you know people are panic buying, people are...
Yeah the toilet papers going mad in Australia. The shelves are completely empty.
That's crazy.
You know that's actually prohibited to go to the Masjid when you know that you could be infected.
Because to you know, to effect a fellow human with a disease or with the virus of this nature
It's prohibition is far great than anything else
cause you have to save life
Remember, if a person's life is in stake, actually in some point which may be prohibited otehrwise
in order to save the life
The reason is the prohibition of that thing is not as bad as the prohibition of the lost of life
So those people who think "You know what, I'm pious, I've never missed my Jumu'ah
I know I do have a bit of cough, I know but I do have
But let me just go
Their actually perpetrating something heinous very, it's a major sin actually.
Know there was a brother in of the Middle East countries
Where he was in quarantine, in the hospital. He disappeared
On Friday, at one o'clock, he came back at 2:30. "Where did you go?"
I said I went to Salatul Jumu'ah
And he had the virus
And it's just a shame that people think "How could you say this? This is Jumu'ah"
But you know what, it has happened in the past.
And it's not gonna be the last time it's gonna happen in the future.
This is where the rules and regulations come in.
Mufti I guess is that all comes back in order to have that knowledge
It's not enough to have good intentions
Cause you think you're doing something good but without the appropriate the right knowledge
You can infect and commit a great sin and that's the scart part about it.
And just on that note of knowledge
There's a lot of talk going around that Coronavirus in a punishment from Allah.
How should Muslims, you know, confront this allegation
I think it's quite clear that
Anything that happens
If it were to bring you closer to Allah, it's actually the mercy of Allah.
And if it were to distance you from Allah, perhaps it may be a punishment from Allah
So, if you take look at the Sahabah (May Allāh be pleased with them) during their time
there was a plague!
does that mean they were punished?
The answer is no.
So, there were rules and regulations in place.
and they it was their time to be tested
Are you going to follow what Allah and is Rasul (sallallahu w'alayhi wa sallam) had
Laid down or are you going to do your own thing?
And some of them passed away and so on and you know, in fact
Many people died
It doesn't necessarily mean that it was a punishment.
For those who were
Driven away from Allah
who became oblivious
Could've been
But, to be honest, anything that draws you closer to Allah
is not considered a punishment
It's actually a gift to Allah
I guess, you've reminded me, I think, just last night
I think of the past two nights one of the imams in the local area
is being doing the Qunoot the Dua'
After the fourth raka'ah in the Salat
and he's
calling upon Allah
Asking for his help
And I guess this is the sign that
Is this is what you're doing in this time
Then I guess from what you're saying, It can't be a punishment because
it's bringing us closer to Allah
Allowing us to return to Allah
And I guess, that's what
All Muslims right now should understand.