EVER since our Arab and Muslim brothers have realized they are not excluded from the effects of the swine flu pandemic they have offered a unique way to deal with the global health problem.
While the rest of the world figures out the best way to contain the spread of the H1N1 virus, we are spending time debating what happens in the afterlife to those who succumb to swine flu!
While the rest of the world is preoccupied with how to save human life, we are busy thinking about what happens to these people after they die. While they work to save life, we are concerned about the question of whether these unfortunate souls are martyrs or not.
We have been following on the Internet and television the conflicting fatwas on the fate of swine-flu victims.
Are they to be considered martyrs (because they died from the accident of contracting an infectious disease through no fault of their own)?
This is an old question where differences arise with each new development, including pandemics. But no fatwa is needed here. Who benefits from such a banal debate? What are we getting from the discussion of this topic?
What we need are effective ideas on how to control the spread of the virus to save people from its evils.
If this pandemic is indeed similar to the plague (where some view plague victims as martyrs), what’s the point? Whoever dies from swine flu or any other reason is in the hands of his Creator who knows the destiny and fate of everyone. You should not be concerned with what happens to others after death. You cannot come to a conclusion on behalf of God regarding their fate.
To all people who are concerned with giving these types of fatwas: Please try to be more useful to the people in this life rather than the people in the next life.
