Baha’i Sabbath: Baha’ 14, 177 B.E. (4/3/2020)

COVID-19 – Prophecy Fulfilment

A series of articles By Yusuf Muquit

The Coronavirus – A Healing Remedy for mankind In the light of linguistics and prophecy
14 March 2020

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

The coronavirus is here again – Covid-19! Many people are worried about it but even in this dark time of anxiety and uncertainty, God guides us through the light of his holy scripture and those who have been given insight into the prophecies contained in his holy books. In this article, I wish to present some insights I have had recently on the coronavirus, hoping that they may prove useful and interesting to some people.

I see the coronavirus as bearing many lessons for humanity and playing many roles at one and the same time. I see it as the result of human beings not looking after the world God has given us and the creatures God has created on earth. Man was given the intellect and chosen as God’s representative on earth to look after it and show compassion to God’s creation. Today, the coronavirus and climate change stand as the two most worrying issues in the world and both are definitely inter-linked.

Now, what are the lessons we can learn about the coronavirus from linguistics? I think the answers to everything related to the deep spiritual reasons for this disease as well as the spiritual solutions to it and the way we are to act in this situation can be found if we reflect on the very name of the virus which is called Coronavirus. Also, the derivatives of this word and words which are phonetically similar to it in various languages reveal many things about this virus. Here, I will elucidate a few and I am sure others may find more examples.

I believe that the most important need for mankind is to see reality, especially the deep spiritual reality, the signs of which are unfolding in the universe at this very moment. I believe it is a new Divine Revelation and a Spiritual Kingdom which seeks to bring unity, harmony and security to the human race. However, to see this great reality, mere physical sight and vision are not enough but one must develop deep spiritual vision and perception, as it is none other than the reality of God himself.

We are guided to this reality through a messenger at all times. This is God’s messenger who has appeared at different times under different names and titles but they were all one and the same reality. Mankind needs their guidance. The message of truth they bring is like the sun’s corona, i.e., plasma which extends millions of kilometres into space and it radiates from the Sun of truth itself which is the Messenger and Manifestation of the All-Merciful. To see this reality, one needs to have a clear cornea, which is the eye’s protective outer layer. However, due to the cornea of the spiritual eye being damaged in most people due to the scars of delusion, idle imagination and fantasy, they are unable to see this great reality that lies before them. If this message is understood properly, it can heal the human being so that he will have a clear vision of the corona of the sun of reality.

Next, we move to the most essential organ that alone can accept this great reality when mankind has seen it with its eyes and understood it with its intellect. This is the pure and healthy heart which is supplied by sufficient blood and oxygen. However, on a deeper spiritual level, the blood supply to the hearts of many people is narrowed or blocked, a type of spiritual Coronary heart disease. This may not always have obvious symptoms, like the coronavirus itself which may go undetected for a long time before showing any symptoms at all.

Just like its physical counterpart, the spiritual coronary heart disease is caused by an unhealthy diet, i.e., depressive feelings, thoughts and emotions combined with the lack of spirituality and divine spiritual guidance. By spiritual guidance, theology and dogmatic beliefs are not meant because they can be equally harmful as depressive thoughts and feelings. This realization will help people recover from their spiritual disease if they choose to turn to a healthy spiritual lifestyle.

This disease of Covid-19 brings with it the sad prospect of death for some and the death of beloved friends, family and relatives for others. It is like Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead and also like the official who holds inquests into the causes of death known in Britain as the coroner. This official is also responsible for safeguarding the private property of the crown or monarch. Similarly, the Coronavirus has a deep connection to the Spiritual Kingdom of the Divine and in the end, it serves to protect those who are loyal to the Kingdom. The word corona, in fact, is a Latin word meaning crown and it comes from an ancient Greek word meaning garland or wreath. When understood properly, the Coronavirus will lead the world to a good understanding of God’s kingdom, which is nothing but a protector of human unity and brotherhood.

What can we practically do in this pandemic which is causing many to be sick and leading others to death? We should practice the Buddhist teaching of Karuna, meaning compassion. This does not only mean compassion to others but also compassion for one’s self. A person can be compassionate tothemselves by making good healthy choices of cleanliness and adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle that will boost their immune system. This will either prevent the disease or fight it off quickly if it is contracted. One scientifically proven method for boosting the immune system is through intermittent fasting, which often heals cancer cells in the body. Research has also shown that the reason why people lose appetite for eating while ill is because the body sometimes does not require food in that instance. However, this depends on the type of illness too. The idea is to listen to the body as it is a perfect guide.

