Living Through this Lockdown as a Muslim.
Are you overwhelmed about the idea of spending your time in lockdown, because of coronavirus?
Before you panic, kindly go through these few tips to take you through the trying days ahead.
- Social media distancing: With all the hysteria and buzz going on around now, it is easy to be dragged subconsciously to the social media frenzy that comes along with it. while it is important to be informed, we should be careful not to just keep scrolling and scrolling on social media, digesting, posting and sharing sad, doubtful or worst of all, fake news.
Allah’s Messenger said “It is enough falsehood for someone to speak of everything he hears.”
{Source: Muslim}
Make a conscious decision to be careful of your usage of social media in this period. If you do this, this simple step will free up your day more, and free up your mind from anxiety and stress.
2. Quarantine? Do more Qur’an-time: This is the perfect time to have/work on your dedicated qur’an time. Return back to Allah and germinate your relationship with him. Allah says in the Qur’an:
Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.
{Qur’an 13:82}
Remember to also to do your adhkar and make du’a to Allah. Because verily, this is a time where most of us are in need of healing, rest and tranquility- Sakeenah.
3. Make your home a masjid: The reality is a lot of masaajid( including the two holy masjids of Makkah and Madinah) around are closed, and they are rightly so.
It might also be contravening social distancing principles to go pray in some masaajid even if they are open. We are sad, but we should not take this too personally. We should remember that our homes can also be places of worship, as the messenger of Allah said:
“The entire earth has been made a place of prayer, except for graveyards and washrooms.”
{Sunan al-Tirmidhī 317}
If you live with your family, gather your family , make the adhan and offer salaah in jama’ah, and if you live alone, do the same, gather yourself, and in sha Allah, Allah will reward you more than you think.
“Observe some of your prayers in your houses and do not make them (like) graves.”
{Muslim #777}
4. Working from home: For those that are supposed to work form home. Please work, really, work from home and fulfill your obligations. Have a good plan and regimen to do the needful and Allah, The Just and Supreme will bless your affairs. He says:
And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.
{Qur’an 17:34}
5. Remember your neighbors: As things are tough in the country, people do not really have money and people are in a state in which they are not very comfortable. This is the period to extend some level of empathy to your neighbors, don’t make them inconvenient in any way, give them food, supplies and conveniences if they seem to require. This is the opportunity to revive the Sunnah of Rasulullah as he said:
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor.
{source: Bukhari}
In fact the whole matn of the hadeeth is beneficial and applies appropriately in this period, so, here is:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak goodness or remain silent. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him honor his guest.”
These are trying times and a lot of people are worried, scared and do not have it easy. I hope that in sha Allah, today and continuously, these tips will help you survive these trying days. I also encourage you to do something everyday to make other people smile.
Remember, you are not alone. Don’t be sad. You have a significant level of change you can make in this world. Choose wisely. Improve yourself. Keep proper hygiene. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay at home. Flatten the curve.
May Allah make us get through this phase, alive and better.
Aameen.
PS: This story was inspired by a OnePath Network youtube video, here