UUCSA Press Statement*

 All praise is due to Allah and may His choicest salutations continue to descend upon our Master and Leader Mohamed (saw)

 

South Africa is witnessing an exponential spike in COVID 19 infections owing to the emergence of a new variant of the COVID 19 virus. The new variant appears to be more infectious than the original virus. South Africa’s 7-day rolling average of daily new cases has more than doubled over the past two weeks, from 6.47 new cases per 100,000 people on Dec. 6 to 14.68 new cases per 100,000 people on Dec. 20. The country has recorded a total of 912, 477 cases, including 24,539 deaths.

 

The first major pandemic in Islam took place in Syria known as the Plague of Amwas, which claimed the lives of more than 25000 Muslims. The leader who presided over Syria in 638 AD is reported to have said: “the plague is like a fire and you are its fuel, so spread [self-isolate] to the mountains, and when it has no fuel it will extinguish” (Tarikh Al Tabari)

 

Whilst numerous leading local/international Muslim scholars and institutes have agreed on the need of donning masks and on social distancing as legitimate and necessary practices inside and outside the masjid, we still see a growing wave of misinformation being peddled by those who erroneously equate adopting safety measures to weakness in faith.

 

Anas ibn Malik (ra) reported: A man asked:  “O Messenger of Allah, should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave her untied and trust in Allah?” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Tie her and trust in Allah.” (Tirmidhi) In other words, take all means necessary to secure and protect yourself and your property but place your trust in Allah.

 

There are also those who adopt a fatalistic attitude by saying: “whatever is destined to happen will happen irrespective of what we may or may not do” Our faith demands of us to act responsibly, sensibly and objectively.

 

We need to adhere to guidelines prescribed by pandemic experts instead of listening to alarmists. We are fortunate to have recommendations prepared by the Islamic Medical Association which captures the collective wisdom of Muslim practitioners.

 

We also need to reflect on the resurgence of the virus, the second wave is not simply a natural cyclic progression of the virus, it is another knock on the door… another warning from Allah for mankind to make amends, to turn to Allah, to reform and to realize our own feebleness. It is a reminder to humble ourselves, to draw closer to Allah, and to reflect at the fragility of our lives.

Ml A K Allie
President

23 December 2020

 

*This statement is not endorsed by the Jamiatul Ulama KZN

 

UUCSA is an umbrella body comprising nine affiliate members. It represents approximately 1500 Muslim Scholars. It has a national foot print across the nine provinces of South Africa.

 

Head Office:
P.O. Box 38311, Gatesville, 7764, Cape Town, South Africa,
Tel: + 27 21696 5150 Fax:+ 27 21696 5154

Secretariat:
P.O. Box 257, Middelburg, 1050, South Africa
Tel: +2713 243 2423, Fax: +2713 243 2423
Email: [email protected]