Time for self-sacrifice and solidarity; a role every Muslim must play

I want to give my friends a simple message this Ramadan; we are living in a world gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. The Quran teaches: “Beware, those protected by Allah have nothing to fear nor to grieve”. We should not live in fear, but with confidence and complete reliance on Allah and his promise that he is with us. Many of us have responded to the crisis by praying, seeking Allah’s forgiveness and begging his protection.

Ramadan is a time for self-sacrifice and to show solidarity, unity, and love for our community and for our country. On our island, a national response to the coronavirus pandemic is underway. The Prime Minister and his government have played their part by producing a huge economic stimulus package, including all kinds of support for individuals and businesses to ensure they can continue to function. NHS workers are working tirelessly to save lives and protect the public and have rightly been declared ‘National Heroes’. However, the most important response is that of the individual and the community. We are facing a great test of our unity as a country. We know a community can falter but it can also come together. And in these unprecedented times, we must all come together.

Allah tells us that “if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind”. It is not simply our own health we must tend to, but that of our family, of strangers, of our friends and our neighbours. We must do everything we can to keep one another safe. Even if that requires sacrificing our own usual way of life, something that I know will be particularly hard during Ramadan.

This can only come about if we submit our own individualism to the collective will of our society. So, I call on all Muslims to play their part as we are facing a great test of our shared will. It is our individual goodness and collective goodness that will pull us through this crisis.

Let us pray for our wonderful country and its people.

Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.

Ramadan Mubarak