WEEKENDE

The
R 21 March-27 March 2020 Comment 20

Seeking divine help

Brigadier S Shujah H Khurazmi (Retd)
advises adopting charitable means to
avoid the pandemic

T
he country is apprehending a disas-
trous onslaught of coronavirus that
may prove fatal for many of our
compatriots. This probably is the
first internet pandemic that has magnified a
viral affliction much above its actual devas-
tating potential. It is quite unusual to witness
the chattering classes proposing a lockdown
without realising what will happen to daily
wage earners who have no option but to ven-
ture out to meet their ends meet. This largest
segment of the population has not been taken
care by either the state or philanthropists.
In a country where countless children die
of dog bites and workers burnt down in facto-
ries, the social media stars believe that they
can save the people by advising them to stay
indoors as if coronavirus is the only scourge
that can kill them. In a land where facilities
are hogged by the rich and the powerful en-
joy vast privileges by denying them to hapless
millions there is otherwise no hope for the
majority of people to live a reasonably hap-
py and contended life and they might not be
afraid of a viral pandemic. Breaking of dawn
The travails experienced by an average of the common man who is left to eke out a
Pakistani are paid a lip service by their well- living in depressed conditions.
off fellow-citizens and that too on TV screens In the current scenario of heightened ten-
without meaning a word of what they say. The sions no one is paying attention to resorting
affluent class devotes more time to listen to to means followed by our forefathers for
political mumbo-jumbo spoken every evening warding off disasters. Whenever there oc-
by political partisans out of whom the official curred an illness, our forefathers emphasised
spokesmen go to any length to justify the on giving charity with the firm belief that it
policies of their government irrespective of has the potential of warding off all inconve-
their merit or demerit. The issues discussed niences particularly illnesses. The underlying
in these shows have scant bearing on the lives assumption was to seek divine help through

Charity enhances cure

fulfilling the needs of the downtrodden be-
cause Allah holds them dear. They firmly be-
lieved that the amount spent on medication
may not bring in satisfactory results as com-
pared to the amount given in charity as it has
Eternal light the tremendous advantage of being accompa-
nied by divine blessing.
Pakistanis should take heart from the say-
ings of the ultimate sage Hazrat Ali (AS) who
said that death is the protector of life. This
is a profound statement giving credence to
the universal reality that the fear of death is
unnecessary as it guarantees human life and
there is no point in being afraid of it because
no one can avoid it. Every Muslim should have
firm belief that he is given a certain period of
time to inhabit this world and then he is man-
dated to return to his Creator. Until his time to
return arrives he cannot die, come what may.
This is a universal truth and there is no other
way available in human existence.
Nevertheless, it is advisable to adhere to
protective measures that may prevent people
from falling victim to coronavirus. This virus
has the potential to cause considerable mis-
ery to the lives of people and may entail wide-
spread hardships. While taking good care of
Hope begets hope the physical self, it is more than essential to
take even better care of divine injunctions
enjoining human beings to take cognisance of
humanity and give it preference.
The risk posed by coronavirus is an ap-
propriate moment for us to delve deep into
our souls and search for principles advocat-
ing selfless service for our fellow beings. The
best protection against coronavirus would be
to empower the common man to handle this
scourge by giving him enough financial re-
sources to stay indoors. He should be made
to feel comfortable enough to ward-off this
danger and should be confident that in case
of this virus striking him he will have access
to best medical care.
The best method to ensure protection
from coronavirus is to become charitable in
letter and spirit. Every Pakistani should feel
the pain of the other and should be willing to
shoulder the burden of existence collectively.
This is the best course open to us and the only
course for ensuring national salvation. The
earlier we adopt and follow it the better for
the polity. TW
Brigadier S Shujah H Khurazmi (Retd) had
a distinguished career in law enforcement
and now is a social activist