COVID-19 pandemic: Don prescribes prayer as antidote

By Afusat Agunbiade-Oladipo

Prayers

Ilorin, March 20, 2020 (NAN) Dr Uthman Kankanwi of Department of Arabic, Faculty of Arts, Universiity of Ilorin, has recommended prayers and total submission to the directives of constituted authority as potent antidotes for the prevention of Coronavirus pandemic.

Kankanwi disclosed this on Friday in his lecture at the Kobiowu Central Mosque, Awolowo road, Tanke area, Ilorin.

He maintained that all diseases are treatable, pointing out that God says there are 1,000 medications for every disease.

Kankanwi, who is the Imam of the Mosque, described the outbreak of COVID-19 as a warning signal from God, saying that the outbreak of the virus was not unconnected with our misdeeds and inhuman treatments in the society.

Kankanwi explained that nothing is happening in this world without the knowledge of the Lord, saying that God is using the virus to prove His supernatural power over all His creatures.

He said the virus can be contained with power of prayers, adding that similar diseases and agonising situations had happened to earlier human beings on earth when their misbehaviour got to the peak before God eventually showed mercy on them.

The don also appealed to people to comply with all medical advice and follow the instructions of health personnel to further halt the spread of COVID-19 in the country and beyond.

Kankanwi particularlly urged the federal government to strengthen its surveillance system in boundaries of the country, particularly the airports, seaports and at the land borders, to prevent influx of people into the country.

According to him, Islam as a religion is very clear about movement of people anytime there is an endemic, saying that it is unIslamic for people to leave or go into the community where there is outbreak of diseases.

He commended the federal and state governments for the directives on schools lockdown including some social gathering, describing the directive as in line with the Islamic point of view.

Kankanwi urged relevant government agencies and partners to utilise the money approved for the prevention of COVID-19 judiciously so that the medical personnel who will be having direct contact with suspects of the virus are protected. (NAN)
AGF/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola