Hosts of Allah

By: Sadia Tahir

“And no one knows hosts of your lord except Him, and this is nothing else but a reminder to mankind,” - Al-Mudathir, Ayah 31-

Allah says in the above Ayah, that only He knows His hosts. What really are His hosts?

Some examples are water that destroyed the people of Noah (AS), frosty winds that destroyed the people of Aad, small birds that Allah sent down to protect Makkah, Jinns and winds that were obedient to Prophet Soliman AS by the will of Allah SWT, or angels that aided the Muslims at the Battle of Badr.

We talk about how nowadays it could be the coronavirus. The coronavirus, like many other hosts of Allah that can’t be seen by the naked eye, has a power to shake this world, a power to bring this world to its knees. Superpowers and advanced medical and computer technologies are helpless and clueless about how to destroy this virus, or at least find its cure. This is the power and a small creation of Al-Qadir. Now what are we doing beside hoarding groceries in our pantries and freezers? What lessons can we learn from this?

First, like this tiny virus, our intentions are also unseen, but they also have a power to shake and make our akhirah. The choice is ours; we should always hold ourselves and our intentions accountable. Are we completing our salah, giving charity, or doing any small or big deed for Allah and the Akhirah or just to show off? We should always check our intentions.

Secondly, we take all safety measures to stay healthy and not be infected by the virus Insha’Allah. We should definitely take safety precautions, not only for our well-being but also for our families, the society, and for our world. However, do we take all the precautions to stay away from the hellfire in the akhirah? Allah has sent down numerous reminders about it; do we take those reminders seriously? Do we run to hoard our good deeds like we run to grocery stores to hoard groceries, fearing they will run out? Remember, one day we will run out of time, so run towards good deeds.

Thirdly, we all spread the message to stay at home. We want the whole world to stay inside as much as possible and for that we use all sorts of media to spread this message, which is totally right. However, as a Muslim, did we ever bother to spread the message of Allah and Prophet Muhammad SAW so aggressively? This is the job given to us by Allah, and like all other jobs it can also be done from home.

At the end I would only say, on the one hand, this is a sign from Allah to go back to Him, work towards the akhirah, start hoarding good deeds to have a smooth life after death. On the other hand, it is also a major sign of Allah’s existence. There is someone who controls everything and without His permission nothing happens. He is the only one in charge and we all are puppets in His hands. We can’t control anything, not even a unicellular organism. So, strive towards Him. Stay safe and inside, may Allah bless you.