Reflections on the Coronavirus Umrah Ban

Bismillah salatu salam ala rasulillah.

While Allah he was at the edge Marine, Salaam Alaikum, barakatuh.

So we,

the last few days have been very, very

complicated, very stressful,

very confusing, very honestly very overwhelming. And it all kind of came to a head this morning. And since that particular time, multi company and I have been talking for a couple hours, and I've been on the phone pretty much nonstop as well, conference calls and things like that.

And

as this whole situation was developing in regards to Aruba, and, you know, there being

the potential for a pandemic, and all these different kinds of concerns, and governments and all kinds of different companies and government agencies all scrambling to try to figure out how to navigate this whole situation. We've been talking about it, we've been discussing it, obviously, because we have an online group with that had about 150 people that we were supposed to depart in about four days on Thursday, even outside of our own camera group. People are reaching out, people are asking questions, people are trying to understand exactly what's going on pretty much every classroom that we've been going in, students have been very curious and have had a curiosity as to

exactly what's going on. And how do we understand this? And how do we make sense of all of this. And that led us to basically realizing that maybe it would be fruitful for us to have a little bit of a general discussion, not just specifically relegated to the ombre group, but just have a very general discussion about this. And then obviously, you know, provide that discussion online. So that anyone who's out there who's also trying to understand this issue, and maybe even dealing with this issue, personally, because they're not able to go for overall, whatever the case is, this can maybe provide some understanding and some consolation for them. But then also, the instructors also had the idea

that this is also a good learning opportunity for our students, and a good discussion amongst our students. So Hamdulillah, we thought that we would gather all the students together here at the Pelham seminary, and that we would have this discussion. So all kind of get the ball rolling, and kind of get things started them off to come on. And Chef mokotjo will also jump in here inshallah. The first thing I wanted to basically talk about is,

what's happening right now is that, and I'm not going to get into a lot of the technical details and specifics of it. It's not my background, I'm not a medical health professional. I'm not a government official. I'm not a part of the travel industry. So I'll be speaking about it as a lay person. But essentially, what it is, is that there is there's a very, very serious concern about people getting very, very sick and disease spreading and things of that nature. And that has led to a lot of precautions being put into place and a lot of governmental restrictions being put into place. And that has ultimately resulted in people not being allowed into originally they had not they were not

being allowed into the city of Mecca for the last couple of days. And now officially they're not also being allowed into the city of Medina either. And people are being completely blocked from going in.

A lot of folks are just being turned back from their connections, whether it be Istanbul or Dubai or wherever it is. And even if they are landing into Judo, Riyadh or whatever the case is.

They're basically turning them back from there. And so essentially, people are not being able to go and perform.

And the first thing that we always do as Muslims is we go to our sacred sources we go to the book of Allah the Quran, we go to the life, the Sierra, the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to see if we can find any kind of precedents, any kind of guidance, any kind of insight into this and how to handle this and how to approach this. And what we find is something actually quite profound. In the sixth year of higit, or six years after the Prophet sallallahu Sallam performed a migration and move to Madina munawwara from Makkah,

the Prophet sallallahu Sallam said I missed a garba we need to go and perform on Raw and he gathered 1400 companions together and they went to go perform ombre. They were in at all they pass them because they were in a home, love Baker.

lamella bake, they were right outside of Makkah at a place called who they be.

And there they were stopped by Moroccan military forces. And they were told that you will not be allowed to enter into Makkah, because at that point in time, the sixth year, Mecca and Medina, the Muslims in the Quraysh had a very antagonistic relationship. Their dynamic was very, very highly confrontational, and antagonistic, they were enemies. So they said, you will not be allowed to enter. There, it's a longer story about everything that basically happened and transpired with Earth man, but often what the Allahu taala on who and the Oh thunder, the tree, and so on and so forth. That isn't really particularly pertinent and relevant to this discussion. So I'm going to move past

some of those details. You can go and listen to, you know, move to commodity seed lectures, the seat up podcast, you can find that detail there. But the relevant part of it is this.

