Build the Ark...The Flood is Coming

Build the Ark...The Flood is Coming

Pray in your homes; Build the Ark; the flood is coming.
Either we are saved together or we drown as one.

Somewhere in Africa, a child searching for breadcrumbs and a few droplets of water. The child is famished to the bones but is still moving with the little life left in him. A vulture is near him watching and waiting to feed on the child’s remains; while a photographer is capturing photos of this as for him, this photo is his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter the world of fame and fortune when he returns to his “civilized” country.

From the writings of the Poet Tamim Al-Bargouti, “Small bodies that are covered in ash, that are lined with streams of blood, are being rescued from under the wreckage. Gray like the debris. Covered in red. These victims are picked up hand-to-hand by people trying to help. The view is that of the sky carried by many hands. Hand-to-hand in a long procession to the Gates of the all generous God-on whom we all rely. Under fire; read from the meanings in this scene what you want, and still many will remain unread”.

Screams and cries echoing from a garbage pile of a toddler not yet a day old-abandoned by his mother in fear of disgrace and dishonor.

Bodies of partially clothed children begging and soliciting, after being rejected by society who live in the dark corners of a society claiming to be “civil”. As severe cold bites their emaciated bodies, the wealthy pass them by and move-on like they had seen nothing. All they see is the display of expensive merchandise behind the crystal-clear glass of luxurious shops.

Children who found all the doors of mercy locked against them - from schools to hospitals and clinics closed in their faces. Many of them end up with mental, social, psychological and physiological infirmities. Society does, however unfortunate the nature of ironical justice is, payback for what they deprived these social victims in the form of crimes against humanity, against that humanity that deprived them of its very essence.

Let’s go back and start the story from the beginning.

"وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ". 

And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalif, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? He said: Surely, I know what you do not know. [The Cow / 2:30]

The angels knew based on what God had taught them that humans would corrupt the earth and spread bloodshed. But God knows better; (He said: Surely, I know what you do not know).

To all those who believe that God is in control and that He has a divine plan. To all those that recite His holy word:

(يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ). 

(He regulates the affair from the heaven to the earth; then shall it ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is a thousand years of what you count). [The Prostration / 32:5)

To all those who believe we were not created for idleness and no purpose (absurdity) and remembered the words of God:

(أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ).

(What! Did you then think that We had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us?). [The Believers / 23:115]

To all those who believe that whenever man betrays His covenant and acts unjustly, the divine power with all its wisdom intervenes to remind humanity of its true purpose in this short journey we call life - to regain some of his balance and humanity; to lighten the burden of human injustice and his corruption of this earth. Now humanity sees that all houses of worship, all houses of learning, all airports, all restaurants, all shops, all houses of joy and celebration, even funerals have been disrupted. The world economy is now falling apart. To those who remember the words of God:

(ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُون). 

(Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return). [The Romans / ]30:41

To all those that saw the houses of worship as they completely shut their doors against devotees; empty these houses of worship are today. Seeing all this and remember that God needs none of us; he needs us not. Only we are to Him in need. He is wealth itself and we are all poor except for Him.
To all those who recite the words of God:

(يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ. إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ. وَمَا ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ). 

(O men! You are they who stand in need of Allah, and Allah is He Who is the Self-sufficient, the Praised One). [Originator / 35:15]

To all those that see that humanity has become unjust. To all those that see that humanity’s chief concern today is not the fight against poverty, illness, and famine. Humanity, in the eyes of many, remains today in greed - in pursuit of even greater wealth - even if that wealth is gained at the expense of people’s lives and through the manufacturing of weaponry that kills.

To all those who remember the words of our beloved Prophet Mohammad :

قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
[هل تنصرون وترزقون إلا بضعفائكم]

"You gain no victory or livelihood except through (the blessings and invocations of) the poor amongst you."

To all those who remember the words of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) while circumambulating the Ka’bah and saying: “How good you are and how good your fragrance; how great you are and how great your sanctity. By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the sanctity of the believer is greater before Allah than your sanctity, his blood and his wealth”.

(ما أطيبك وأطيب ريحك.. ما أعظمك وأعظم حرمتك.. والذي نفس محمد بيده لحرمة المؤمن أعظم عند الله حرمة منك ماله ودمه)

To all those that saw that humanity today has lost its way. That humanity today has become the scourge that corrupts the earth, the water, and the skies.

To all those that today see how the world has started to regain some of its humanity; as humans are plagued by fear and a loss of hope because of one of God’s minuscule creature that cannot even be seen through naked eyes - the virus we call Corona.

To all those that remember the words of God:

"وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ"  

(And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient). [The Cow / 2:155]

The doors of worship are all closed to all worshippers from all faiths.

What is the divine message that you carry to us Corona?

Ask yourself this question repetitively; so that we may attempt to understand the message of our Creator.

What we call an illness may very well be a cure for the deeper illnesses from which humanity suffers and that bring about pain. Illnesses that have deprived humanity of its purpose and that might require an awakening so that they might be healed. God could awaken humanity whose hearts may very well still be in deep slumber. He may, as only He could, awaken many hearts we thought dead and buried many years back.

"يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ"

(He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living, and gives life to the earth after its death, and thus shall you be brought forth). [The Romans / 30:19]

When we realize that we have become an ailment on earth. When humanity awakens from its slumber. When we start to heal what we have ruined - each within his/her circle of influence. When some of our humanity is re-awakened. It’s then that we would have passed God’s test and altered the suffering of illness into a gift of enlightenment. God will be pleased with us, then; and so will remove His test through our discovery of a medicine or vaccine; or through any means He wishes.

(إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ). 

(Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition). [The Thunder / 13:11]

(مَّا يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِن شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنتُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا). 

(Why should Allah chastise you if you are grateful and believe? And Allah is the Multiplier of rewards, Knowing). [The Women / 4:147]

Walid Fitaihi 
Tuesday, 24 March 2020