Warning … Danger … Wake up!

Part 6

By observing earthquakes, floods, calamities, financial disasters, diseases, epidemics, pandemics and …, do we WAKE UP from our ignorance and arrogance, and do we take these WARNINGS seriously, and do we decide to take the reviving course of repentance, servitude of the Almighty and obedience of His Chosen Infallible Representatives? … Or do we yield ourselves to the pernicious current of being left to ourselves and disobedience of God and God-Chosen Infallible Ones (PBUT)?!

The choice is ours … and of course the worldly and eternal consequences of our choices are also upon us …

In these days that the world society has been afflicted with a pandemic which has been named COVID-19, it is quite proper to look at sample Hadiths of the Infallible Ones (PBUT)- which mention certain pandemics during the Occultation of Hadrat Mahdi (SBUH)- and ponder together …

In the priceless book Ikmal al-Din wa Itmam al-Ni’ma vol. 2 p. 656 a Hadith has been narrated from Imam Sadiq (SBUH) in which Hadrat mentions a kind of so called pandemic before the Appearance of Hadrat Qa’im (SBUH) that causes 1/3 of the world population to die …

As we have repeatedly said and say again, absolutely no one knows when the Emergence of Hadrat Qa’im (SBUH) shall occur and thus, such very important Hadiths must be firstly looked upon as painful and awakening warnings and must cause us to think … and secondly it must never be forgotten that the Infallible Imams (SBUT) have asserted themselves that all the events which have been Prophesied in regard to the Occultation of Hadrat Mahdi (SBUH) are changeable and even can be eliminated … so our spiritual duties are quite clear: Waking up and thinking, true repenting, obeying, paying Sadaqah, imploring Allah to hasten the Emergence of the unique remaining gem of existence- who has been alone, driven away and forsaken- sincerely, helplessly yet patiently  and ultimately submitting to the Will of Allah …

You and we do not have the Knowledge whether this COVID 19 has anything to do with the pandemic that Imam Sadiq (SBUH) had mentioned … but at least we should consider this pandemic an awakening warning … danger is closer than we had ever thought …

As we speak … this so called virus has not yet been controlled and is still killing many people all over the world … and its unavoidable consequences such as unemployment, poverty, hunger and … are becoming more and more painful day by day …

Let us ponder … if unknown and surprising viruses or other phenomena (as the seemingly unknown Corona has surprised humankind) were to contaminate the drinking water all over the world, or the air everywhere, or agricultural products, or cattle and poultry, or …, then what?! Indeed the casualties would have been way above humans’ and societies’ toleration level …

Or if for instance a large Asteroid- like the one which passed by earth on April 2020- were to collide with earth causing overwhelming death and destruction … then what?!

Of course the harder the pandemic or disaster, and the longer its duration and the duration of its consequences, the more severe shall poverty, hunger and … be; and the world could rapidly move toward inevitable and unimaginable famine and chaos …

Let us ponder:

Have we ever truly thought how vulnerable we are?! This very very small so called Corona virus in such a short time, as we are witnessing, has changed human life dramatically and has overshadowed all                                 .

Whether humans knowingly have had anything to do with production, genetic/racial orientation, … and/or expansion of this so called virus, Allah knows best … but even if this is so, we must keep in mind that when Allah- based upon the justful principle of freewill- does not, if He Wills, block people’s actions or in other words when the All-Knowing Allah allows human actions to happen, this Divine permission is a totally different phenomenon from Allah’s Pleasedness; in another word Allah may allow actions which He is not Pleased with to happen … as for instance Allah SWT- while being totally unpleased and wrathful- did not block the wicked Shimr’s action in killing the ever-beloved Imam Husain (PBUH) and did not stop and thus let him to do with his freewill what he did … and therefore Shimr himself earned everlasting curse and Fire …

Anyhow … this disease has entered into world societies … and Allah has been watching people’s reactions to it … some are still not thinking and are drowning in floods of childish games and slumbers of neglectfulness … others, arrogantly and foolishly, think they have everything under control … there also are some who- by observing the dissolution of their sure plannings and decisions, and the disintegration of their intentions and wills, and the opening of closed doors in the midst of problems …- realize that the Undefeatable Lord of Existence is the Almighty Allah and that He SWT has, temporarily and for testing humankind, bestowed conditional possession upon human, a favor which, moment by moment, He has the Power to take it away if He Wills …

… And humankind is tested and watched over and over … until Believers are separated from unbelievers …

And … you and we do not have the Knowledge … this pandemic could be that very same great pandemic that the Imam (PBUH) had mentioned … and PERHAPS through repenting and sincere supplications of Believers and seeking the Intercession of the Infallible Ones (PBUT) … the means for weakening and controlling that foretold hardship may, Allah-Willing, be provided for human … ALLAH KNOWS BEST …

And PERHAPS not … ALLAH KNOWS BEST …

And … you and we do not have the Knowledge … this pandemic may not be the great pandemic that the Imam (SBUH) had mentioned … but just like an earthquake and any other disaster drill, it could be a clear and serious warning … an undeniable wakeup call … a real so called drill which should cause human to think and feel how dreadful it would be if that great disaster were to happen …

IN ANY CASE … ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TIME WILL BE OVER …

So has the time not come for us to wake up from the deep sleep of negligence, ignorance and arrogance? … Has the time not come for us to resist temptations of Shaitan and our own incessantly commanding selves? ... Has the time not come for us to humbly obey the One and Only Allah and to start living based on the benevolent and wise standards of our Creator?!!!

As we mentioned before too:

Qur’an 57:16. Has not the time come for the hearts of those who Believe to be softened and humbled for Allah's Reminder and that which has been sent from the Truth. And do not be like those upon whom the Divine Book was sent before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened [for the Truth]; and many of them have been disobedient to Allah?

Qur’an 57:17. Know that certainly Allah gives life to the earth after its death! Indeed, We have made clear the Signs to you, if you but reflect [upon them].

In regard to “Know that certainly Allah gives life to the earth after its death” Imam Baqir (SBUH) has said that Allah SWT shall give life to earth by the Qaa’em (SBUH) after its death; and that death of the earth is its people’s Disbelief, and Disbeliever is dead.

(Tafsir Noor al-Thaqalayn; …)

… His lonesome Occultation has been casting its dark shadow for centuries … and we have been like stubborn orphans adding to our negligence and obstinacy day by day …

" … O' Allah! Surely, we present our pains to Thee: lack of our Prophet -Thy Salawaat be upon him and his Progeny-, and Occultation of our Wali –Thy Salaam be upon him-, and numerousness of our enemies, and fewness of our numbers, and severeness of trials and conspiracies against us, and vicissitudes of time upon us …"

(Iftitah Supplication)

To be continued …