They ultimately said, we're not going to let you pass, you're not going to be allowed to enter. Much like the situation right now. I can be belligerent, I can show up at JFK. And I can be like, I'm boarding that plane in that flight. And they might just say, No, the flight is canceled. There is no plane to board. And I said, I'm walking out of that jetway. They'll say, yeah, you walk out of that jetway onto the runway, but there's no plane, you're not boarding you're not going to be allowed. Or I board. And when I land there, they say you're not getting, you're not leaving the airport. Or if you're not entering into Makkah. So it's one of those kinds of situations you're not going to be

allowed to go it's out of my hands. I'm they're not going to let me go. The prophets a lovely sermon, the Sahaba were there in the muck and said, that's one thing that's not happening, y'all are not entering market today. That's not gonna happen.

The profits, a lot of the salon was always in time towards peace. And there's kind of a lesson here and most of the money will talk about this. But in Islam, we do have the mindset of precaution,

precaution and safety and well being not to the magnoliophyta I do but sallallahu lafiya. The prophets Allah told us to always seek well being. And so the prophets Allah said, if they offer peace, I will take peace. And they came and the Treaty of davia occurred in which they said you do not get to enter Makkah right now, you got to go back home.

Y'all can come do Ramadan next year,

which chef will talk about later. But

at that point in time,

the Sahaba were heartbroken.

They were devastated.

Heads hung low tears streaming down their faces.

Just heartbroken.

Right that I wanted to see the house of alone. These were many, many of them were mccanns, who had not seen their home and had not seen the cover for six years. And many of them were Medina who had never seen the cover at all.

First time, just like many people probably going for hotel right now. Many of them were first timers. Many of them were going back second, third, fourth time. We're going back after 10 years.

So there's we our brothers and sisters, our role models. So how about are the 11 they dealt with this before.

And they were heartbroken in the profits. A lot of them said guys, we've got to go home.

This is the decree of a law We're going home

and very with a heavy heart

because they were so obedient to the profits a lot.

They got up and they you know, shave their head sacrifice animals shave their head and did their prom, cleaned up, changed your clothes and started going back. But you could see the cloud kind of hanging over the group. people's feet were kind of dragging their heads were lowered their eyes were filled with their tears.

And Allah subhanaw taala revealed the verse of the Quran, enough Adana, lacava tamina

that this is a victory. It might feel like a defeat in the moment, but this is a victory.

So we're never defeated by our circumstances where people have emaan where people of faith were connected to something so much greater. We're connected to a law we are never defeated by our circumstances. And in fact, the last one Rotella told the prophets a lot so naka de la hora de la hora,

lead Hollen and Michigan Rama insha Allah who are many Mahalia tinaroo Sakuma, maka serene and latter half

the gods shall fulfill the dream of the messenger. You will enter the Gaga the huddle,

safe and sound

and that

Remote Control and it did indeed come true. A year to date, they went back and they were able to perform the long run.

And a year after that,

all of mcca came into the fold of Islam. And two years after that 125,000 plus Sahaba gathered together and performed HUD with the profits a lobbyist.

From there was all uphill.

It seemed like a little temporary setback. And then it was win after win after win after win.

So sometimes these moments are there, to test our resolve to bring out the best in us. But ultimately, we put our faith and trust in a line we're never demoralized by our circumstance in our situation.

So this whole idea of preparing to go for Ramadan, and preparing to go for Hajj sometimes, it's so exciting for the people who are going. They've been invited to dinners, they've been given gifts, people have already sent them there to Alice. You can almost smell the passport, days before you depart. Like there's there's excitement, you start getting those dreams where you can't sleep anymore, and you find yourself hanging around the days before you go. The excitement is surreal. It just reminded me I was telling my wife, I was like, we get to drink as much as he wants to pound.

It just just two days ago, I told her that.

And it just becomes so real. I've been talking about this with my family. For so long. I've been saying that I can't wait to go for what I really need. This is my spiritual moment where I get lifted and I find myself clinging on to the Kaaba. And then there are moments where you're standing in front of the robot and I'd be sit alone while he was still I mean, it feels so special. In particular, when I spend my day at the seminary teaching Heidi, standing in front of the one whose words that conveys, it brings a very humbling and special feeling.

And when everything is lined up, and you're excited about doing something and you think you think that you've got everything under control, sometimes Allah subhanho wa Taala reminds you that you're not the one who controls things.

And we get put back in our place. You are rewarded based off of your intentions. And that's something we'll talk more about. And he'll expound on this issue.

But don't think that you control all affairs. Sometimes Allah subhanho wa Taala may put you in a situation where you are being tested to see whether you actually believe that Allah subhanho wa Taala is the one who is

the one who controls all affairs and allows things to happen, or have you started believing in your own means that I have the visa, therefore I have every right to go and no one on the road can stop me.

At times in your life, your emotions will drag you to make one decision.

But if you were to think of it logically, you will know that you should do something else.

You're thinking with your heart and then you're thinking with your mind. The reality is that, for me personally, having this discussion with Chicago Nasr today regarding the Harlem oma group, because the travel agent that we're going with, they said to us that if you guys really want to make it in, we will get you in

if you guys really want that you say yes to us, and a lot of Salaam staff said that will get you in. But then the question came that is this the right thing to do or not?

We know we want to go, but it is the responsible thing to do. And when we think about it more, we realized that it was putting the lives in the health of 150 people at risk, who entrusted us to be their group leaders to make those decisions for them. Is this the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do. And then we reflect back over Sita and the lives of the law. And we find examples where there was an emotional pool and there was an intellectual pool. And the companions were intellectual. They were smart about it a lot. One is traveling past shop and borrowing unless hits in I'm lost was a place outside Blitz. And it was the origin of the great plague of the time. It

consumed the lives of great Sahaba was gonna jump out of your loved one, I will obey the law one. They died from this plague. And under the law, one is passing by Sham, and he stops outside of the limits where the plague was far outside the city. And the people said Won't you enter no matter the law? One said no. They said why not? Are you running away from the decree of God? He said I'm running from the decree of God to the decree of God. The Federal men Casa de la isla de la casa de la to the decree of God. And then someone quoted a narration of maybe spent a lot of money with cinnamon that gathering where have you set a lot of money and set them set if there is a land that

is afflicted by a plague, do not enter into it. And those that are inside should not leave it quarantine.

Those that are outside. Be cautious, be smart, be intelligent. Thank Allah subhanho wa

for good health and reflect, this is a reminder for you, those that are inside, utilize what remains of your life do is to ask Allah for forgiveness, utilize these moments to connect with Allah subhanahu wa Tada. And this is one of the things that bothers me a lot about this Coronavirus situation right now is that everyone's talking about this virus. And it's just become another point of conversation over lunch and over dinner. This is the first time in my lifetime, where I believe the whole world is reflecting over death all at once. That had you thought it'd be some level it was set on where he told us to remember death abundantly. The whole world believers are not everyone is

connected with this idea. At this moment, there are some of us, who will actually reflect over the value of our life, what we've done and what needs to be done. And there are others that are just going to turn this into another political issue, another issue of policies and other day of making jokes at political figures that are trying to figure it out, or maybe not trying to figure it out. That's what it's gonna be for them another just cycle of, you know, social media problems. And there are those of us that are actually going to make something out of this. So when I think of making that decision, and when we sat together, and as a team, we talked, you know that what's the right

thing to do, what we realized was the right thing to do was to not go for nominal, as much as it hurts and saying those words not going from but it doesn't roll off the tongue easily. It hurts a lot. But it's the right thing to do. And this is the lesson for us all that, you know, there are times where you may want something, but there's something else that needs to be done. And there is a guidance in shediac that there's intelligence there. There's wisdom there. You're being precautious. There's nothing wrong with that at all. And actually, that's the right thing to do. The second thing is that when I was young, my mother, my older brother, Shane Levine, we studied together. He's three

years older than me. And

my thought we were both young, we both wanted to go for Hajj. I was really young. I hadn't even reached the age of puberty. And my father, he said to my brother, you want to go for Hutch. Okay, I'll send you.

I believe at the time he couldn't have been more than maybe 15 years old, 16 years old.

So he, my dad gave him the money. He found a group in England because that's where we were. We were studying. He signed up with the group. Everything was ready. He was going alone, by the way no family members with him. He was going for hikes. There was a group of people. And he was excited. I remember before he went, we were roommates. We slept in the same room and mothers. So he packed his bags together. I was really sad as a younger brother, because now I would be in the mother's alone without my brother. That was the heavy thing for me. He said to me, I'll be making the offer. You know how I'm Don't worry. I'll be back very soon. I'll bring gifts for you from MCI as well. So just

put a smile on my face. Is that okay? bar, go ahead, go. So he packed his bags. And he left. He got on a coaster, like a mini bus, if you want to think of hitched a ride from Manchester, where our school was to London, which is down south. When you got to London, the airport he was flying from was Heathrow.

He met the group. Everyone was excited. They were all checking in. And right when his turn comes to check in. He realized he forgot his passport.

And he called me he said, Hussein, what do I do? And I said you stay there, I'll bring it to you. I'll somehow come I was only 11 years old. I said I'll figure it out. I'll bring it to you.

And he said he said you're not gonna make it here. And I remember on that phone call, the two of us just cried. Because we realized that he wasn't going to go in his dream was about to be shattered. And for me, my brother being sad was also heavy on me.

So then my brother, he came back. And I remember when he entered into the room, he was quiet and I was quiet. And neither of us had anything to say. And we just sat there and we just I don't know what we did. I just remember crying. That's it. And I thought of that day today, as we were discussing canceling the online, I couldn't help but feel that that's the emotion that many people may have when they come back home. Today, many people are going to come back home. And they're just going to be really sad. And I remember my brother crying. And him saying that maybe a lot turned me away. Maybe I wasn't worthy of it. Maybe I was trying to take too big of a step.

And as we went through those maybes I began to realize how dark it was for him at that time. And I didn't have anything better to say I was young, I didn't know what to say. But today when I reflect over that I wanted to convey this to all of those that come back home

without going and those of us who have to unpack our bags, because I have to do that too. We're gonna go home and open up that zipper and start putting things back where they belong. In moments like that don't become so negative in yourself that you begin to take yourself to the worst case scenario.

You made this decision, or you did not end up going to Amazon, not because you're going somewhere else. It's not that I'm not going to go to Amazon because I'd rather go to Cancun. That's not what's happening here. Your heart was sold to go. But however, you were prevented from going for a greater good for going to Oman, that's benefit for yourself. Not going could be benefit for the oma because you're being considered a people at large. And that's a sort of decisions that your decision that you'll need to make in your life, I think of the story of voice of attorney. Another great example. You know, some when they would say his name, they say about your loved one, even though he wasn't as

a hobby, but he didn't go to meet and he said a lot of them because he was taking care of someone else. The narration of hockey and famous one where he was taking care of his

his mother, right? So he gave preference to others over himself. You can imagine how heavy that must have been getting a boost in a long line he was telling me I'm one of the last one to convey his regards to always have gluttony and then in one narration also asked him to make dua. So in these moments Chitwan is going to dump negative thoughts into your mind. But just as you had positivity in you when you asked a lot of take you and a lot of facilitated that path. Today, as easy as it is for you to be negative, reflect over what Sheldon Nasr was talking about the story of hard abs.

And how when they are returning back from navia Allah reveals the ayah which one in NA NA Naka Fatah, Marina latitudinal, Merci de l'homme insha, Allah who I mean, like, Allah is saying, You did the right thing. You did what we told you to do. And now leave the rest of us, and we will take you. So we pray that Allah subhanho wa Taala takes us our family, our children, to Harlem, for those of you that are low and weak, know that the oma is here with you. There's no there's no sorrow that you need to deal with alone. We're all here for you. If you feel like you're struggling internally, I haven't come to terms with this myself, yet. I know that the tears are on their way. I know it. And

when they do come, it's my responsibility to reach out to the people around me and for the people around me to come to me and say, we'll get through it together. The whole world is struggling. And inshallah this moment too, will also pass. And maybe one day, very soon in the near future all of us will be standing in front of the Kaaba together, together Together, raising our hands in front of the Kaaba and praying to Allah.

