Nabi ﷺ said with regards to plagues that “It is a punishment that Allah sends upon whoever He wills but Allah has made it a mercy for the believers” (Bukhari). The coronavirus pandemic has caused worldwide chaos, with many countries implementing a lockdown. Ultimately, our deeds determine whether this pandemic is a punishment or not.
In the confinement of their homes, some individuals will ponder over the power of Allah. Through one sweeping virus He has caused the entire world to come to a standstill. In fear and hope, they repent and use this opportunity to attain closeness to Allah. For such individuals, this difficulty is a blessing in disguise. Others misuse their time at home to catch up on Netflix, watch pornography, gossip and quarrel. Whether they contract the disease or not is now a secondary matter, as they have turned away from Allah which is a punishment in and of itself. We cannot control the world, but we can control ourselves for which we will be questioned. May Allah guide us, aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
Above is an extract from Shaykh’s talk on 28/03/20. To listen to the full talk, please click here.
