There seems to be no clear end to the\nCOVID-19 pandemic as yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, the world\nover, including in Malaysia, we are only beginning to experience its effects\nand aftermaths in various forms, economy included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was reported recently\nthat from January to mid July this year, 64,495 Malaysians have become jobless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unemployment as\nwell as other related socio-economic woes is expected to worsen if the pandemic\ncontinues to halt or decelerate many economic activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is often the\ncase that in situations such as the one we are currently experiencing, many\npeople who are badly affected will begin to raise questions pertaining to what\nthe philosophers in the West generally refer to as \u201cproblem of evil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem\nessentially concerns the dilemma one faces in reconciling one\u2019s firm belief in\na good Creator with the factual presence of bad things in His creation,\nwhatever they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To my mind, the\nproblem with the aforementioned problem is the tendency of its propagators to\nunderstand evil as being both moral (i.e. the one caused by free human actions)\nand natural (i.e. the one caused by natural disasters such as pandemics, earthquakes,\nand floods) whereas what is really involved is the way one looks at things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue therefore\npertains not so much to the actual trouble as to the problem of worldview and\nmindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given the right\nmindset and perspective, the problem won\u2019t exist, at least not in the sense it\nhas been held in the West from time immemorial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As far as a Muslim\nis concerned, his entire life in this world with all its ups and downs is\ntrials by Allah the Almighty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Qur\u2019an renders\nexplicit this fact in the first and second verses of surat al-Mulk<\/em> (the\n67th chapter of the Qur\u2019an): \u201cBlessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty,\nand, He is Able to do all things. Who hath created life and death that He may\ntry you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.\u201d\n(Pickthall\u2019s translation)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, the\nQur\u2019an is also replete with reminders that a believer on account of his or her\nprofession of faith shall be tested, not once but many times; for instance, in\nthe 29th chapter, surat al-\u02bbAnkabut<\/em>, in verses 2 and 3, Allah reminds: \u201cDo men imagine that they will be left (at\nease) because they say, \u2018We believe,\u2019 and will not be tested with affliction? Lo!\nWe tested those who were before you. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere,\nand knoweth those who feign.\u201d (Pickthall\u2019s translation)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, in the\nWorldview of Islam, it is held that whatever a person undergoes in his life, be\nthe experience pleasant or painful, is a test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, one cannot\nconclude that any calamity which befalls one is inherently bad, as if by such a\nhappening one becomes disliked or cursed by one\u2019s Creator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the contrary,\nwhat is held as determining whether one is blessed or not is not the happening\nitself but one\u2019s own attitude and position in relation to such happening,\nregardless of whether it causes one to be joyful or hurts one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is hence an\nestablished teaching in Islam that a Muslim is expected to behave properly,\nboth inwardly and outwardly, as per the occasion he or she is in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Imam al-Ghazzali\nhad emphasised more than nine centuries ago in his magnum opus Ihy\u0101\u2019 \u2018Ulum\nal-Din<\/em>, patience (sabr<\/em>) and gratitude (shukr<\/em>) being signs of\nfaith are its two halves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a believer is\nendowed with anything that pleases him, he should be ever grateful to Allah;\nyet, when pain is inflicted on him, he should exercise patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What he should\ncontinue committing himself to in either case, though, is doing what is good\nand avoiding what is bad, whether in thought or in deeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, insofar as\none\u2019s salvation and real happiness are concerned, it is one\u2019s exemplification\nof thankfulness (shukr<\/em>) or patience (sabr<\/em>) as befits one\u2019s\nsituation that really matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As reported by the\nCompanion Anas ibn Malik, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, once said: \u201cHow\nwonderful is one who has faith in Allah (al-mu\u2019min<\/em>)! Nothing is to be which\nAllah has decreed for him (be it pleasant or otherwise) except that it shall be\ngood (khayr<\/em>) for him.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, according\nto an account by al-Tabarani, the same companion relates: \u201cWhen Allah loves a\npeople, He afflicts them with trials.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In another\nnarration by al-Hakim, the Companion Abu Sa\u2018id al-Khudri asked the Prophet:\n\u201cWhich people are tried the most?\u201d The Prophet answered, \u201cThe Prophets (al-anbiya\u2019<\/em>).\u201d\nAbu Sa\u2018id then asked, \u201cAnd after them?,\u201d to which the Prophet replied, \u201cThose\npossessed of knowledge (al-\u2018ulama\u2019<\/em>).\u201d The former continued, \u201cAnd then?\u201d The\nlatter responded by saying \u201cGood people (al-salihun<\/em>).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is in relation to\nthe aforementioned that the great sufi master of the Shadhiliyyah Order, Shaykh\nal-Darqawi (d. 1823), said in his 134th letter, \u201cIndeed, trials are\nproportionate to the spiritual station (maqam<\/em>) as indicated . . . (by the\nabove noble saying). But\u2014by Allah\u2014that does not mean that He abandons them or\nneglects them; quite the opposite, this is proof of a grace that He bestows\nupon them! It is a favour, a benefit and a great gift from Allah to them.\u201d (The\nSpiritual Teachings of the Prophet: Hadith with Commentaries by Saints and\nSages of Islam<\/em> by Tayeb Chouiref, published by Fons Vit\u00e6, p. 31)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, according\nto al-Tabarani, the Companion ibn \u2018Abbas related a saying from the Prophet:\n\u201cWhoever does not consider trial (al-bala\u2019<\/em>) as a blessing (ni\u2018mah<\/em>)\nand ease (al-rakha’<\/em>) as a misfortune (musibah<\/em>) is not amongst the\naccomplished mu\u2019min<\/em> (one who really believes in Allah).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amidst the present\ntrial in the form of COVID-19 pandemic, it is indeed important for Muslims to\nbear all the above-mentioned in mind!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There seems to be no clear end to the COVID-19 pandemic as yet. In fact, the world over, including in Malaysia, we are only beginning to experience its effects and aftermaths in various forms, economy included. It was reported recently that from January to mid July this year, 64,495 Malaysians have become jobless. Unemployment as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_analytify_skip_tracking":false,"_wpzoom_pinterest_image_url":"","_wpzoom_pinterest_hidden_image":"0","_wpzoom_pinterest_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-straits-times","category-139","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27577\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ikim.gov.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}