Malik Yahya/
Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has warned religious leaders of the danger of complacency in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pantami, who himself is a renowned Muslim cleric, gave the warning in an appeal to his followers, which he shared on Twitter, via @DrIsaPantami, yesterday.
While giving reasons for the cancellation of the regular congregational worship today, Pantami said it was essential for religious leaders and their followers to comply with the directives of civil authorities in their own enlightened interest and as a matter of religious obligation.
He also noted that countries that are more advanced in medical sciences are are struggling to contain the pandemic because of their earleiy negligence, therefore, no African country could afford the luxury of such an attitude.
Pantami said the virus, whether it is natural or man made, is very deadly and therefore required everyone to do everything necessary to protect themselves from it.
Read his full message:
1) Annoor Masjeed Wuse 2, Ta’aleem of Sunday will be Conducted on Facebook Live, not Physically!
May the peace, mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon you!
Our physical weekly Ta’aleem of Shamaa’ilun Nabiy (SAW) will be put on hold till further notice in sha Allah.
2) Some lessons will be presented live on facebook during same time, around 7:10pm every Sunday. Praise be to Allah for providing digital technologies for humanity
3) In Islam, protection of people’s lives to the best of our ability is mandatory. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) discourages people who eat garlic from coming to the Masjeed so as not to harm others. In addition, he asked people to pray at home due to rain.
4) Further, we are also directed not to throw our lives into destruction.
Muslims are always encouraged to be highly responsible, and refer the issue of our worldly life to the experts of that field.
5) As a result of that, it is obligatory for Muslims to respect the verdict of upright medical experts. For example, social distancing, washing our hands with sanitizer, prophetic supplication, respiratory hygiene are all essential.
6) Many nations that are more educated and religiously committed than us have adopted the same approach. Saudi Arabia is a good example. This has been the verdict of their council of Ulamah. The decision is really painful, but necessary in this situation.
7) We will continue to monitor the situation & reverse to physical lessons, when the need arises, in sha Allah.
In africa, we have challenges of medical facilities and expertise. European countries that are developed are still struggling to curtail it, after earlier “negligence
8) If we commit the same negligence, our situation could be worse. May the Almighty Allah protect us all.
Whether coronavirus is man-made disease or not, it is indeed a real virus today.
10) May the Almighty Allah bring an end to this calamity, and accept our beloved ones who passed away or will die as a result of the pandemic as martyrs.
(Follow our lessons on Sunday live on facebook, and share with others).
11) May the peace, mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon you!
Yours sincerely
Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami