Coronavirus and Muslim Adhan (Azan)
PREAMBLE:
People
are associating and negotiating with the coronavirus at interesting levels.
With the age of social media at its peak, friends, relatives even family are
sharing all sorts of videos, audio, and kinds of literature concerning
different angles covering this dreaded virus.
MAIN THRUST OF TOPIC:
As Muslims, when we perform rituals or acts linked with religion, it is well advised to conform those rituals and acts to the recommended acts of the Prophet Muhammad, Alaihissalam.
Prophet
Muhammad Alaihissalam’s way in such matters was simple. He did what was the
natural thing to do. The Prophet used to offer two rakaat nafal and seek Allah’s
mercy and forgiveness. He never resorted to making adhan at odd hours to invoke
Allah’s mercy. This brings us to the very critical aspect of whether all
religious practices of Muslims is Sunnah. The recommended acts of the Prophet
Muhammad, Alaihissalam in matters of religion are called Sunnah. All other
religious practices that do not originate from him are Bid'ah.
A Bid'ah is a strongly condemned practice because it is an attempt at adding to religion what doesn't belong to it. Only the Prophet had the authority to introduce a religious practice in the Sunnah. Like no one has the right to add a verse to the Qur'an or take away from it, no one can add a single religious practice in the corpus of Sunnah or take away from it.
Let me share a hadith of the Prophet Alaihissalam narrated by his companion Abdullah. He narrates: The Prophet said, "I will be your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar) and some men amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be pulled away from me by force, whereupon I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' The Almighty will say, 'You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the religion after you.'” (Bukhari).
CONCLUSION:
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) states: Moral beliefs and attitudes should be held based on critical reflection rather than passive adoption (blind following) of the particular conventions of one’s society, church, or profession. This is often what is meant by “authenticity” in one’s commitment to moral values. Those beliefs and attitudes, moreover, must be integrated into the core of an individual’s personality in a manner that leads to committed action.
It is advisable to stay connected at an intellectual level with the source of
our understanding. Associating to one’s faith at an emotional level belies human
intelligence. Adhering to rituals, practices because of our ancestors, clerics, and scholars may not serve the purpose until and unless they have a valid reference
to context. No one would advise this practice (of adhering to aspects in life
at an emotional level) in any other field of knowledge. Confining ourselves
to old scientific theories at an emotional level, only because our ancestors
thought so would have relegated us to horse-drawn carts. No one is impressed
with this approach.
Every field of knowledge
owes its progress to the highest level of intellectualizing based on the use of
human intellect. No one is prepared to absorb any reasoning that is presented
at an emotional level. The reference to the context of the points presented at any
level is part and parcel of the presentation. It is the only channel that the
audience understands.
God, too, like us, is
desirous to employ the faculties of seeing, hearing, speech, and intellect to
understand Him. Amongst all species, only humans can see beyond,
hear truth, speak truth, and intellectualize truth. God has spoken to humans
through His messengers. God’s last message, The Glorious Qur’an, and the
practices of His last messenger, Prophet Muhammad Alaihissalam, in religious
matters pave the way for our salvation in God’s eyes.
Aamir Yazdani
