Voice of British Muslim Women

Mahrukh Arif-Tayyeb, Newcastle

2020 is soon coming to an end, and so is, God Willing, the Coronavirus. The news regarding the effectiveness of a vaccine against a virus which has literally turned our world upside down is undoubtedly the highlight of this year. Many people are longing to meet their loved ones while others have to carry on living with the heartache of having lost them forever. This pandemic has drained us physically, mentally and emotionally. It has made us lonely and broken our routines but has also made us appreciate what we had and took for granted. For me, the simple fact of not being able to go to the mosque or attending the Jalsa Salana this year has been devastating. My son is turning a year-old this month and I feel so sad that I still haven’t been able to show him to my beloved Khalifa (may Allah be his Helper). I realised how blessed we are to have the institution of Khilafat, how grateful we should be, as Ahmadi Muslims, to have someone who cares and prays for us more than our own loved ones. We have witnessed how clueless our political leaders have been throughout this year, how the pandemic got the best of them and their country’s economy and stability. Yet, this one person, has never let us down. He has been reassuring us, every Friday, by gently telling us that if Allah is near then there is no fear.

This pandemic has tested our patience and perseverance on so many levels. Previously I didn’t think twice before travelling to my parents in France. Now, everything is almost a life and death situation – going out to have a meal or just a simple ride on the bus. More than these personal considerations, 2020 has also been the worst year for humanity. During the lockdown, we have seen children being separated from their parents at the Mexican border, a black man screaming ‘I can’t breathe’ and dying mercilessly at the hands of a white police officer, deep unrest and war-like scenes in the Middle East, lunatics hijacking our religion and taking innocent lives cold-heartedly, and many more such atrocities. It is sad to realise that mankind has reached the peak of progress yet still hasn’t learnt from its history. Black people are still suffering from racism and bias even though slavery ended over 150 years ago. Islam has been in the news for all the wrong reasons while its founder was, in fact, sent as a mercy for mankind.

Indeed, if mankind turned to God and pondered over the beautiful teachings of Islam, they would find the biggest treasures and pearls of wisdom to tackle these modern issues. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) declared 1400 years ago, that all mankind is equal, no race is superior than another, no soul is superior to another except by piety. He instructed us to be truthful and deal with justice in all matters. His example leaves no space for any violence or bitterness. He was the most gentle, caring and peace-loving human being sent to mankind; his forgiveness and mercy is unmatchable and it is always astonishing to see how he had the humility to forgive all the Meccans who used to persecute him and kill his spiritual and biological family members without mercy. Seeing this blessed person being depicted in such a disgraceful manner again has been the hardest part of this year. But again, this same person has taught us to face adversity and hardships with patience and prayer. This same blessed person taught us that when an assembly or a group of people is being ignorant and mocks relentlessly, the Holy Qur’an says servants of the Gracious God respond with the word: “Peace!” (Qur’an 25 : 64).

Peace is what we are all looking forward to next year. This lockdown has given us all a time to slow down the fast pace of our lives and reflect. If we think about it, this Coronavirus might have been a poisoned gift for all of us to get back to the essential – God.

So as we rejoice over the discovery of a vaccine which is hoped to put an end to this deadly virus and look forward to end an extremely challenging year with a touch of positivity, I wish the world would develop a vaccine against hate as well. A vaccine that would enable us to love all and hate none.