Google was Down: What Google Outages Could Mean

In the Name of Allah, The Merciful, The Beneficent

Google Experiences Services Outage

Yesterday (14/12/2020), Google services experienced a global outage. This affected Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube, Google search, and other services.

In some locations, the outage lasted for less than an hour. But for some users in some other locations, it lasted for more than an hour. This was the second time Google experienced this in a month. Something similar happened to Facebook a day earlier.

This set me thinking. What if Google is to be down for a week, a month, or even a year? In fact, what if Facebook (think of WhatsApp too) is to be down for a year?

Google to be Down for a Year… Is That Possible?

If you think that’s not possible, remember that the world has been in lockdown for a year now. Thanks to coronavirus (COVID-19). Not many believed something like that could happen. But we’re living it with all its implications.

Whether it’s a natural occurrence, an accident or there’s a conspiracy behind it, for the average Ahmad, COVID-19 has caught us by a surprise. In response, the world has moved to operate and function virtually. This is what makes Google’s outage more serious than serious.

What Pandemics and Outages Do

It took the world almost a year to come out with a vaccine to combat COVID-19. As at the point of writing this reflection, the vaccines are yet to be delivered. Even with that, we remain skeptical… The future remains full of uncertainty, especially if one is [extremely] enslaved to material possessions. I’m talking about capitalism.

What has happened to Google can happen to Zoom too. In fact, it can happen, at once to both Google and Zoom as well as to Facebook (and its other services; think of WhatsApp), Telegram, Microsoft’s various virtual services, Dropbox, Box, and all the other virtual services that have been there before COVID-19. These services have been there long before COVID-19, but they were a good haven that saved the world from a total economic shutdown in 2020.

These technological products ensured teaching and learning continued, business continued, and people were able to live normal lives within lockdowns, depending on online shopping stores and delivery services.

Whether a long-term outage will happen or not (hopefully it doesn’t happen), such a pandemic and outages happen to put human’s ability to test the test. And to remind him of his weakness and constant need of divine intervention. Pandemics and outages don’t happen to test Allah’s will nor his ability. Is He not the One who puts us to the test? Yes.. He is.

What Should the Muslim Do?

As Muslims, one should establish a good and clean relationship with Allah. This is necessary for two reasons:

• First, when Allah comes to rescue His servant in disastrous situations, it takes Him ‘Kun fa yakūn’ (be and it becomes) to fix it for him. That is, if He does not save him from experiencing it.
• Second, when you’re in Allah’s protection, and pandemics and outages happen to befall everyone, you too will feel the pain (that’s what’s meant to happen), but you’ll be given the strength to endure the pain. And it’s that endurance that makes you a true believer. And it’s that state, that qualifies you for Allah’s forgiveness and pleasure.

The Takeaway

During pandemics, you hear about an unprecedented number of social problems. This includes an increase in divorce rates, a decrease in marriages, a rise in suicidal cases. This is topped with economic woes. Unfortunately, such economic woes lead some to abandon their faith.

In good times, it’s easy for the Muslim, if he so chooses, to hold onto Allah. It’s when challenges strike that our claims of love for Him become honesty and sincerity (ikhlāṣ) or remain perpetual claims.

While the choice is our, it’s important to constantly seek guidance and steadfastness from Allah.

Allah knows best…
Allāhu Al-Musta’ān!