Seeking God in times of uncertainty

Citywide bookstores experience an upsurge in demand for the holy book

ISLAMABAD: In the toughest of times when all else appears to fail, humankind has often put its faith in the omniscience of God to seek counsel; his omnipresence for a sense of companionship, or called upon the omnipotent in hopes of divine intervention. In the same vein, booksellers around Islamabad have reported a record increase in the demand for the Holy Quran as the novel coronavirus pandemic brings the world to its knees.

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Atif Idrees, a bookstore owner in the capital city who has been associated with the business for generations, says although his business has slumped amid closure of educational institutes, he has received a surprising number of requests for copies of the Quran. “January to February is peak season for us and we make most of our business selling magazines and textbooks, so we definitely felt the drop when the lockdown started in March. However, while the market for school and college textbooks has started thinning as more and more institutes go digital, we have seen a sudden upsurge in the sale of religious books in the last four months,” told Idrees. “Before the pandemic shook the country, we would sell two to three copies of the Quran in a month but ever since the lockdown the figure has gone up to 10 to 20 copies. A complete 30 volume Quran can range from anywhere between Rs200 to Rs10,000, but seeing the increased demand, we have also decreased our prices for religious books to encourage more and more people to seek Allah’s guidance and find refuge with him,” he added. Murtaza Bhatti, a resident of Islamabad, through his own example says that the pandemic has brought man closer to God. “We are faced with some very uncertain times and a lot of people like me find solace and reassurance in the word of God. Ever since the pandemic happened, I have started reciting the Quran on a daily basis, which wasn’t the case before. I now try to read beyond the surface and invest more time and effort in truly understanding the literature, which has changed my life and brought me mental and physical peace,” he expressed. On the other hand, Hafiz Mohammad Faisal Zaman, who had been employed in the UAE for the last 10 years, has not been able to return to work since he made his journey to Pakistan in advance of the UAE closing its borders. Like Bhatti, with nowhere else to look, Zaman too claims to have found refuge and reassurance in the words of his God. “At first, everything felt too surreal to be true and I was hoping for the looming uncertainty to go away soon but it got increasing difficult as my fears started setting in and it seemed like there was nothing I could do. That is when I turned to the holy Quran for guidance and I feel much closer to Allah now, which has slowly but surely eased my fears.”

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Speaking on the matter, Islamic jurist Mufti Tahir told The Express Tribune, that he acknowledges and understands the growing demand for the holy Quran in times of trouble. According to the Mufti, times of crisis often tend to stir a reminder of the Almighty’s power and presence. “When one calls to his creator for help, he surely answers but for that one must yearn. Reading the Quran helps people understand the Almighty’s benevolence and thereby encourages them to seek his help while reassuring them that their prayers will be answered,” Mufti Tahir explained.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2020.