Voice of British Muslim Women

Wajeeha Rana, Slough

The year 2020 has been an eventful one, and the effects of the pandemic have been felt at all levels of society. This was one experience that the most privileged found no money could buy them a way out of. We may have found that our health and that of our loved ones was above all else. We were forced to slow down and found ourselves in the company of our own thoughts more than ever before.

As a master’s student whose academic year ended in September, I was at my busiest and my exams and assessments coincided with the first lockdown. I recall the state of panic which followed and was at its peak in the first few months. I empathise with students who may feel that their academic life is moving very fast and is in complete contrast to all other aspects of life, which are at a standstill. I truly believe that dealing with these challenges have made young people some of the most resilient members of society. Undoubtedly, being in lockdown during that time tested my resolve and having come out the other side, I believe that what got me through it all was practicing gratitude as much as I possibly could. The Quranic verse, ‘And we burden not any soul beyond its capacity…’ (chapter 23, verse 63) comes to mind, which gave me a great deal of comfort. As Muslims we Pray five times a day and communicate with God throughout the day. This felt like an incredible blessing, because we can alleviate our worries multiple times during the day and leave them with God.

Earlier in the year, observing the month of Ramadan with only my immediate family was very different to going to mosques and Prayer centres for evening Prayer or having community iftars every weekend. This gave me the opportunity to think about the essence of the holy month and those less fortunate than myself. By offering all Prayers at home and in congregation, in many ways it has brought families closer together. Eid on both occasions was also different this year. I definitely missed the community aspect of Eid Prayer, but it made me appreciate the time with family and friends that we often take for granted. All the while, myself and many others whose own religious celebrations have passed under the same circumstance have had to remind ourselves that all restrictive measures are for the greater good. I feel we are all unified in our efforts to contribute to society in some way. Whether it is by wearing a mask, not seeing our loved ones for months on end or working as a frontline professional.

This year it is very sad to read about the impact of the pandemic on mental health yet I am glad that  I have  seen greater emphasis is now given to this issue. I too was far more aware of my own mental wellbeing and how mental and physical health are dependent on one another.

As for materialism, I think many of us may have found that we can survive on much less than we thought. We may have focused on what we already have as opposed to what we need to obtain next.

This last month of the year has come as a time for reflection. Recently, when I was entering a shop, and someone made way for me my first instinct was to smile as a gesture of thanks and be on my way. It occurred to me that under a mask that communication would have been entirely lost. It made me realise that we need to make a greater effort to be kinder through our actions. We can’t see a smile behind a mask, but a frown or a raised eyebrow can still be seen and may even be more prominent. If there’s one lesson to take away from this year is that we need to be less judgemental and kinder to those around us. With news of the vaccine, we can finally see an end in sight. We are all in anticipation of returning to normal and resuming plans which were put on hold this year. Our norms have been challenged and questioned a lot this year. I think that the positive changes we made this year should be here to stay. I hope that the lessons learnt are not forgotten and our collective heightened sensibilities this year can shape a more progressive and inclusive society going forward.