The Holy Qur’an states in Chapter 3, verse 201:
O ye who believe! Be steadfast and strive to excel in steadfastness and be on your guard and fear Allah that you may prosper.
Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah) we are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel with this vaccination programme. Now the UK Government has given some steps that they want to take to ease the lockdown. This time it is different, as previously the Government was relying on the people to follow the guidelines that were given. But of course, they did not prevent the virus from still spreading and we ended up in another lockdown.
But now, with this vaccination programme, whilst it will not eradicate the virus, it will protect more people, which will hopefully lead to life getting back to normal, Insha’Allah (God Willing). It is important that when you have the chance, then you should take the vaccination.
My wife and I have had the first dose and many other members have also had it. We should always take whatever preventive measures we can.
The verse I began with explains this, that we should always be on our guard – Rabit. It means that we should take all the preventive measures necessary and then put our trust in Allah. This was demonstrated in a lovely hadith where the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived at a place and then proceeded to tie up his camel. A person asked the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that why was he tying it up, why not just leave it in the protection of Allah?
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied:
‘that first I will tie the camel up and then I will put my trust in Allah.’
This hadith shows that whilst of course, it is only Allah who will protect us, still Allah expects us to also take all precautions necessary.
Rabit is often used when fighting, that the Muslims are commanded to ‘tie up their horses in readiness at the frontiers’, by doing so, if they are attacked suddenly, they are already prepared and can quickly run to their horses, which are waiting. In fact, this verse that I began with gives five precautions for success.
- That we should always remain patient and be steadfast, pulling our full trust in Allah.
- Show even greater steadfastness, more than others. Put your full reliance on Allah
- Always strive to serve Allah and His religion
- Always take precautions and be ready, on constant watch
- Always strive to please Allah in everything we do or say
Through follow this, we will be always be patient and watchful and keep striving to please Allah, if we do, then we will be successful, Insha’Allah.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the 5th Khalifa of the Promised Messiah, may Allah always be his Helper, was asked about taking this vaccine? He said:
‘If it is proven as an effective cure and if the government advises to get vaccinated then you may take the vaccine there is no harm in that. But first, it should be seen whether it actually benefits those who have already been vaccinated. Do not take the vaccine simply for sake of taking a vaccine; if it is proven to be beneficial, then one should definitely take the vaccine, there is no harm in that’.
That was a little while ago that he gave this advice and so far, the world has been very impressed with the vaccine. The first dose percentage has risen in efficiency and they are also saying it may help against other diseases. Of course, it is not until you receive the second dose, where you get a very high percentage of efficiency, but as a precaution, it is giving governments hope. It is not a cure, but a means to have some protection against this deadly virus and significantly lessen your chances of being admitted to hospital with a life-threatening condition.
The Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave this advice against plague, he said:
“the plague is a torment with which Allah afflicts those He determines; but that He has made it a source of mercy for the believers. If a servant of Allah is afflicted with the plague and stays in his town in a spirit of steadfastness hoping for his due from Allah, realizing that only that will happen to him which Allah has determined for him, he will surely have a reward equal to that of a martyr.”
In this hadith, the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has guided us that if God forbid, we do get the plague/virus, then it is important that we remain steadfast and put our trust in Allah, but also not to become a cause of spreading it further. This means that we have a responsibility to take precautions in order to prevent it from spreading. Taking the vaccine not only helps us, but will also help others, by not spreading the virus to others.
We should constantly be asking for God’s help and protection. Therefore, both prayer and steadfastness are needed. The Holy Qur’an relates:
as for those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah, and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, reassuring them: Fear not, nor grieve: and rejoice in the glad tidings of the Garden which you were promised (Chapter 41, verse 31)
If we show steadfastness, no matter what trial or tribulation we are facing, then Allah is extremely pleases with us. Steadfastness is showing the inner strength and belief that you firmly believe in Allah, the One God, alone and that no matter what happens in your life, nothing will take that belief away from you.
No matter how humiliating or helpless you feel, you can gain comfort knowing that Allah is with you. The inner strength that you can draw on knowing that Allah is always with you will help you with any trial or loss. With that support you can face any trial full on. Whenever you are able to do that, then your faith will become stronger and you will get closer to God.
Furthermore, it is important to keep follow the governments advice and guidelines. We should still take all necessary precautions to avoid the spreading of this virus, whether we have had the vaccine or not. But the best precaution is always prayer.
Pray to Allah for His wonderful Protection and pray that for the safety of all mankind and that they realise the importance of turning to Allah and becoming His humble servants.