Covid, Community & Gratitude

In today’s day and age, we live in a way that is not natural to our bodies and souls. We are disconnected from people and connected to our devices. The communal life that our deen very beautifully explained has been neglected by many. As a result, our bodies and souls pay the price and function under more stress than they are designed to bear.

I came to realize this even more when I tested positive for covid. Living in a country that is not home to me, while being unable to function properly due to the illness, led to many reminders and reflections. Numerous ahadith about the well-treatment of neighbours are well-known to us but I realized their immense importance in this situation. The Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi waSallam said: “When you make soup, put in a lot of water and be mindful of your neighbours.” SubhanAllah. Alhumdulillah I have some amazing neighbours who are always ready to help, but do we have an established communal life to the extent that makes me always mindful of my neighbour’s well-being whenever I am cooking? I asked many similar questions from myself, and I hope I continue to remind myself of those.

Although unfortunately I do not have the blessing of a community on the prophetic model, I feel immensely blessed to have some pure-hearted souls around me emulating those prophetic characteristics. A sister who lives at at least a half hour distance offered to cook and drop food, while another sister kept checking on my well-being. Allah knows the duas that come from the heart when someone shows genuine care in a difficult situation. And so I decided to focus on what I have, instead of what I am lacking. What we focus on, grows, as Allah SWT Says: “If you are grateful, I will increase you.” (14:7)

SubhanAllah when I started doing that, I noticed so much ease in the midst of all this chaos and illness. Allah’s promise of having ease with difficulty is such a great blessing. I noticed how I had the opportunity to rest, how my three-year-old daughter was sensitive and caring about my illness, how my small family was simply there for me. I was able to order groceries online and they arrived earlier than usual, the food in the fridge lasted longer than usual, and I was able to slow down and be more present in the moment. I also noticed how the whole house was slowly falling apart, and instead of fueling the resentment and stress that was trying to build up, I thanked my Lord for the taufeeq (ability) to be the one who manages it in regular days, and therefore maintains the internal calm of my family.

So today I am here to simply remind myself and others to be more mindful of our blessings, even during difficulty, and to be more proactive and concerned about the well-being of our community members. I also want to remind my believing sisters to rest when needed, and to fulfil the right that your bodies have over you. May Allah SWT make us a source of khayr for those around us. Ameen.