To show compassion to others, one ought to protect them by adopting general measures of hygiene in public and around people and self-isolating if one is showing the symptoms of the disease. The examples of the great holy men who founded the major world religions as well as many saints and sages reveal to us the value of isolation and retreat for spiritual healing and wellbeing. It so happens that we are now in the Lent season which commemorates the 40 days and nights Jesus spent in the wilderness. He fasted for the entire period “until he was hungry” as the Bible says. I heard the first British person to suffer from Covid-19 saying that he had been in isolation for forty days. He explained how he had coped for this entire period, which offers valuable tips and ideas for others in a similar situation.

What about Hoy Scripture? What do they say about such matters? Here are some of my own personal insights from the world’s two most-read holy books. These are my own insights and I do not wish to impose them on anybody or offend either the Muslims or the Christians. I am sure many Muslims will disagree with this style of interpretation as it does not belong to the classical approach to interpreting the Qur’an. However, as these insights may prove useful for some and interesting for others, I will mention them. These thoughts stem from my deep conviction that God has embedded certain prophetic information in the words of his holy scripture which keep unfolding over time and provide mankind with much needed guidance.

In the Bible, Paul writes to the Christians living in the Greek city of Corinth, which many have called the Sinful City. 400 years before Paul, it was seen as a symbol of commercialised love, i.e. prostitution. From this name, the verb korinthiazesthai was formed which meant “to fornicate”. The Bible, in manyinstances uses the expressions of ‘adultery’ and ‘fornication’ to mean following false gods. The way this is relevant to the Coronavirus is that today many people live in an imagined city of ungodliness and sin, where they have turned away from God and a healthy spiritual life and instead adopted an immoral lifestyle of greed and self-centredness and sought satisfaction in material means.

At Paul’s time, one of the problems with the Christian congregation of Corinth was that its wealthy members refused to help and associate with its poorer members in the true spirit of Christian humility. Today, with this pandemic, all the rich nations of the world should look out for their poorer brethren and help them. This applies to both individuals and nations, regardless of the perceived barriers of race, colour or religion. We are all one family in humanity.

The Qur’an also warns mankind against arrogance and pride due to excessive wealth when it tells the story of Qarun whom some see as the same person as Korah mentioned in the Book of Numbers in the Hebrew Bible. Suffixed with the case vowel ‘a’, the word Qarun in the Qur’an reads ‘Qaruna’ which bears resemblance to Corona. The Qur’an says that Qarun was from the people of Moses but he rebelled against him. He was so rich that the keys to his treasury were carried by a band of strong men. God admonished him not to be arrogant, to consider his wealth as given to him by God, to be kind to others as God had been kind to him, and not to cause corruption on earth. However, he boasted that he had acquired all his wealth through his own knowledge. The Qur’an admonishes him as follows:

“Did he not know that God had destroyed before him of generations (Quroon) those who were greater than him in power and greater in the accumulation [of wealth]?…” (Al-Qasas 28:78)

When the word Quroon in the above verse is taken as prophecy for the Coronavirus, the verse reveals that God had destroyed many people from diseases such as the Coronavirus. It would then be a warning to any individual or nation that boasts power over others and causes corruption on earth that God would deal with them just as he dealt with Qarun. Regarding how Qarun met his end, the Qur’an states:

“And We caused the earth to swallow him up as well as his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than God, nor was he of those who [could] defend themselves.” (Al-Qasas 28:81)

This is just one example. If looked carefully and extensively, the Qur’an can be found speaking of the Coronavirus in many of its verses, including such details as its recurrence in history, people remaining in their homes due to it, its being the result of wrongdoing and denying God’s messengers, its cutting the lives of people short, the names of the three nations which have been affected by it the most (of course the Qur’an uses the names of three earlier nations), how life becomes depressing for it victims, being confined to a tight space and being restricted as if by chains, and how some people eventually die from it. This can all be seen in the Qur’an, which shows the great prophetic power andrelevance of the Qur’an for all ages.

In conclusion, the following verse of the Qur’an provides mankind with the ultimate solution to the Coronavirus as well as the other ills the world faces today:

“Why were there not, among the generations (Quroon) before you, persons possessed of a remnant of goodness, prohibiting (men) from mischief in the earth – except a few among them whom We saved? But the wrong-doers pursued the enjoyment of the good things of life which were given them, and persisted in sin.” (Hud 11:116)

In the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic, human beings should uphold justice and work for the betterment of the world if they are to be saved. We are to protect the earth and guard the interests of the whole of mankind and all the creatures living in our world in the best possible way.

Whatsoever Is Possible Of Accomplishment In Human Government Will Be Effected Through These Principles

 

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