Voice of British Muslim Women

Sarah Ward, London

Despite being born decades after, the iconic sounds of the sixties were the memorable backdrop to my childhood.  On long car journeys, the only acceptable music came from my father’s cassettes containing the hit parade from his own adolescence.  Today, many lyrics are still imprinted on my memory.  And at this turbulent and changing time, one song keeps popping into my head.  Turn!Turn!Turn! by the Byrds rings across the years.

To everything turn, turn, turn

There is a season turn, turn, turn

And a time to every purpose

Under heaven

This song was penned in a former time of social turbulence to which there are many contemporary parallels. Social unrest was fomenting; the prospect of war loomed, economies were slowing and racial discrimination was being challenged.

But for me the overriding message of the song resonates with a core Islamic philosophy found in the Holy Qur’an:

‘‘And they planned, and Allah also planned; and Allah is the Best of planners.’ (3:55).

For me, this philosophy has been a rock amid the swaying ocean in recent months.  The belief that Allah is a Caring, Loving Being Who has oversight over all that is before and after us is a source of comfort in a world where all the rules have changed and norms subverted within a matter of days.

It seems a lifetime ago that I was accompanying my class of 30 into central London to visit the Houses of Parliament on the day the first Coronavirus debate was held.  How rapidly the landscape shifted.  All of the normal patterns of life were disrupted with no little warning and choice removed.  But as a society we adapted and tried to follow the rules.  It was clear that the individual needs were to be put second for the overall good of society as a whole.

But now the world has turned again – lockdown is easing and the rules of communities are changing. Schools that had empty classrooms are now refilling with the sounds of laughing children.  But now the rules are unclear, we are unsure about what we should do and the element of personal choice has been reintroduced.  The re-opening of schools has laid this into sharp relief with only around 60-70% of eligible students opting to return.  Fear and worry cast an uncertain shadow over the decisions of families who need to consider their personal risks. The pace at which the seasons of the world have changed has been more rapid than ever before.  But faith has been the sun, central in the spinning of circumstances the world faces.

Apart from the notion that Allah has a plan in place, Islam offers further reassurances.

‘Surely there is ease after hardship. Aye, surely there is ease after hardship.’ (94:6-7)

This is a promise made by Allah in the Holy Qur’an and in times of turbulence it is a reassuring truth that this too will pass, the hardship will eventually ease.  As I grow older, I find that this is indeed true. The burden of a few moments ease and the world is in summer sun again.

Leadership provides a sense of direction where the rules of a community are called into question.  During the Covid-19 crisis the world has seen the impact of affective and ineffective leaders and the strength or damage they can create.

With the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Khalifah, has given clear guidance that all Government rules must be followed strictly.  He also advised people to turn to prayer.

He said:

‘The ultimate tool we have at our disposal is that of prayer. We should all pray for the entire world that Allah the Almighty may save mankind from the harmful effects of this virus. Furthermore, may Allah grant health to all Ahmadi Muslims alongside the ability to become stronger in their faith.’   [i]

Prayer can also give a sense of inner peace and ease, especially in times of changing rules and difficulty.  As the world begins to turn away from one crisis, we don’t know where it will turn next.  The constant of prayer and faith can provide certainty in a changing world.

[i] https://www.pressahmadiyya.com/press-releases/2020/03/head-ahmadiyya-muslim-community-addresses-coronavirus-pandemic/