New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Ramadan reflections on COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic made for an unusual Ramadan and Eid ul Fitr this year. Ramadan is the ninth month on the lunar Islamic calendar when Muslims abstain totally from food, drink and conjugal relations, and fast daily from dawn to sunset for 29 or 30 days (based on moonsighting). The month is spent in additional prayer, reading the Qur’an, reflection, seeking God’s forgiveness and charitable works — all with the goal of attaining Godconsciousness. Eid ul Fitr is the celebration of the breaking of the fast at the end of Ramadan with special prayers, meals and charitable works. Ramadan this year for most Muslims in America was from Friday, April 24, to Saturday, May 23, 2020. Eid was on Sunday, May 24 — during this past Memorial Day weekend. These dates mostly fell into the quarantine lockdown period. The social isolation of quarantine was what made Ramadan and Eid unusual this year. The normal postsunset communal meals and congregational prayers were absent.
The rare circumstances COVID-19 brought about during Ramadan presented a unique opportunity to reflect on and affirm Islamic teachings on the oneness of humanity. By claiming lives, upending daily living and creating a global calamity that affected all aspects of human, economic and social life worldwide, COVID-19 provided a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and our common destiny upon reflection.
Our shared humanity is something that is commonly forgotten when people bicker over ethnic, tribal and national differences without due consideration for the “other.” These differences are often seen in terms of structural differentiation (us vs. them) and not as a primal, functional aspect of human existence (us and them). Polarization is a characteristic of structural differentiation, while integration is a quality of functional differentiation. Structural differentiation thinking explains why some influential people advocate overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic by simply allowing some of us to die. In this thinking, people with a higher chance of survival are prioritized over those with a lesser chance. A functional differentiation mentality requires that the strong take care of the vulnerable and weak. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reportedly said: “Seek help for your weak ones, for you are given provision and help (i.e., blessed) only because of the weak amongst you” (Sunnan Abu Dawud).
The reality of our modern world is that it is a global village. This is precisely why a virus that allegedly originated from bats in Wuhan, China, has resulted in over 5.5 million infections and caused over 347,000 deaths globally. Science tells us that a global society is a functionally differentiated one whereby each unit is both independent and interdependent on other units. And Islamic scripture informs us about our common origins from a single source (Qur’an 4:1) and of mutual understanding as to the reason for our human differences: “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may (get to) know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware” (Qur’an 49:13).
Further, the consequences of structural differentiation are apparent. There is a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other reports show that the human, economic and social impact of the pandemic has been borne disproportionately by the elderly, people of color and people living in poverty. Such dehumanization is antithetical to people of faith. The Qur’an states that “and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity” (5:32). There is a similar expression in the Talmud, as well.
The expression again underscores the oneness of humanity. This oneness is the critical element in combating the novel coronavirus. It is also an essential element understood as needed to minimize inequality, poverty, exclusion and discrimination, which hinder the creation of a just society. For Muslims and other people of faith, justice is a moral responsibility or duty which God has ordained for all of humanity. Both the Qur’an and the Bible agree that we would be held accountable for this responsibility. Accountability before God is our collective destiny.
This year’s Ramadan and Eid ul Fitr have come and gone. COVID-19 remains in our midst. The window of opportunity for people of faith to pray, reflect, seek God’s forgiveness, be charitable and strive for Godconsciousness remains open. To take advantage of the opportunity, we should be ever mindful of our oneness as one human family.