Humanity

Photo Story of Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria visitation to Akwanga, Nasarawa State. Photo Story of Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria inspection of Hadeeqa-E-Ahmad in Nasarawa State.

Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad has instructed Ahmadi Muslims to adopt all measures recommended by health authorities to help curb the spread of the virus. Speaking at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London, during his Friday Sermon delivered on 6 March 2020, His Holiness said that it was appropriate to avoid large gatherings during the current outbreak and instructed Ahmadi Muslims to refrain from attending their Mosques if they developed any symptoms associated with the coronavirus. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “It is very important to act upon the precautionary measures that are being announced [by the health authorities]. Large gatherings should be avoided and those coming to the Mosque should also take special care. If anyone shows any signs of a slight fever, flu or body-ache, sneezing or other symptoms then they should not come to the Mosque. Mosques have rights upon the people that visit them. It is the right of the Mosque that no one should attend who can affect other attendees of the Mosque with a contagious illness. Those with contagious diseases should especially take care to avoid Mosques.” His Holiness also advised that people should be extremely conscious of hygiene at all times. He said that hands should be regularly washed and said that Islamic teachings if followed properly, established a very high standard of cleanliness. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Doctors are advising that hands should be washed regularly and hand sanitizers should be used. If one’s hands are dirty, they should avoid contact with the face until clean. This should be followed but, regardless, for us as Muslims, if someone prays five times a day, they will wash themselves properly five times a day through ablution and amongst other things, will be running clean water through their hands and nose, which ensures personal hygiene is maintained at all times and will reduce the need for hand sanitizers that are already reported to be in short supply.” His Holiness said that Islam emphasizes that within a Mosque, one should avoid all things that negatively affect others and uphold its rightful etiquette. In fact, His Holiness said that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) said that anything that smells bad should not be brought into the Mosque.His Holiness also said that some governments and organizations have now advised members of the public to avoid shaking hands with others. In light of this, His Holiness said that whilst shaking hands increases a bond of brotherhood between people, it is better to avoid it under the current circumstances. His Holiness also noted that whilst Muslims have often been criticized for avoiding shaking hands with the opposite gender, many people, in general, are now preferring to not shake hands with other people and are questioning the Western conventions of greeting through physical contact. He said when Muslims avoid handshakes they do so politely so that the feelings of the other person are not hurt but now in the wider public people are abruptly rejecting the extended hands of other people. His Holiness also urged Ahmadi Muslims to pray for the world and said that the world should realise that it must turn towards its Creator. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “Allah the Almighty knows best how widespread this virus will become. It has been seen that in this era since the advent of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) there has been an exponential increase in pandemics, earthquakes, storms, and natural disasters. If this virus is a sign of the displeasure of God, then there is a great need to turn towards God in order to safeguard oneself from the effects of the virus.”

Dr Sarah Waseem We are living through difficult and indeed frightening times. Pandemics have come and gone but there is something about Covid-19 that has gripped us in the Western world, like no other before it. Our African friends who suffered so tragically during the Ebola crisis, know all about the impact of isolation, fear, and stigma, but this is new for most of us. Covid-19 has spread worldwide, affecting our lives in ways that many of us could never have envisioned in our wildest dreams. Never before have we witnessed such restrictions on our basic freedoms such as the right to travel, the right to socialize in public spaces, the right to a choice of goods and the right to meet one another as measures are taken to prevent the spread of this disease. Most countries have imposed travel bans. Borders have been closed. Entertainment venues have been closed. Businesses have had to find ways for staff to work remotely, while many self-employed people face losing their livelihoods. Collective anxiety has resulted in panic buying and the hoarding of food and every day goods by some, leading to unprecedented scenes of fights over food and basic supplies in stores. However, while disrupted supply chains are slowing down manufacturing and international travel, we are also seeing people rallying together to support and assist each other. Major retailers are collaborating to ration supplies and are changing opening hours to help their more vulnerable customers. As governments are forced to impose isolation on us, communities have found innovative ways to rally together within the constraints of social isolation. In Spain and Italy, neighbours in flats have been singing to each other across their balconies and even exercising together ‘but apart’. In the UK volunteers are flocking into help the National Health Service. Harvard scientists and their Chinese colleagues are collaborating to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. The sharing of knowledge concerning the effects of Covid-19, on an international scale, has become paramount and rather than assigning blame, countries are collaborating to develop a vaccine. These are indeed the ‘best of times and the worst of times’, for only by supporting and working together that can we solve our problems. As compassion therapists Chris Germer and Kristin Neff have said, ”The choice is between reacting with fear or responding with kindness.” It is this spirit of compassion that the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), instructed Ahmadi Muslims to follow. He wrote: “The principle to which we adhere is that we have kindness at heart for the whole of mankind. If anyone sees the house of a Hindu neighbor on fire and does not come forward to help extinguish the fire, most truly I declare that he does not belong to me. If anyone of my followers, having seen someone attempting to murder a Christian does not endeavor to save him, I most truly declare that he does not belong to us.” (Siraj-e-Muneer, Roohani Khazain V. 12 p 28) Compassion is at the core of Islamic teachings. The first chapter of the Holy Qur’an reminds us that Allah is ‘The Gracious and the Merciful’. In Chapter 107, verses 3-7 of the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty states: ‘…the one who drives away the orphan, and urges not the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who pray, but are unmindful of their prayers. They only like to be seen of men.’ Islamic teachings even help us understand who our neighbours are. The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that a person’s neighbours include at least the forty houses around him. In fact, the angel Gabriel emphasized the rights of neighbours so much that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) thought they would be included in one’s will. It is this belief that drives members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to help at this time of need. Organizations like Humanity First, a charity run by members of the community, Lajna Ima’illah (the Ladies’ auxiliary organization of the community), Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (males under 40), and Ansar- ul Ahamdiyya (males over 40) are all striving to help their nations survive with practical offers of assistance as well as emotional support. As His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) has directed, “Indeed, the Holy Quran has declared that the prayers of those who do not fulfill the rights of mankind will never be accepted by God Almighty and, to the contrary, will prove the means of their destruction… Let it be clear that it is the religious duty of every Muslim to fulfill the needs of humanity and to treat every person, irrespective of their caste, creed or color, with grace, love, and affection.” (address at the opening of new mosque in Southall Uk 23/02/20) Covid-19 has also made us ask searching questions of how we co-exist as a global community. His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) commented in 2013 at an address to Parliamentarians in the UK, “The world has become a global village and so a lack of mutual respect and a failure to join together to promote peace will not only harm the local area, city or country but in fact will ultimately lead to the destruction of the entire world.” (Address at Houses of Parliament in London, UK on Centenary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in UK 11/06/13) Covid19 is a turning point for our society. The world as we know it, may never be the same again. I believe that compassion for ourselves and our fellow beings will help us move forward. How we tap into this compassion when we feel so frightened, is the question. For some, it will be part of their nature, and for others, it will be their faith. Source: The Review of Religions

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