If the coronavirus pandemic abates, Al Sadr can claim credit. If it doesn’t, he can blame his followers’ impiety, and urge them to redouble their efforts to please Allah. As Muhammad said that there is no deed greater than jihad, this could lead to more jihad violence.
“Coronavirus: Iraqi cleric tells followers to kneel and cry to curb the pandemic,” by Mina Aldroubi, The National, April 8, 2020 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Iraqi populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr said on Wednesday that his supporters must kneel and cry during “special prayers” on Friday to beg for God’s help in battling the coronavirus crisis.
The country, which has a poor healthcare system, on Wednesday recorded a total of 1,202 confirmed cases and 69 deaths.
Most are linked to neighbouring Iran, where the outbreak has killed nearly 4,000 people and infected more than 64,000.
“I will be holding a special prayer on Friday that will curb the pandemic,” Mr Al Sadr said on Twitter.
He advised his followers to cry and prostrate on the ground for half an hour while asking God to annihilate the virus.
“This must be done after Friday prayers but before the afternoon prayers,” Mr Al Sadr said.
The cleric, who is an influential figure in Iraq’s political and social spheres, said the pandemic would not stop unless governments revoked laws legalising same-sex marriage….
Mr Al Sadr urged his supporters to follow government guidelines, reversing earlier statements that encouraged his Shiite followers to gather to mark religious occasions.