Is COVID-19 a Warning From God?

Three weeks ago, my aunt sent me a photograph of the Ka‘ba with no one around it—no one circumambulating it, no one prostrating around it, no one even looking at it. Completely empty. No one at all. Except for a few guards.

Shortly afterwards, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, and countries all over the world began to restrict travel and require social distancing. Since then, Friday prayers all over the world have been suspended, daily congregational prayers have been banned, and, in many places, mosques have completely closed their doors to anyone who would worship in them. All kinds of social gatherings—particularly gatherings for religious learning or collective worship and service—have come to a standstill. If you happen to see your fellow Muslim friend, student, or teacher, you no longer shake their hands and make sure that you stand six feet away from them.

As we urgently scramble to follow the news, to protect ourselves from harm, to search for ways to occupy our children at home, to worry about our livelihood, and to wonder how the pandemic will affect our future lives, we should step back for a moment and ask ourselves the following question.

What does it mean for us to be barred from the Ka’ba, from Friday prayers, from congregational prayers, from mosques, from religious gatherings, and from personal interactions with our fellow Muslim friends, students, and teachers? 

Could it be a warning from God?

One of my teachers, Shaykh Abu Munir al-Sha’ar, believes that it might well be a warning from God. And I think so, too. We all know that it is not the tiny COVID-19 viruses that are in control. They, along with everything else in the universe, are utterly dependent on God. It is not the tiny COVID-19 viruses that have barred us from the Ka’ba, from Friday prayers, from congregational prayers, from mosques, from religious gatherings, and from personal interactions with our fellow Muslim friends, students, and teachers. The one who has barred us from these places and gatherings is the Creator of the COVID-19 viruses.

These places and gatherings are normally associated with divine mercy. Prayers at the Ka’ba are like 100,000 prayers elsewhere, every step that we take to the mosque erases our sins, congregational prayers are superior to individual prayers by 27 whole degrees, and religious gatherings of learning and worship are attended by angels of mercy. 

What might God be saying by barring us from the places and gatherings where His mercy descends?

Shaykh Abu Munir believes that He is warning us to wake up and repair our relationships (islah), to repair our relationships with our Lord and to repair our relationships with our fellow human beings, particularly with our fellow Muslims. 

Our relationships with our Lord are in disarray—we are neglecting our obligations to Him, perhaps more than ever before in the history of our umma, to chase after this world. And so He is warning us by distancing us from places of worship.

And our relationships with our fellow human beings, particularly with our fellow Muslims, have reached one of the lowest points in the history of mankind. When we are not active agents of physical, emotional, or financial harm to others, we stand by and watch silently as other active agents of physical, emotional, or financial harm trample over the rights of people. And so He is warning us by distancing us from other people, even those whose company we might benefit from.

Allah Most High warns us in the Quran: “Protect yourselves from a punishment which will not exclusively strike those who do wrong, and know that Allah is indeed severe in His chastisement.” (Quran, 8:25)

This is a time for all of us—both the righteous among us and the sinful (and who among us has never sinned?)—to seek God’s forgiveness, and to return to Him by repairing our relationships with Him and with other people. Allah Most High tells us in the Quran that If we do that, we will ward off God’s chastisement: “Your Lord will never unjustly destroy cities when their inhabitants are making reparations.” (Quran, 11:117)

This is a time for fear, but it is also a time for hope. The purpose of a warning is to protect someone from destruction, not to actually destroy them. God’s warning is no different. The purpose of His warning is not to punish us or drive us away, but to draw us back to him. If fear of His punishment drives to repair our relationship with Him and to repair our relationships with other people, it will all have been a blessing in disguise. And that is what we all hope for.

In this vein, Shaykh Abu Munir has written a detailed and heartfelt counsel. You can read a translation of his counsel here. Please read it yourself and circulate it widely in your networks. 

He will also conduct a free live webinar every week on Fridays 12.30 pm EST (9.30 am PST, 4.30 pm GMT, 7.30 pm Amman time) called "Flee to Allah". The purpose of this weekly webinar is for all of us to gather together online, share our COVID-19-related worries with him, listen to his comforting words, and reconnect with our Lord.

Let’s all pray for each other. And let’s come together this week to listen to Shaykh Abu Munir. See you on Friday insha’allah!