By: Nauman Illahi
Question arises! Amidst the global societal seizure that what could be due of unleashing such contagious Pandemic?
Perhaps, it is quite easy to make an ordinary human mind accept that definitely the place where we could ever found its origin.
But what comes to mind after watching the First World—where many a leader was found contemplating the globe in a rush to lead the affairs of the world: remained unable to contain the fix of COVID-19.
The situation here significantly elevates in degree calibrated as; who controls the world, but The Allah Almighty only.
For at a moment in time of such sheer wanton vandalism, we are each assigned with the ‘Caliphal-Task’.
The citizens must understand that greater cooperation might result in lessening the seizure-span: the only way they can get rid of inflicted housebound.
Cleanliness established as “one-half of the Belief” in religion Islam so ensures satisfaction in the mind of a believer that the one has completed its part and tied the camel. That is, according to a hadith in Al-Tirmidhi 2517: entrusted his security up on Allah Almighty. One thus acquires peace of mind, this way.
Though, after listening to the precautionary measures to keep oneself intact of COVID-19; the SOPs are categorically based on the principles that of “Islamic hygienical jurisprudence”, The ‘Fiqh’. Including, Personal grooming, which nowadays is highly acknowledged by young and all, is also a matter of focus in Islam, and comprises all the ‘ritual purity practices’ known as “fitrah”.
“Fitra” or “fitrah“(Arabic), considered as the state of purity and innocence, which encapsulates compassion, intelligence, “goodwill” and along with all other attributes that embody the concept of humanity.
The ‘fiqh’, based on admonitions in the Quran for Muslims to be ritually clean whenever possible, as well as in hadith literature, which includes a number of regulations involving cleanliness through “wudu” (partial ablution) and “ghusl” (full ablution).
In case, without, or lacking in any single confined obligation, the ‘state of Fitrah’ is not achieved.
To do away with COVID-19 pandemonium it can also be suggested that the religious meaning can be translated into the logical equivalence in philosophy, as Kant’s concept of ‘ought’.
“Ought implies can” is an ethical formula ascribed to Immanuel Kant. An influential German philosopher, that claims an agent (individual), if morally obliged to perform a certain action, must logically be able to perform it.
For if the moral-law commands that we ‘ought’ to be better human beings now, it inescapably follows that we must be ‘capable’ of being better human beings. The ‘action’ to which the “ought” applies must indeed be ‘possible’ under natural conditions.
At a time when natural conditions fulfil its entire criterion to undergo Kant’s concept of ‘ought’, self-quarantine is a procedure highly recommended as a part of an individual-role. That the humankind should guarantee, even passively, so feasible and utterly required.
Kant believed this principle was “categorical freedom”: A way of evaluating motivations, for action, bound only by the ‘free will’.
As there are several ways of deriving the motivation and prevent the casualties-graph to soar up.
Humean’s “hypothetical freedom”, which states as “Free to do otherwise if I had so chosen”. The argument—under assessment of the currently prevailing COVID-19 scenario, that, it is wrong to blame people for things they cannot do, as “‘ cannot’ implies ‘has no duty to’”: but essentially phrasing the formula/argument as contrapositive, that it is right to blame people for things they can do, and thus ” ‘can’ here implies ‘people has a duty to’”: To cooperate in the sole purpose of National and state welfare. Where sustainability shall determine the ultimate-fate—success or failure, of the corresponding states around the globe.
The citizens must understand that greater cooperation might result in lessening the seizure-span: the only way they can get rid of inflicted housebound.
Otherwise, the consequences might result in a situation, where everything might go beyond human control, and when corresponding statistics shall determine State’s degree of responsibility vis-à-vis responsiveness tomorrow at International fora, and up to a large extent its composure amongst international society in many different perspectives.
Whether it be the norms, values, and practices in regard to religion or that of philosophy, the cooperation is much needed and so is the necessity, not for the cause of any race, creed or religion but for the sake of being human.
Wherefore I expect both the current and Post COVID-19 worlds to have adapted standard hygiene procedures as modus operandi with their lifestyles becoming much healthier and acquired with improved habits of diet, exercise, and behaviour at work.
The writer is a freelance columnist, he can be reached at [email protected]