The HIV Club

 This is a cross-post with Zakat House

Delivered by Abubaker Adam

Today is our first Kuttbah using the medium of social media. The reason behind this is that we want to make Kuttbah available to mainstream channels and to also include the whole of Humanity. So let us begin our first ever Kuttbah over social media.

In the name of God, the most Beneficent the most Merciful.

Humans across the planet experience illness and suffering; sometimes it feels like it is part of the job description of a human being.

These illnesses teach us many lessons; let us explore just two of them:  

Lesson 1 is that we must show deep levels of respect, understanding, sensitivity and reactive response to ease human suffering and treat sufferers as we would like to be treated. 

Lesson 2 tells us: don't celebrate the illness, get involved in the solution.   Many HIV focused organisations and NGOs concentrate on just raising awareness. We must ensure that the culture of “just raising awareness” doesn’t defeat the original objective and purpose of curing the actual disease. Each individual in society must play a very active role in recognising that positive action combined with faith will ease the pain, and increase the momentum for social change. 

I firmly believe that Muslim individuals can play a very significant role in fighting HIV through deep compassion, knowledge and saddaqah (regular financial donations). Unfortunately if they fail to do so, it means Muslims have become a new joining member of the world club as a result of neglecting the HIV victim called "HIV” which stands for “Hide It's Visibility”.

Finally, the least we can do is remember those suffering with the disease in our prayers and continue to support them through our voice, because they remain human. Let’s not forget we have been blessed for not carrying such a disease; let us share our thoughts and prayers and genuinely help them where we can without any discrimination relating to race, colour, gender, and religious beliefs.