Looking Beyond Coronavirus Pandemic

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

While we are in our homes, engage in much 'ibadah and learning beneficial knowledge. Minimize contact with other people. Switch off your phones for that matter and spend quality time with your family. Read, learn, and memorize the Quran and do as many khatam of the Quran with your family. Write down a daily schedule so it is not left to chance. Pray the five daily prayers with your family in congregation. The family that prays together will stick together inshaa Allah.

The pandemic is a wake up call for everyone. Allah is giving us the opportunity for retrospection and for correction thereafter. So set a time to ponder and ask ourselves, "What is wrong in my life? Am I conducting myself in a manner a Muslim should? Have I continued to wrong others? Have I been mistreating or disrespectful to my parents? Have I wronged my spouse, my siblings, my employees, or other people, the animals and the environment? Am I treating people around me as I should? Are there people that I should make amends with? Are there any mistakes that I should mend now?" Be honest to yourself and really ask these questions to yourself and take the steps to correct them.

Don't engage in bickering about this and that. Focus upon ourselves. While we are inculcating the habit of reading the Quran and doing khatams, praying tahajjud, dhuha, rawatib and other sunnah prayers, fasting, asbstaining from riba (usury/interest) and other haram (prohibitions), let's not let our hearts forget the joy of going to the masjid, praying in congregation and saying "Aameen" behind the Imam, the joy of attending the gatherings of ilm and dhikr. Maintain our collective memories of what it means to worship Allah in the manner Muslims do. When the day comes and the restrictions are removed, inshaa Allah, we will go to the masjid, we will go to the gatherings of knowledge and remembrance of Allah, we won't let people beg us to come to the masjid, we will continue to help people and have concern for other people's needs, we will visit the sick, we will maintain good personal hygiene, and we will help keep our environment clean.

When we emerge back into the society in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, let us emerge as new individuals, ready to serve our communities and ready to continue the mission of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. We take up the task of filling up the masjids without anyone having to ask us to do so, answer to the call of adhan and better still be at the masjid before the azan is called.

May Allah forgive and pardon all our sins and relieve everyone from this pandemic quickly. May Allah answer the du'as of the righteous, the needy and the weak. May Allah cure the sick and grant us good in this life and save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam