Covid-19 and Life’s Challenges, by Legisan S Samtafsir

*Legisan S Samtafsir is an expert motivator in emotional and spiritual quotient

Pandemic of Covid-19 isn’t passed yet, and we don’t know when “the game” will be over. But, life must go on. Most people might regret it, because it has been killing human lives, destroying businesses, taking away livelihoods, ruining joy and comfort, and made us all sorrow.

However, ignoring the existence of Covid-19 by being ignorant means that someone took the risk of facing death and illness with no cure yet. Or someone who chooses to surrender, lets the life goes naturally, up to one’s own will, it is all a bad attitude of apathy.

This is the reality today. Life seems more and more difficult. But, for the people who believe in God (Allah), it means a challenge. Generally, human attitudes in responding to the pandemic will be divided into two groups: first, those who are looking for ways to overcome and those who are ignorant. And the best group according to Allah is, those who believe that behind all events and calamities that happen on the earth proves the truth of God’s verses and all His creations are not in vain. (Surah Al Imran: 191)

Covid-19 makes us aware of how vulnerable and weak our life is. Our efforts seem to only contribute just 1 percent, while there are 99 percent out of human efforts. We try to protect ourselves, starting from taking care of food, health, road safety, and human interferences. However, there are millions of viruses, and bacteria scatter on this earth that all of them can suddenly attack our health and even kill us.

With all human weaknesses, let’s think, why are we still alive? Is it because we are smart people, or have strong immunity? You know, it’s not all because of human strength and intelligence. Even doctors, world leaders, athletes, and anyone can die caused by this virus. The Covid outbreak attacks everyone, regardless of nation, wealth, intelligence, officials, or ordinary citizens. Everyone is threatened.

So, who has been protecting and saving humans from all kinds of dangers? Nothing, except Allah. This is the basis of faith. Covid-19 makes all people have faith in Allah. Someone may ask: “If someone believes in Allah, does he not in threaten?’ Not so, people who believe in Allah threaten too. But with their faith, then their souls are alive, their minds are thinking, and their bodies move and try hard with optimism.

Believers think that a disaster or pandemic can be a test or a punishment. If the pandemic is a disaster, believers must accept it and be patient with all difficulties, be sincere, and be pleased with God’s destiny. In fact, believers can be grateful, because, with this plague, their faith in Allah will increase, their worship will be more solemn. If the disaster is a punishment, then humans must repent of all forms of sins. The sins could be a pride and disobedience, whether they do intentionally or not.

Therefore, people should live in this new life with faith in Allah. Without faith, humans will die. His physical going to die, attacked by virus, his soul also dies, overwhelmed with uncertainty, difficulty, and hopeless. So with faith and piety, we will stay alive and be saved. ‘Whoever has fear to Allah, then Allah will give him a solution, giving him sustenance from an unexpected direction”. (Surah. Ath-Thalaq: 2-3).

Covid-19 has also destroyed the arrogance of the great nations of the world. Coupled with the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, United States. The eye of the world should see that the arrogance of a people because of the superior racial assumption, the tyranny is the source of all disasters for humans.

The good civilization is not a matter of physical, immunity, economic, wealth, and power, but also a matter of justice and humanity. Humans must be aware that the destroyer of civilization is injustice and inhumanity. The desire to control others makes people become arrogant and proud so that their eyes become blind and their ears are deaf to injustice and inhumanity.

“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?” (Surah Jatsiyah: 23)

So, even though covid-19 makes everything difficult, but we can take lessons about the nature of life. The challenges must be faced with patience, with the realization that there will be no life on this earth without Allah’s help and protection.

We must pick up Allah’s help with the optimal effort. Although only 1 percent of our efforts, it is a decisive cause for the coming of God’s help.

Like a word, even though we pray fervently in the mosque, but the camel outside must be bound so that it does not run away. This is where the role of the human brain works, to think of a thousand ways to solve all difficulties.

Our intelligence must be able to penetrate the vision so that justice and humanity are clear in our minds. All our life decisions in relationships between human beings must consider justice and humanity.

Finally, our thoughts must be realized in technological aids to simplify, accelerate, and expand the outputs that we expect. In conclusion, our intelligence to solve difficulties is physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual quotient. (L/R3/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)