Humanity

Move will also include weekly Friday prayers in a country that has reported more than 270 coronavirus cases. Based on reporting by Aljazeera Saudi Arabia has suspended the holding of daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayers inside and outside the walls of the two mosques in Mecca and Medina to limit the spread of coronavirus. Earlier, on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia had suspended congregational prayers in other mosques in the country except Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi, in Mecca and Medina respectively. Authorities had placed restrictions on praying inside the mosque in Mecca. On Thursday, the government suspended prayers outside the two holy mosques. “The Presidency and the security and health authorities decided to suspend the presence and prayers in the outer squares of the Grand Mosque [Masjid al-Haram] and the Prophet’s Mosque [Masjid al-Nabawi] starting tomorrow, Friday,” the country’s official SPA news agency quoted Hani bin Hosni Haider, a spokesman for the General Presidency of Mecca’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, as saying. Saudi Arabia recorded 36 new infections on Thursday, bringing its total to 274 with no deaths so far. It has taken drastic measures already. In addition to closing mosques, it has halted international flights, suspended the Umrah year-round pilgrimage to Mecca, shut down schools, malls and restaurants, and asked people to stop going to work. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman said the kingdom will take measures to curb its spread and urged citizens to work together to confront the pandemic. “We are living through a difficult period in the history of the world, but we are fully aware that it will pass despite its cruelty, bitterness and difficulty,” the 84-year-old monarch said on Thursday in a five-minute televised address. Amid volatility in regional markets and plunging oil prices, the world’s top crude exporter has prepared a 50 billion riyal ($13bn) package to help small and medium-sized enterprises cope, and has cut its state budget by nearly five percent.

It was a special Saturday, 29th February 2020 as the Quranic school of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Ogbagede graduated the first set of students who have completed the basic reading of the Quran in an historic maiden Aminul Quran event held in the Jamaat’s mosque premises at Ogbagede -Emekutu, Ankpa, Kogi State of Nigeria. The memorable event, hosted by Missionary Abdul-Hakeem Okewale who doubles as resident Missionary of Ahmadiyya at Ogbagede and tutor of the Quranic school, was graced by many high profile Muslim and Christian leaders including the Circuit President of Ahmadiyya in Igalaland, Alhaji Musa Khalil, Dr. Khalid Bala, the Chief Imam of Emekutu, Alhaj Zakariyya, Imam of Okura, Alhaj Shuaib Musa, Imam of Ogoba, and Rev. Father Stephen Onyewuchukwu, among others. In his welcome address, Missionary Abdul-Hakeem Okewale Sahib expressed gratitude to Allah for the historic achievements being recorded by Ahmadiyya in the service of the Glorious Quran in Ogbagede, highlighting the various aspects of Quranic knowledge that are being imparted on the students. The guest lecturer, Hafiz Yunus Omotayo, who spoke on the miracles in the Qur’an, declared that the Holy Qur’an is the greatest and everlasting miracles given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw). He specifically quoted the Holy Prophet (saw) who said, “None among the earlier Prophets who have not been given signs through which humans believed in the truthfulness of their message. But revelation (the Qur’an) is the sign which has been given to me and with that, I hope to get the largest of followers on the day of resurrection.” Speaking further, he dissected the various aspects of miracles in the Quran which range from the beauty and inimitability of its composition, among other literary miracles, to the scientific miracles relating to biological, embryological and astronomical facts contained in the Holy Book, and so on. Making reference to Quran 17:89 which challenges mankind, both high and low, to produce the like of the Quran if they could, he noted that it is all these miracles and the inability of a man to produce the like of them that prove the uniqueness, virtues, and glory of the Quran. A special feature of the event was the melodious recitation of the Glorious Quran by each of the graduands which were coordinated by Missionary Abdur-Raheem Bello. Other interesting highlights include educational presentations by the students which include chanting of Qaseedah [poem] and Salat practical demonstration, among others. The Circuit Missionary for Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Igala Circuit, Missionary Abdul-Qadir Ibrahim, delivered the closing remark where he highlighted the various peaceful preaching (Tabligh), moral educational (Tarbiyya) and humanitarian activities being carried out by Ahmadiyya in Igala land, stressing that the message of peace and love being propagated by Ahmadiyya represents the reformed and enlightened teachings of Islam for the people of our time. The six graduands are Yusuf Onu, Abdul Wahhab Bamaiyi, Fadlullah Okewale, Muhammad Akubo, Juwaeriya Adejoh, and Sharifah Akubo Other Ahmadiyya Missionaries at the programme were Missionary Uthman Yahya, Missionary Abdul-Ghani Abdul-Hameed, Missionary Khamis, Missionary Habeeb, and Missionary Zakariya.

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) which occurred in China has continued to ravage human life, straining global health systems. First declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization on January 30, 2020, the startling spread of the disease necessitated the global health body to further declare it a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. As this piece is being penned today, April 3rd, 2020, the global confirmed positive cases stand at 1,016,413 with a death toll of 53,238 and 213,134 recovered cases. Check update as at nowhere. It has since locked down our global village, particularly dealing a dead blow to the advanced countries. In many countries, it has restricted social activities, forcefully imposing new order of life upon the entire global human family. It has closed down places of worship. It has shut down factories and businesses, crushed global petrol price,s and pushed the world to the verge of a looming global economic and financial crisis. With the increasing global positive cases and death toll, but with no verified curable vaccine within our closest view yet, it is evident that the world is in the grip of a global catastrophe of a phenomenal proportion. Notably, amid the trending global health crisis, the media (both mainstream and social) and the internet and “street” discussions have been buzzing with various and conflicting conspiracy theories and speculations about the underlying factors that effectuated the outbreak of this global pandemic. In the following lines, this piece will attempt a brief assessment of these speculations and present what it views as the Quranic verdict on the pandemic. Among the viral conspiracy theories and speculations are: The Biological Warfare Conspiracy Theory There are those who speculate that COVID-19 is a bioweapon unleashed by a certain world power in pre-calculated biological warfare to gain or maintain global political and economic ascendancy and hegemony. Two conflicting powers are pushing this conspiracy theory: The American Connection As an article written by Phil Muncaster and published by Infosecurity Magazine on 1 April 2020 shows, while Chinese conspiracy theory which posits that COVID-19 was some kind of US military bioweapon date back to January, by February 1, speculation began to spread that the virus was linked to US attendance at the Military World Games, which took place in Wuhan in October 2019. Subsequently, Zhao Lijian, deputy director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Information Department, took to Twitter on March 12 to suggest “the US army brought the epidemic to Wuhan.” This was followed a few hours later by another tweet of Zhao’s which shared an article from a conspiracy theory site that “the virus originated in the US.” The Chinese Connection On 29 March, 20202, Economic Times published an article entitled ‘A Bioweapon or Effects of 5G? 7 Conspiracy Theories Around Coronavirus That Will Shock You.’ The article documents how those on the American side are sharing suspicions that the virus could have originated from Wuhan, Institute of Virology, which houses China’s only level-four biosafety laboratory (the highest-level classification of labs that study the deadliest viruses). The first prominent personality to come out publicly and support the theory was the US senator Tom Cotton who appeared on Fox News to allege that the virus could indeed have originated from the lab. It is perhaps against this backdrop and/or in an attempt to impress this upon the world, that the US President, Donald Trump has since been referring to COVID-19 as a Chinese virus. 2. The Effects of 5G Technology Speculation A connection between 5G Technology and coronavirus has also surfaced online. This speculation attributes the global pandemic to the effects of 5G technology. COVID-19 is believed to have originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China, in November. Coincidentally, China also turned on some of its 5G networks in November. 3. The Natural Pandemic Speculation There is another speculative theory that tends to believe that COVID-19 is a natural pandemic that has its causes or origins in the Chinese seafood market. This was substantiated by reports from Chinese health authorities and the World Health Organization which said that “most” cases had links to the seafood market, which was closed on 1 January 2020. Observably, two conflicting attitudes are being held towards this perspective by two different sections of people. One, those who seem to believe that since COVID-19 has its origin in natural causes, the scientific and technological community would soon discover and produce vaccine(s) for it, and so, like every other earlier pandemic, it would soon be defeated or disappeared from the world, notwithstanding the overall limited casualties that would be recorded anyway! The second attitude tries to make sense of COVID-19 as a natural pandemic meant by the divine as a reformatory punishment to draw mankind back to their Supreme Creator and God. At this juncture, it is important to look into the Glorious Quran and find out how does it address the present COVID-19, particularly, its attitude to the foregoing conflicting speculations about the factors behind the global pandemic. From a general principle that “There befalls not any calamity either in the earth or in your even persons, but it is recorded in a Book before We bring it into being…” (Q. 57:23), the Holy Quran goes further to declare in the verse 66th of its Chapter 6 that: “Say, ‘He has the power to send punishment upon you from above or from beneath your feet, or to confound you by splitting you into sects and make you taste the violence of one another.’ See how We expound the Signs in various ways that they may understand.” In his celebrated Quranic commentary, the Second Supreme Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Bashirudeen Mahmud Ahmad (ra) explained this verse thus: “The Quran here refers to some of the kinds of punishment which God may send down on men. Punishments “from above” signify famines, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, oppression of the weak by the powerful, mental agony, etc. And

