Iqra! Iqra! ..said the ghoulish voice in a cave called Hira on Mount Nour (Jabal Al Nour) near Makkah.
Iqra means Read. But, I can’t read said Muhammad (the Prophet PBUH). “ Read in the name of God” was the first verse of the Quran by the Angel Jibril in that cave in the year 610 AD.
It’s 2020 now. And there is a lot to learn from that first incident of the encounter of an unlearned man meditating on a mountain top who received his first revelation. Similar to Moses (PBUH) and Buddha before him, for many years he went up mountain tops meditating to understand meaning and purpose of life and received a revelation which is now followed and practiced by 1.8B people worldwide.
Firstly, he self-isolated. Understanding and connecting with a supreme being requires a strong sense of understanding and patience. He sat alone and tried to delve on topics far beyond his grasp.
Secondly, that incident made him question himself and his own sanity. It required a lot of self reflection and inner investigation (the scientific method) to make sense of the situation he was facing to take the next steps from the information at his hand.
Both are so important for Muslims right now in the time of Covid-19.
“O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.” (Q. 2:153)
Ramadan is upon Muslims next week, and the first thing a lot of people’s mind is praying in groups and mingling for fancy dinners and fasting to be a sign of opulence and presentation of their fine culinary skills. Sadly the lock down is pushing their patience.
Before anyone releases a fatwa against me, I want to lay out a disclaimer that I am no expert or scholar in this beautiful and simple religion called Islam. The faith I know very little about myself but better than others because I was born to it and practiced it and lived in many Islamic nations growing up as a child.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a clash of two types of people in every faith in this world. The ones who have faith but understand the implications of proven science of virus spreading and the others who want to defy the odds because they believe Qadar ( (Arabic: قدر, transliterated qadar, meaning “fate”, “divine fore-ordainment”, “predestination,” but literally “power”) is the concept of divine destiny in Islam); one of the parts of faith will guide them best.
We cannot argue against the belief systems because it is going to be a never ending battle. But I want to reiterate that through patience and perseverance, the prophet (PBUH) gained knowledge and spread his teachings.
If we take that concept of inquiry, then why shouldn't we apply those same to today’s pandemic.
- Pray at Home. Two people is enough to make a Jammat. Not a room full in a mosque. (Would love some scholar to validate this — as I said, I am not a scholar, but that’s what I was taught).
- Fasting is not about being ostentatious. Its in its simplicity. The human body can go hungry for a long time. Mahatma Gandhi went three weeks without food (Those reading this aren’t in this condition, but we should remember that a lot of people in developing countries are probably in this state since their respective lock downs began). We don’t need an Iftar party, but going back to the basics will help us remember that in those days, meat was sparse and it was not the large spreads needed to sustain. Today’s intermittent fasting champions will tell you that you are more alert with less food in your body.
- Exercise and Work. The point of fasting is to live a life while in hunger. To lead a normal life while in a state of hunger. That is going to be hard especially in a lock down, but is also the greatest test of your own self-restraint. To work, to walk , to exercise as if you lived a normal daily life will lead us to also forget that Ramadan is upon you.
Lastly, if the purpose of Ramadan (especially the last ten days when the Quran was revealed in that cave), isn’t a lock down the best way to emulate that surrealist experience of connecting with one’s self and with a higher power?
Next month, we are going to see a lot of faithful Muslims try to congregate in large numbers. Hoping to beat disease and suffering, through faith and accuse science of blocking them. We have to also be patient with them and help them understand that religion and spirituality can be attained individually than in numbers. It’s not going to be easy and violence is expected when you are hungry and feeling isolated. Governments need to co-ordinate and support rather than squelch them. Governments need to provide gated communities to let them stay for a month within mosques or their own gatherings and isolate them to avoid spread of contagions. It is in the best interest of governments as well so that they can contact trace origins easily as well.
and I definitely hope with all the clear unpolluted skies, we all can see the moon on Thursday ( or is it Wednesday? :) ).
P.s. I found these two articles very enlightening especially when you relate it to a lock down:
