A few days back when I sat down to read Surah Al-Feel to my girls. I realized how Allah (SWT) had chosen a tiny bird to destroy the Mighty elephant army of Yemen. How a tiny bird had reduced it to something insignificant. The lesson that Allah wants us to draw from this surah is completely relevant to what we are experiencing in these times. Just like the king of Yemen took pride in his huge elephant army. Today’s men were lost in their own elephant army. Men today took pride in their AI culture (Artificial Intelligence), their so-called conquer of the outer universe. We had everything going our way. The world was turned into a global village. The huge economic boom, skyscrapers, awe-inspiring architectures, etc.
Man has now reached and explored the depths of the oceans and the highest peak of mountains with not once thinking about the existence of his fellow-creatures. In his pompous attitude, plus the technological advancements, it seemed men had no bounds. This was our Elephant army which we took so much pride in.
And then to put the man in place came a tiny creature coronavirus, which is so small that it not only needs a microscope but an electron microscope. No achievement of man was ready to deal with it. This global village now become a global threat.
The man had thought that it had left behind the age of pandemics and he has been proved wrong. Never in the last century has the world completely shut itself.
Planes grounded, tourist spots deserted malls, and every place of recreation shut. For the first time, man has stopped earning to save his life. The rich, the poor are all just shopping for essential commodities. Fear runs everywhere, people dying in overwhelming numbers. And the worst effect of all this, the two most sacred places on earth Makkah, and Madinah has been shut. There is no tawaf going on, no Saee, and no ziyaarat of the beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him). The sanctified places remain empty. It feels like our connection with the Lord has been shut.
Indeed, Allah has made humans realize what they are. No matter what they achieve, they are still the creation of Allah, among his so many creations. Men have to coexist on this earth with so many other creatures. And if he doesn’t, Allah has so many ways to take him to his account. With this lockdown, man needs to learn the art of simplistic living, that money, fame won’t help you even in this world when you do not have empathy for fellow humans and other creations. Every time man thinks he is in total control, he will be made to realize his significance in this incomprehensible creation of Allah.
I pray and hope we all contemplate and come out as better humans after all of this has ended.
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