Standing in front of the road of episode Allahu alayhi wa sallam. And for those of us who don't make it in the dunya

does be ready for a big hug from the prophet in the hereafter.

May Allah subhanho wa Taala accept from us only shift me Cardinal if you have any thoughts please

stand up so that's a lot of sarila while he was happy to be here woman water

bottle lava tada Kula you see Munna illa ketevan la hoonah. Who amo la

Harlan abuso de la jolla asylum edge of unlimited movement in America kololo Alhaji

like two days ago, in Sierra class here at Pelham, we started to talk about Medina. And the moment we started to talk about Medina. This hot or Kapha came over me because I started to remember Medina from LA. And I held myself I started to choke but then I was like, No, no, no, I gotta get through the lesson. I'm not gonna do it.

But

for those who are going for oma, for those who weren't going for oma right now, you have to understand that those who had intention to go, it was as if they were going to, to meet the beloved and bu o lab, meaning I mean, and to see him, they were going to meet their beloved. They were going to cast their gaze on the Kaaba and there is no greater feeling in the dunya than casting the gaze on the Kaaba, the only thing paralleled is going to be a lot in general.

And there was this choke a lollipop, there was this desire. And as I think of each individual person,

it hurts me, because they're not getting to go see the beloved that they wanted to see.

And now every other person that they see is going to say, aren't you going for O'Meara and they're going to remember their beloved, every time someone asked them, aren't you going for oma? And they have to say no.

And that's painful, extremely painful.

Medina has a feeling as you enter, your heart just starts to get happy. Just as you enter Medina, your heart starts to get happy. And as you get closer to the profit slice I love the joy just grows and grows and grows.

But these moments brothers and sisters are moments where our emaan is try where we have to you should do about the home Baba we have to strengthen one another

and we have to remind each other cooling you see vana Illa cutter Bala who Lana, I was reading a study in a social psychology class I'm taking that said you know, if you ever look at the Olympics when someone wins, you have first place second place in third place. And they did this study where they looked at the expressions on the faces of the first person, second place in third place. And the study concluded that the person who got second place will always have more pain in their face than the person who came in third place. And the reason is because the person who came in second place feels that if I would have just changed one thing if I would have just adjusted one slight

thing I almost missed it I own and therefore the pain they feel is way more than the third Thursday humbly lamb on the member having the lamb up here but second says I was so close

believer believers we have a protection, cooling you sleeve and a llama cutter below with enough. There was no way for us to get that objective. It wasn't written for us.

It wasn't it wasn't written for us. So alleviate the pain by knowing there's nothing I could have done to get there.

And the Hadith that I want us to remember we turn to the Koran and we turn to the Hadith. Why? Because they will give us that solace that we need it so badly Ameren Woodman

the believer has a strange affair, a strange situation in the Amira, hula, hula hoop head. It's all good. It's all good. It's all good. Whether you got there or not, it's all good. Allah subhanaw taala will bring you back in sha Allah insha Allah, Allah will bring you there you will see it. You will see it in sha Allah to Allah. But I want to share something with you. I don't know where I read this. I heard it from a teacher. The Sahaba were praying and Gemma, there's no clock. We don't know what time they start when everyone gets there. They finished the gym II and as they finish the Jamaat, they're leaving, and another Sahabi is walking in. And he says Did you guys praise Him? Ah.

He goes, Yeah, we just finished and he goes, Oh man,

because he missed it.

And the Sahabi pulled them to the side, the side and he said hold on. I'll trade you the reward for my Gemma for the rewards you got for the pain that you feel for missing it.

