The Fiqhal-?Aw?Ri' Thoughts of 'Abd Allah Bin Bayyah on the Management of Worship during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic that struck the world recently had left a huge impact on all sectors of life. The outbreak of the virus resulted in a no-physical contact form of human interaction as a measure of curbing its cycle of transmission. The impact was also felt in religious practice and worship due to the closure of mosques which resulted in the suspension of congregational prayers and other religious activities. This state of affairs led to discord in the religious spirit of the community since the new rulings conflicted with their religious interests. There were public disputes over the provisions of Islamic primary rulings, especially in matters of worship, albeit these were declared by the authorities such as the fatwa institution. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the principles of Islamic primary rulings during an epidemic using the fiqh al-?awari' discourse framework of Shaykh 'Abd Allah bin Bayyah. Based on these principles, an assessment was conducted on the conflicting Islamic primary rulings in Malaysia during the epidemic. To achieve the objective, library data from the Fiqh al-tawari' Discourse held in 2020 was fully used. Data were analysed inductively, deductively and comparatively using the content analysis method. It was concluded that thefiqh al tawari' framework was not based on the circumstances of the epidemic, instead it was the outcome of an ijtihad which had a reliable source and methodology in Sharia.

The Effect of an Islamic-Based Intervention on Depression and Anxiety in Malaysia.

Religiously integrated interventions for treating mental illnesses have proved effective. However, many studies have yet to adequately address the effects of Islamic religious-based rituals on mental health among Muslims. The present study investigated the impact of a purposefully designed Islamic religion-based intervention on reducing depression and anxiety disorders among Muslim patients using a randomised controlled trial design. A total of 62 Muslim patients (30 women and 32 men) were divided by gender into two groups, with each group assigned randomly to either treatment or control groups. The participants who received the Islamic-based intervention were compared to participants who received the control intervention. Taylor's (cite date) manifest anxiety scale and Steer and Beck's (cite the date) depression scale were used to examine the effects on depression and anxiety levels. ANCOVA results revealed that the Islamic intervention significantly reduced anxiety levels in women (d = 0.75) and depression levels in men (d = 0.80) compared to the typical care control groups.

One novel virus, different beliefs as playmakers towards disease spread in Africa: looking at COVID-19 from a religious lens.

Religious and spiritual observances that draw large people together are pervasive in many parts of the world, including Africa. With the recent emergence of COVID-19, these mass religious gatherings may pose significant threats to human health. Given the compromised healthcare systems in many parts of Africa, faith-based institutions have a huge responsibility towards the management of the potential spread of the virus through effective organizational strategies or interventions. This essay sheds light on what the novel virus has to do with religion, the role of religious practices in inhibiting or spreading COVID-19, and what appropriate evidence-based interventions religious or faith-based organizations could adopt to help prevent the spread of the disease in Africa through a unity of thoughts for religious action.