As the world continue to battle with the economic hardship created by the ravaging and deadly Coronavirus Disease, otherwise known as COVID- 19, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria have distributed food items worth millions of naira to the poor and vulnerable within Ojokoro Area, Ijaiye in Lagos State. The food items were distributed to over 500 families by the Humanity First International Nigeria Branch; a non-governmental organization founded by Ahmadiyya Community saddled with the responsibility of providing humanitarian services to the people affected by natural disasters. Other activities of Humanity First International include women empowerment, knowledge for life, gift of sight, water for all, medical services, disaster service, food for life, orphan care, among others. The organization has been firmly established in 52 countries. The Amir (National Head) of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria Alh.(Barr.) Alatoye Folorunso Azeez, represented by the Naib Amir (Deputy National Head) Finance and Administration Alh.(Engr.) Mufadhil Bankole at the handing over of the food items to Humanity First, enjoined Nigerians to be law-abiding, obey the stay at home directives and implement all other precautionary measures outlined by the government and health authorities to halt the spread of the pandemic. He said the continuous provision of palliatives to the poor should be the social responsibility of government at all levels as well as well-meaning Nigerians, groups, and organizations in order to cushion the effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic which has now affected over 180 countries in the world with more than two million people infected. The Muslim organisation also donated food items and face masks to the Nigerian Union of Journalists as a mark of recognition of the tremendous works of the media in sensitising and enlightening the public on the pandemic. The items were received by the Chairman Nigerian Union of Journalists Lagos State, Dr. Qasim Akinreti, who later appreciated the kind gesture of the Muslim body. Alh. Bankole further disclosed that the local branches of the Muslim Community across Nigeria had earlier provided food items and relief materials to the vulnerable at the grassroots.

By Mansoor Clarke There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic is a terrible state of affairs. The loss of even one life is one too many, and the ramifications of the outbreak will, it is predicted, be felt for years to come. But as we stock up on tinned foods, dust off the family board games and log in to the office conference call, we should remember, that what we in our seemingly impregnable societies see as a state of emergency, others around the world experience as regular day to day life. Covid-19 has laid bare the vulnerabilities in a system that we believed to be unbreakable. From disruption in the transport and education systems to power outages and the unavailability of food or medical treatment, these may feel like unprecedented times in many people’s lives, yet there are others around the world who very much see this as the norm. In 2018 I was fortunate enough to be sent as a missionary to Sierra Leone for a few months. While I was there, I saw both what you would expect from a bustling center of culture and business, but I also met with some people who had never had electricity at home and didn’t have access to clean drinking water, let alone medical assistance or proper education. There is nothing wrong with feeling the pressure of today’s predicament, but it should lead us to building a strong sense of empathy and compassion for others who have to endure much worse from birth. If ever we feel that ‘this is too difficult’, try to look at the circumstances of those who don’t have the privileges and ease that we often take for granted. This concept is explained to us in a narration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) when he stated: ‘Look at those below you and do not look at those above you, for it is the best way not to belittle the favours of Allah.’ (Bukhari and Muslim) Just a few days ago a friend of mine dropped off a 3kg bag of uncooked pasta, I had a time deciding whether to go with fusilli or penne. The very fact that I had the luxury to be able to make that choice and yet still feel pressured speaks volumes about the luxuries and ease we have become accustomed to. The fact of the matter is that there are many innocent people who are losing their lives as a result of this tragic pandemic. Where we mourn for them, and applaud the NHS for their mammoth efforts, we should also harbor and hold the same admiration and affection for those around the world who endure the very same thing, but all year round. As we endeavor towards finding a vaccine and a cure for Covid-19, remember that around 300-600 million people a year suffer from malaria, a disease which in most cases is completely treatable, and yet a million of those cases still end in death. God willing, the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic will soon come to an end, but with its passing, we should not forget the relative suffering that we have undergone over the past few months. We have had just a small taste of what others around the world are forced to endure all the time. The difference being of course, that their ‘state of emergency’ won’t come to an end in 3 months’ time. So over the next few weeks, while we make the most of family time, playing carrom board with the kids, or tutting over the hiccups in our video conference call, let’s also take a moment to contextualise our ‘suffering’. Take a moment to think about those that have lost their loved ones to this pandemic, and to those that have to endure these difficulties for the rest of their lives. If we do so, and inculcate the advice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa), we just might start to appreciate the wonderous favours that Allah has bestowed upon us. About the Author: Mansoor Clarke is an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community currently working in the community’s International Press and Media Office in London. He also serves on the Editorial Board of The Review of Religions. Source: The Review of Religions

Today, when the novel Covid-19 pandemic is ravaging the world, cleanliness, especially hand washing, has become a most prescribed means to forestall its further spread. Millions of dollars have been expended globally by governments and corporate bodies on advertising the importance of washing of hands in this trying time. This campaign of regular washing of hands has rent the air of the world through both the traditional and the new media. Scrubbing of public places and joints have also become regular duties in many cities around the world. It thus appears that all human beings are just waking up into a new culture and tradition! In his submission on “Disease Control via Handwashing: An Effective Tool in the Health and Safety Arsenal”, Michaels B. (2003) takes us to memory lane on how effective has handwashing been in containing diseases: “The history of handwashing practice is as old as dirt itself… Modern principles of handwashing (friction, dilution, disinfection and drying) were established long ago. Just as in architecture, personal and hand hygiene had a role in shaping history: the Greeks were victorious over the great naval fleet led by Xerxes because the Persian forces were incapacitated by dysentery…The human hand and its role in germ transmission, was well documented in ‘The Sources and Modes of Infection, 1910’, by Charles V. Chapin MD, one-time Boston health officer. Since the hands touch all parts of the body, other people, objects, domestic animals and food, it follows that a diverse microbial flora can exist on the hands. Hand transfer was thus identified as a significant mode of transmission for bacteria, such as Salmonella typhi (source of Typhoid Mary Mallon’s fever) parasites and viruses from person to person, in zigzag fashion: from person to surface, from surface to person, and from person to food. This explains the value of “hands free” hygiene systems seen in modern public facilities… And thus, as it has been and shall ever be, let’s all remember to wash our hands!!” Well, for those of us who attended primary schools before and around four decades ago – a period when the real Nigeria Education Policy held sway; we had the opportunity to be taught with the languages of our immediate environments. Where this writer attended primary school, Yorùbá was the language of communication both on the assembly ground and classrooms. This made the lessons to sink well in the mind. During the daily school assembly, several moral and ethic-ridden nursery rhymes in the local language were taught and must be recited by us every morning before matching to our respective classroom. One of such rhymes that still resonates in mind and which is apt in this Covid-19 era is reproduced below: Ìmọ́tótó;Ó lè ṣẹ́’gun àrùn gbogbo.Ìmọ́tótó ilé;Ìmọ́tótó eyín;Ìmọ́tótó ara;Ìmọ́tótó oúnjẹ;Ìmọ́tótó;Ó lè ṣẹ́gun àrùn gbogbo. Translation:Cleanliness;It can prevent every disease.Home CleaningCleanliness of teethBody hygieneFood hygiene.Cleanliness;It can prevent every disease. Additionally, once weekly in school, we were taken through practical session of cleaning that included clipping of nails, brushing of teeth with any available chewing stick, washing of our hands and faces, etc. These school extra-curricular activities complemented the daily routine of cleanings at home. Those were the days when civil responsibilities were held high by teachers above material rewards and pecuniary gains. Perceptions of cleanliness and dirtiness have been used as yardsticks with which individuals and groups of different social, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds are measured. Villages, cities and nations have also been assessed and ranked with scale of cleanliness. Countless similes and metaphors, too, have been employed by different linguistic entities to create mental images of how clean or dirty a person, animal, place or thing is. This article intends to bring home the Islamic concept of cleanliness as it relates to the current trend. It seeks to serve as a reminder for us who are already aware of the teaching, and also to inform those who may find it strange that the Islamic concept of cleanliness is so in-depth. Afterall, ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning…’ [Romans 15:4] Islam is a religion that discusses all universal concepts in ways that every curious mind would have its own take-home. In contrast to what has been erroneously believed, teachings of Islam are meant for all mankind. The Holy Quran declares that the light it has come to beam knows no boundary. It says: اَللّٰہُ نُوۡرُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ مَثَلُ نُوۡرِہٖ کَمِشۡکٰوۃٍ فِیۡہَا مِصۡبَاحٌ ؕ اَلۡمِصۡبَاحُ فِیۡ زُجَاجَۃٍ ؕ اَلزُّجَاجَۃُ کَاَنَّہَا کَوۡکَبٌ دُرِّیٌّ یُّوۡقَدُ مِنۡ شَجَرَۃٍ مُّبٰرَکَۃٍ زَیۡتُوۡنَۃٍ لَّا شَرۡقِیَّۃٍ وَّ لَا غَرۡبِیَّۃٍ ۙ یَّکَادُ زَیۡتُہَا یُضِیۡٓءُ وَ لَوۡ لَمۡ تَمۡسَسۡہُ نَارٌ ؕ نُوۡرٌ عَلٰی نُوۡرٍ ؕ یَہۡدِی اللّٰہُ لِنُوۡرِہٖ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ یَضۡرِبُ اللّٰہُ الۡاَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿ۙ۳۶ “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from a blessed tree — an olive — neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not. Light upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He will. And Allah sets forth parables to men, and Allah knows all things full well”. [Q.24.36] The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself, who graciously conveyed the light to us was commanded in the Holy Qur’an chapter 7 verse 159, to inform all of mankind that he is a prophet to all. In Islam, every matter that has far-reaching effects on physical, moral and spiritual lives of man, including cleanliness, has been considered significant. Whereas, to many, cleanliness falls to the insignificant category of concepts; hence discussing it is a hair-splitting exercise. Holders of such notions have forgotten so quickly the maxim that ‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together’. Cleanliness is established in Islam as a part of faith.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. He is one, without any partner. I also affirm that Muhammad Mustapha (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah and His servant. We invoke Allah’s blessings on Muhammad and his household and on his true followers until the Day of Judgment. I wish to congratulate the entire Muslim Ummah, especially my brothers and sisters in Nigeria, for the successful completion of this year’s Ramadan fast. The holy month of Ramadan was observed in an unusual way this year, occasioned by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus also known as Covid-19. Our condolences go to all those who lost their loved ones due to the pandemic. We pray for the quick recovery of those afflicted and for Allah’s protection on all of us. We urge all Nigerians to faithfully follow the guidelines issued by the government and health authorities. We should seek forgiveness for our sins and beseech the Almighty Allah for His mercy. We urge all Muslims to imbibe the lessons taught by the Ramadan and to live our lives in practical demonstration of such lessons in order to improve our relationships with our creator. This is the only way we can claim to be fulfilling the purpose of our creation. The intensity of our prayers during the Ramadan should continue. We should constantly pray for our country, leaders at all levels and all citizens. To create the right environment for the acceptance of our prayers, we should live pure lives, devoid of sinful acts, hatred, disobedience, nepotism, corruption and other vices – most of which were avoided during the Ramadan. Going back to these acts is a vitiation of our sacrifices during the Holy month of Ramadan. We should see our disposition to unrighteousness during the last one month as a template to go through the next eleven months before the next Ramadan. As Muslims, we are expected to be our brothers’ keeper. We should rededicate our lives to the service of Allah and of humanity. It is against the noble teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) for Muslims to be engaged in rebellion, religious intolerance, corruption in all of its ramifications and arrogant behaviour. Remembering the Day of Judgment and the consequences of our actions here on earth should be enough to keep us off of these vices but unfortunately, we behave as if there is no life after death. We call on our political leaders and all those who are in position of authority to adhere strictly to the rule of law and to maintain justice. There can be no peace in the absence of justice. Our public office holders should harness our God-given resources to develop the country, rather than concentrating on selfish interests. As citizens, we also owe it a duty to support the government by being lawful citizens and doing all those things that are required of us to develop the country, as the government alone cannot achieve this goal. We pray for Allah’s guidance on our leaders, His mercy on all of us and the acceptance of our prayers. Eid Mubarak! Eid Mubarak!! Eid Mubarak!!! SignedAlatoye Folorunso AzeezAmir (National Head)