I'll trade you the reward. Because the pain you're feeling right now is only because you love Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam and you love a lot more than anything else.

And Allah sees that pain and a lot of rewards you for every tear, every feeling everything you're going through Allah subhanho wa Taala is rewarding you for whatever it is you're going through.

Nia to other men, hey, you don't mean Amelie.

A solid. It's not a strong idea. But near to a moment your intention is stronger than your action. The scholars say the Prophet sighs Selim did for Amara. I didn't set out to was set up. Even though he actually did three. They say he did four because the one he was stopped from he received the answer for that one as well.

So brothers, sisters,

this is a hard time for us. Because we were going home vacation is coming all of us going to see RV love it. Can we imagine being stopped from that?

Very difficult. So May Allah subhanho wa Taala give us the strength to realize that our reward is there. A love will bring you there inshallah, to Allah. The pain that you feel is a testimony to the love that you have

for the beloved. And the love you have for wanting to just glance at the Kaaba

so console your brothers and sisters who aren't going to console them as if they lost someone because it feels like that. It hurts. It hurts. So hug them consoled them, hold their hand, be with them, let them know they're gonna make it Don't worry.

inshallah Tada. And may Allah give you the reward for all the pain and suffering you're going through with this being held back and never ever think that Allah subhana wa tada has not given me the tofik because I wasn't Nah.

The Sahaba will help back and we know their their level.

But this is where our our eemaan is tested in these moments, guys.

This is where the man is tested. And this is where you say, you know what y'all Allah, it hurts. I'm gonna cry and I knew Ted

will tell boo. Yeah.

Well, I know kulu illa Maja open, our eyes will shed tears. Our heart is going to hurt. But you know what, I'm only gonna speak good. I'm only gonna say Alhamdulillah you're not going for oma hamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah May Allah give us tofi anyone you know who's affected, reached out, please reach out and say Don't worry, you're gonna go reach out to them lasme Alec, sha Allah insha Allah, Allah give us tofik and make it easy for everyone inshallah.

Allah subhanaw taala accept this from us, except for us our gathering are going to make these moments easy for those that are struggling across the world. We pray that Allah subhanahu wa tada allows those that are blocked today to have the opportunity to benefit from the blessings of Madina. munawwara mean, many allow us to benefit from the blessings of Mocambo karma. I want you to make special today in your laws after salaat. To us students in particular, I say this to you guys special today for all of those that are stranded at airports today.

There are people across the world today that are just having a really rough day, and what you guys can make to offer them as students of knowledge you are blessed people. You are as we would say, the guest of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Each of you has come from far and you've come to study the deen you put your lives on hold for this Deen and I want you to utilize that closeness that you have to allow now and raise your hands and make the law for the ummah. Today if you can make the law for the oma tomorrow, you'll be able to serve them. But today if you can't raise your hands for the oma, then tomorrow, what service will you offer them? Where's the heart? Where's the

care? Where's the love? Where's the family? Today you want you to remember over these next few days that come many people will miss out on their opportunity to go for ombre so make special to offer them. Lastly,

make the wild that Allah subhanho wa Taala

grants relief to those that are struggling with this illness. Yes, spreading. Yeah a lot Grantham Shiva, Shiva has written for them. If their end is written for them, Allah make it easy for them

to protect those who are not caught in this illness. Our concern shouldn't be about the stock market or what's happened to the economy or our concern should be about the welfare of people. Imagine how much how much It must hurt to be quarantined and not have your beloved ones next to you as you die. Your own wife kept me next to you as you're dying. Your mother kept me next to you while you're dying. The doctors are terrified of you the nurses are terrified of you. There's already a loneliness attached to death. But then imagine that loneliness where people don't even touch you anymore. Maybe said allottee of seven seven months or older Shaheed The one who dies from the plague

is also wish to heat a loved one in LA Grantham high McCormick shadow without we close because Allah subhana wa tada accepts Subhan Allah behind the East Monica long shadow Allah Allah Allah and and stuff we're looking into boric acid da da da da alameen wa sallahu wa salam. Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.