Coronavirus Rules about Social Distancing Highlighted My Relationship with Islam
By Rukshana Choudhury
30th
September 2020
It’s a
testing time for many of us, as coronavirus has forced us to distance ourselves
from families, friends and work. Sacrifices have to be made on how we go about
our daily lives and it’s impacted my local Muslim community.
For one, I
wasn’t initially surprised I had to persuade elderly people in my Asian Muslim
community to practise social distancing – the dangers my generation of young
Muslims were aware of through social and mainstream media had yet to trickle
down to the media elderly Muslims consume.
I was
horrified when I saw a family member come around to check on their elderly
relative…. and enter their home. Insisting this act of kindness was dangerous,
I found myself on the receiving end of harsh criticism from this individual. I
do not regret what I said, and was relieved when lockdown rules were enforced.
I began to instead see situations like my elderly next-door neighbour ask to
see my mother-in-law’s face from the window, rather than enter my house. And as
time passed by, the wider Muslim community quickly took it more seriously.
As the
coronavirus situation worsened, I’m pleased to see how imams have stepped up –
leaders such as Mufti Ismail Menk are trying to educate and inform Muslims on
how to stop spreading the virus. He is a highly respected Islamic scholar with
the ability to relate Islam with contemporary life humorously to his online
following of 11 million people worldwide.
I’m proud
my local mosque decided to ban gatherings including Friday sermons to prevent
mass gatherings and the possibility of infection, even before it was
compulsory. Mosques were being urged by organisations such as the Muslim
Council of Britain to pray at home and this continued during the upcoming
Ramadan period.
In general,
Muslims did not flout the rules, contrary to popular belief. The mosque ensured
further restrictions were put in place. A restriction ban separating households
in parts of Northern England was issued 2 hours before Eid-Ul-Adha, preventing
Muslim family celebrations. Pubs were allowed to remain open – my Muslim
community were not reckless.
I don’t
feel the lockdown has made practising my faith harder. In fact, for me, it has
been the opposite. I have a very busy family and work schedule and during this
spare time, it has meant that I have been able to re-evaluate what’s truly
important, perform prayers promptly, practise my Arabic more, and spend more
time connecting with loved ones whether that be on the phone or via a Zoom
call.
Bizarrely,
during coronavirus, I also found stockpiling to be a real bone of contention.
In the British Muslim community, food is a big part of our large family
culture, and it’s normal to come home with 20kgs bag of rice. Yet in Facebook
groups for Muslim mothers cooking on a budget, I began to see people were
accused of hoarding. I personally felt it was inappropriate to post stockpiling
photos because it unintentionally antagonises those who are struggling to find
basic food items. But the aggression online also made me feel uncomfortable as
it goes against the principles of Islam.
On the
other hand, kindness has always been a key part of being a Muslim. As the Holy
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself said: “kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever
is not kind has no faith.” In this time, my faith has pushed me to get involved
in community projects, especially to help those vulnerable or lonely. I decided
to approach my elderly neighbours (from a safe distance, of course) who I had
never really spoken to, which has resulted in wonderful new friendships.
Muslims and non-Muslim neighbours hold a special status in Islam. It feels nice
to know that my small actions have made someone feel better during a stressful
time.
Many
Muslims tend to give zakat during the holy month of Ramadan but charities and
scholars have urged Muslims to give it earlier during this unprecedented time
to support people struggling with coronavirus worldwide. And coronavirus has
made me more conscious of donating zakat to those in closer proximity to me,
rather than just international causes.
For me,
Islam has always helped me to be more resilient. I believe that while I cannot
control events around me, I can control how I react and behave towards other
people and obstacles. I can reflect and be grateful for what I have been
blessed with. However, it’s important to remember that if a fellow Muslim is
feeling anxious or uncertain, it does not necessarily mean they lack faith.
With a second nationwide lockdown looking imminently likely, we all need to
keep an eye on one another and build each other up.
I hope that
once we eventually emerge from this period of confinement, British Muslims and
non-Muslims can carry on being appreciative for what we do have and most
importantly support those vulnerable in our local communities.
Original Headline: How Islam Helped Me to Cope
With Coronavirus
Source: The Muslim Vibe