As a General Practitioner, it was only a matter of time before getting infected with the coronavirus. Despite working with full PPE, it remains a huge challenge to avoid a Covid-19 infection as we’re exposed daily to it through patients. After catching it, I kept a daily journal about my symptoms and parameters. On a Thursday when I came home, I was extremely tired which was not unusual due to a lot of workload in recent months. Suddenly I felt very dizzy. During the night, my fever started with chills and night sweats and I was deprived of sleep. I started with isolation in my home to prevent spreading this to my family. My dad wrote a letter immediately to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper. The next day my fever increased as I felt more ill. Muscle pains and cramps started all over my body, especially in the back, neck and legs. It was impossible to leave my bed. I also had a runny nose and a sore throat. During the day, I started to develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea (no vomiting), abdominal cramps and diarrhea. I lost my appetite and noticed the total loss of my taste and my smell. On day three, my fever remained however the muscle pains got tolerable, but I still could not leave my bed. The upper respiratory symptoms (throat pain and runny nose) were now accompanied with a non-dry cough. This cough was paired with a lot of mucus which led sometimes to moments of shortness of breath. A chest pain started, it felt like a heavy pressure in my chest, leading to breathing difficulties. In these episodes of shortness of breath and chest pain, an anxious feeling would overcome me. This was something which I never have felt before. My gastrointestinal symptoms vanished; however, my appetite was still lost. On day four, my fever finally dropped, and I could get out of my bed. My body still felt cold, but I was very happy that my muscle pains disappeared totally. However, my non-dry cough increased in frequency and intensity, especially at night. The chest pain became continuous and these both led to shortness of breath. The positive element of this day was that my appetite was slowly coming back. I could eat fruits and vegetables. Over the next few days I was feeling much better than the past days. The cough turned into a dry cough however I experienced no more breathing problems. Occasionally I felt out of breath, for example going up the stairs or walking in the garden. I also performed a nose swab test on myself to check for Covid-19. It is an unpleasant test but not painful. It was positive for SARS-Cov-2 or Covid-19 infection. By the grace of Allah, symptoms reduced as the month went by and my sense of smell and taste returned. I still felt extreme fatigue, but I was recovering. On day 21, I did a blood test to check for antibodies against Covid-19. It is important as a doctor to know if I have antibodies as my job exists of being in daily contact with Covid-19 patients. The blood test showed that my body had developed antibodies against it. From what I have experienced, a Covid-19 infection is different than a regular flu or a common cold. The unusual and disturbing symptoms were mostly shortness of breath and chest pain which lead to uncertainty. Also, the loss of smell and taste are very common symptoms. However symptoms vary from person to person but, for the most part, have a common trend. It is also important to quarantine at home immediately, as soon as the first symptoms occur, and preferable in one’s own room (with a separate bathroom) to avoid other family members getting ill. In the period of my illness, sadly everyone at home got sick at the same time. Before and during my illness, I was continuously taking homeopathic medicines advised by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa. Before the infection, I was taking AAG (Aconite, Arsenic Alb, Gelsemium 200) two times a week and Chelidonium Majus (1x) three times a week. After experiencing the first symptoms on day 1, I added BIDO (Bacillinum, Influenzium, Diphtherinum, Oscillococcinum 200) and Chelidonium Majus (1x), both twice a day, for two weeks. I kept taking then until my symptoms disappeared, and then returned to the previous prescription. It is also important to stay cautious as this is a new illness. It is advised to have a thermometer and a saturation (or an oxygen meter) at home to follow the disease properly, it will also lead to appropriate communication with your doctor which are mostly telephone based right now. Fever usually starts above 38°C (100°F) however some studies suggest that the body can feel feverish from 37°C (98°F) in a Covid-19 infection. An oxygen or a pulse meter measures the blood oxygen in the blood through a sensor placed on the fingertip. Normal oxygen in the blood is between 96-99% and it is a good parameter to evaluate the clinical condition when feeling shortness of breath. Guidelines recommend that when the blood oxygen is 92% or below, one should contact their doctor. Covid-19 infection gives an array of symptoms. Fever usually comes with chills and night sweats which leads to excessive loss of water. Thus, is it very important to drink a lot of water. Also, if clothes get soaked from sweating, changing them immediately can avoid quick temperature changes. For the fever and muscle pains, your best option is taking only paracetamol (acetaminophen) occasionally. I would take only before sleeping to have a good night rest (8-10 hours of sleep). The loss of appetite happened due to several reasons but mainly because of the nausea feeling. For this, my father, a homeopathic doctor, would give me Ipecacuanha 30 which gave me quick relief from nausea. Besides patience not much can be done for the loss of the taste and smell. During