The Ant’s Advice in the Quran to Stay at home by Shaykh Mahmood Hasan Koli. Based on the current Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19)SHOW MORE

 

Delivered by: Shaykh Mahmood Hasan Koli.

 

 

 

 

 

Video Transcription

Bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm

 

Assalaamu’alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

 

Yesterday I received a message on WhatsApp app, and due to the importance of that message, I thought of sharing with you in the form of this short brief video reminder.

 

Though that message is short in terms of number of words, it is a profound message. I think it’s a significant message as well, keeping in mind the current situation we are in three week or maybe even longer lockdown here in the UK, since the announcement made by our prime minister last night, new rules that are enforced.

 

So the message in Arabic is as follows:

عندما أحست نملة بالخطر على أهلي قريتها
قالت : أدخلوا مساكنكم

 

When an Ant perceived imminent threat and danger, it called out to the other ants:

أدخلوا مساكنكم
Enter your houses.

 

The message continues:
ألا نستطيع أن نأخذ العبرة من قصص القرآن
Are we not going to taken lessons from the stories of the Quran.

 

I am sure by now you’ve gathered this message is in reference to the story of Sulaiman (A.S)
And his brief encounter with an Ant. Allah speaks about in surah An-Naml, Surah 27, Verses 17 and 18.  Allah says :

 

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَىٰ وَادِ النَّمْلِ
When they came across the valley of the Ants.

 

They referring to Sulieman (A.S) and his armies of jins, men, birds and so on.
So they were marching and they came across the valley of ants, and when they came across this valley of ants.

 

قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ
An Ant called out

 

أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ
Oh Ants

 

 ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ
Enter your houses. Why?

 

 لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
In case Sulaiman (A.S) and his armies crash you unknowingly, unwittingly, without knowing.

 

When Sulaiman (A.S) heard the calling of this ant, and the cry and plea of this ant, What was his reaction, twofold:

فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي

 

And the ayah continues. The first reaction: He smiled And after smiling, he made a dua and he beseeched Allah.What was this dua? In a future video I will discuss this dua.

 

Why did Sulaiman (A.S) smile when he heard this ant, and he heard the plea of this ant. Few reasons, reason number 1 perhaps. Reason number 1 is that, he was surprised that the Ant knew the name of Suliaman (A.S), because it said:

 

أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ
Oh Ants

 

 ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ
Enter your houses.

 

Get into your houses encase Sulaiman (A.S)  and his armies crush you without knowing, unknowingly. So Sulaiman (A.S)  was surprised that this tiny ant also knows my name.

 

The importance of knowing people’s names. In any case, the reason number two, why did Sulaiman (A.S)  smile. Perhaps Sulaiman (A.S)  smiled at the intelligence of this ant.

 

What did this Ant say? This ant knew that Sulaiman (A.S)  is a nabi of Allah. And the ambiya of Allah, likewise the righteous believers Muslims, they do not deliberately cause harm to the people. Let alone causing harm to themselves. They do not cause harm to themselves, neither do they deliberately cause harm to others. So this ant when it made this cry and this plea to the fellow ants.

It said:

وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

 

Let it not be that when Sulaiman (A.S)  and his armies are marching, you are outside your ant holes, Sulaiman (A.S)  and his armies might crush you, unknowingly, without them knowing, they won’t do it deliberately. Without them knowing.

 

So likewise as believers, we do not cause harm to ourselves, nether do we cause harm to others deliberately. That same important message. Likewise the third reason perhaps, why did Sulaiman (A.S)  Smiled. And I think this is an important reason as well. Sulaiman (A.S)  smiled because again of the intelligence of this ant, and before I get to this reason. You know we are told, that the brains of ants are not as complex as human brain. They say that the ants brain is made up of 250,000 neurones, whereas the human brain has about you know few billions, about 80 – 86 billion neurons.

 

So its this small ants, right, the amount of neurons one mammal one human has, is the amount of neurons the entire ant colony perhaps will have. So this is just one ant, yet what does this ant say to its fellow ants. It perceived danger, this imminent threat.

 

Likewise currently there is this crisis that we are going though, its sweeping countries, everyday there are deaths, there are cases that are climbing and increasing at an alarming rate, every single day, every single day.

 

And its seems as though may Allah forbid, may Allah protect us, but it seems as though here in the United Kingdom, our country is also heading down the path of Italy and other such countries.

 

It is important that we take lessons from this any, if we are not listening to our health professionals, the medical experts, the scientists, that are telling us, stay indoors, stay indoors, exercise and observer social distancing,   stay away from people, don’t attend and don’t host large gatherings more then two or more than three people.

 

Don’t leave your houses unnecessary, only leave if its essential, if its important. If you are not listening to them, these experts, then lets listen to this tiny ants, and lets take lesson from this ant. What does the ant say?

 

What does the ant say to the other ants. “Oh Ants” it doesn’t give them an option, because this is an urgency. It cries out “Oh Ants enter your houses…Enter your houses” because that’s where you will be safe. That’s where your safety. Seek refuge in your own houses.

 

In this time of crisis, where this pandemic is unparalleled in perhaps in human history, in terms of the rates,  yes as humanity, we have experienced other pandemics, and other outbreaks like the Spanish flu, and many others, the Justinian plague, and so and so forth.

 

But in recent history, at least in our life we’ve never experienced anything as deadly as this. In conclusion my advise to you is, listen to this any, and pay head to the cry and plea of this any.

This ant says to you: “Enter your houses”. And remain, and get into your houses, and remain in your houses, that is where your refuge is.

 

Unfortunately you know we still see people roaming the streets, and walking around. This is not the time for it, This is not the time for it. We are all in it together. Lets not be selfish. If this ant was selfish, this ant could have ran into its ant hole, and threatened, put into jeopardy the lives of the other ants. That’s not what this ant did. This ant was a selfless ant, it wasn’t a selfish ant.

 

Let’s not act selfishly right now, lets work together, we are all in it together, and we are all going to struggle together, we are all going to suffer together, so don’t risk your lives, and do not put the lives of others at risk.

 

I ask Allah, to keep us safe, and to protect us, and to protect our families, keep safe, and listen to the advise of this Ant.

 

Jazākumullāhu khayrā