THOSE WHO HAVE NO CAPTAIN (Part 1) - By Abu Saeed Nadwi

THOSE WHO HAVE NO CAPTAIN, HAVE ALLAH (Part One)
Abu Saeed Nadwi

(Beautiful moments spent in quarantine)

It was only a slight scratchiness in the throat. That scratchiness developed into a cough; fever, cold and a terrible rhinitis; all commonly seen seasonal ailments. The doctor was consulted and medicines were prescribed but the illness continued to progress along with the intake of medicine.

This was not a sickness new to me. Rather, nearly every year, during these same days, cold and flu would trouble me. The doctor too, was the same, but there certainly was an investigation about a new virus which possessed the capacity for fast-spreading contagion. Tests were carried out and the very thing happened which was dreaded by me as well as by others.

It was a strange milieu of fear …everywhere was mention of this virus; there was neither the courage to take any step nor was anyone approached for a helping hand.

If I entered home, there was the entire family …

I thought of going to the madrasah to get some peace but the students of the madrasah passed before the gaze…

Where should I go?! Where could I flee?! Despite its vastness, the earth seemed straitened.

In the end, what is the remedy for this pain?

At last, where would I go? The destination was only that …friends gathered courage, hospital administrators and doctors promised to stand by me in this distress of mine. The results of the test were in front of me… the ground slipped away from beneath the feet, such was the fear of its destructive capability that had gripped the heart…Allah was the sole refuge.

The meeting with the doctor took place the next evening. After enquiring about my welfare, the words of consolation were on these lines:
“Sir, this is not something serious. Do not worry. Some medicines will be given. Take them and everything will be alright. There is need for concern regarding the elderly because their immunity levels are low. You are young, Masha Allah. All will be fine. You only have to stay a week here and then spend the next two weeks at home isolating yourself from family and children.”

It was as if the consoling words of the doctor removed all pain and caused the suffering to vanish, in a matter of moments. The virus that had been described as something dangerous was now known to be an ordinary sickness. Yes, I am referring to the sickness which the world knows by the name of ‘CORONA’. At that very same time, we told the staff present there, “Remove its fear from your hearts, else deaths will occur due to fear and panic.”

By Allah’s Grace, corona had now been dispelled from the heart…but, a week in isolation, all alone! Neither trace of fellow beings nor human company …away from friends, companions and family! Eating all by oneself had never even crossed the mind, and now this offence had to be committed for a whole week! In front of my eyes, were all those scenes looking at which, life’s mornings and evenings would pass and in the absence of which, life would become impossible.

*And gone is your circle, gone too are the well-wishers
And gone is the evening’s lament, gone too is the morning’s sigh.*

I thought that in this case, now time would have to be spent…there was a knock at the heart - no, no, now time had to be utilized correctly. Conscience called out ~ “The book is the best companion”, keep it with you. There was the counsel of friends too…some suggested recitation of the Quran, some advised zikr, then some mentioned using the mobile to cheer up the heart. Allah, Most Exalted, put the thought into my heart that these days should start with the biography of His beloved (). By Divine Grace, the beginning had now just been achieved, when the phone rang. The speaker was in some quarantine center too - - in short, he then went on to narrate his account of the days he had spent. Yes, his complaints were totally correct and his tale of woe was totally true… but the realization dawned upon me of how far away were members of the community from implementation of Islamic teachings regarding what a Muslim should do during times of calamity.

Our belief is that plagues and epidemics come by Allah’s Will and that they are the results of our deeds. The practice of the Sahaba () during such situations was to turn towards the mosques, engaging in Istighfar (asking Allah’s forgiveness) abundantly, turning towards Allah and seeking a new life.

Readers, please reflect! May Allah protect all of us and grant us security from all calamities and trials. If, Allah forbid, any of our brothers or sisters are in quarantine, let them be concerned about how they utilize this time of theirs to make it profitable! How can they win the pleasure of Allah again? How can we be victorious in the trial which has been sent down by Allah? It should not be that we spend our days only in criticizing the arrangements and administrators there and in backbiting each other. Indeed, have faith that collective adversities and calamities are sent down as the result of collective sins, and everybody will be trapped within their coils.

My friends! Take precautionary measures. Stay away from fear and panic and have faith in Allah. Make recitation your pre-occupation. Keep your tongue moist with Istighfar and zikr. Give abundant sadaqah (charity), for sadaqah repels adversities. Make books your friends. Apologize and ask forgiveness from each other and also forgive each other. By Allah, in these has Allah placed tranquility and peace and our success too is concealed in these.
If all the medical institutions and the knowledge of the physicians are frustrated and fail before this epidemic, even then our faith is in Allah Who sent down the illness and Who has the power to eradicate it.

*Everyone’s ships reach the shores
Those who have no captain, have Allah *

And until we mend our affairs at the individual level and we purify our souls, freedom from calamities and adversities is not possible. This is the conceded divine system.

“Till today, Allah has not changed the condition of a people
Who have not thought of changing their own condition themselves”

(The next part will include mention of those moments which were the most tranquil and peaceful moments of my life)