Sitwat Mirza, London
Amidst all the hysteria that this pandemic has wrought, we have also witnessed the emergence of an increasingly thoughtful society built on the values of compassion and respect towards humanity. It is now our collective responsibility to maintain this level of heartfelt commitment towards performing humanitarian acts for the greater good.
Islam urges us to make financial sacrifices to allow the even distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor.[1] As Ahmadi Muslims, it is our duty to pursue the righteous act of giving charity to seek the love of Allah, display the peaceful and loving image of what Islam represents, and to instil an awareness in the hearts of all of mankind to sincerely care for their fellow brethren in times of need.
Allah the Almighty states in the Holy Qur’an:
‘And worship Allah and associate naught with Him, and show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbour that is a kinsman and the neighbour that is a stranger, and the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and those when your right hands possess. Surely, Allah loves not the proud and the boastful.’ (4:37)[2]
Hence, we should not only show concern for our friends and family, but for anyone we come across in need of assistance, regardless of their faith, race or ethnicity. In this way we should strive to become an example of our motto: ‘Love for All, Hatred for None.’
The hope in seeing this pandemic through as a global community has provoked us to act in the interest of not just ourselves, but for all those around us. From the panic that rapidly spread across the nation during the first few weeks of the outbreak of Covid-19, stemmed a feeling of selfishness as individuals sought ways to protect themselves and their families. In the weeks to follow, difficulties in attaining regular income, sometimes forcing us to use leftovers to prepare family meals due to a shortage of stock in shops, and the affliction felt in seeing our loved ones suffer, brought about an important realisation for us all.
Through this difficult process of constant readjustment to a new way of life, we have learnt to appreciate those who sacrifice their time to keep things going smoothly for the rest of us, namely the key workers. As well as this, we have chosen to make the time to give to those around us, principally the most vulnerable in our society including the underprivileged, the elderly, the disabled, and the sick. These gestures of good will have ranged from participating in larger charitable initiatives like the sewing of face masks at home for hospitals and giving donations to food banks, to actively volunteering to help neighbours in isolation.
In the final Friday Sermon of the Holy month of Ramadan this year, His Holiness Khalifatul Masih V reminded us to persist in doing good works for the love of God and mankind, even after the blessed days of the Holy month of Ramadan are over, and as the government continues to ease the restrictions of lockdown.[3] After making such remarkable progress in humanitarian efforts, would it not be a shame to once again forget the true values on which a successful community is built when the lockdown is over?
Do we wish to live in a society where we find pleasure only in the materialistic gains of this world and go about in our daily lives in a self-seeking manner, or one where we exhibit friendliness, approachability and a real concern for humanity?
It is only through understanding our duties towards safeguarding the most fragile parts of our society, that we can become a prudent community that genuinely makes an effort towards fulfilling the rights of others. May Allah enable us all to continue seeking the love of Allah through the service of humanity.
[1] https://www.alislam.org/book/economic-system-islam/teachings-islam-establishing-just-society/islamic-injunction-use-wealth/
[2] Holy Qur’an Chapter 4 Verse 37
Voice of British Muslim Women 
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