General panic. Schools shut. Empty store shelves. Overflowing hospitals. Insufficient number of NHS staff. Countrywide lockdown.

Living in Britain in the 21^st century, who would have thought that we would find ourselves in such an alarming situation. It is almost as if the entire fabric of our society is being torn apart. Not by an Armageddon-like Nuclear war that many might have imagined, or a great calamity in the form of a natural disaster- rather by an invisible enemy that we cannot see coming. The paranoia of not knowing how and when we can contract this disease is frightening enough.

Scientists are working day and night to find a cure to this disease. Hospital staff are working tirelessly to care for the increasing number of patients with limited amount of resources available to them. World leaders are scrambling to figure out the best possible course of action to minimise the impact of the virus on both human lives and the economy. Great Britain is focusing on ‘flattening the curve’- essentially to allow the virus to take its course over a long period of time, rather than all of a sudden, so that the NHS is not overburdened.

This unexpected situation may be disrupting our perception of our normal routines; however, it is also giving us a chance of bringing out the best in us. Coming together in such dire times and serving the community is what really matters, and this is exactly what the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association is doing. Muslim youth volunteers are on the front lines providing those in need with sufficient supplies and aid.

It is impossible to predict, at this moment in time, how long this pandemic will last and how much worse it will get. There is much uncertainty as to the future of this pandemic, however, as Muslims we can find comfort in the words of our beloved master, the Holy Prophet ^(sa):

مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً

“There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment.”

(Sahih Bukhari, Book of Medicine, Hadith 1)

Only because a cure has not been discovered yet does not mean that there isn’t one. The silver lining in all this is that we unlike the rest of the world, we have Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (^aba) caring for us by giving us fresh guidance regularly. Whenever such guidance is given, I feel the part of the verse of Khilafat being fulfilled:

‘and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear’

(Chapter 24, Verse 56).

As Huzoor (^aba) mentioned in his special message on Friday 27 March 2020, Ahmadi Muslims feel a sense of hopelessness if they do not hear their Khalifa address them directly, and his address certainly proved that; in the sense that our fear was turned into peace just by hearing the Khalifa address us in these times of uncertainty.

His holiness (^aba) even referred to the fact that as law abiding citizens of the country that we live in, at this moment in time congregating in mosques to offer the Jummah prayer is not advisable by the government. Hence Ahmadi Muslims were instructed by Huzoor (^aba) to pray at home, in congregation if possible. Huzoor (^aba) also referred to the fact that in some situations it may be difficult to render religious duties and practises, just as the Promised Messiah (^as) would sometimes not offer Jummah whilst on a journey.

Although some people may think that it would be more rewarding to render religious obligations routinely even in such circumstances, it is important to remember the statement of the Holy Prophet (^sa) that ‘Religion is easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way.’ Hence it is imperative to keep a balance and judge the situation, and act accordingly.

Eventually a cure for this disease will be discovered, God willing. Until then it is best to follow the advice of the authorities and stay home, in order to stay safe and keep others safe.