Blessing in Disguise

Time flies; we have now entered the fifth month of the year 2020. Ten years ago, I was still a primary school kid and 2020 sounded really grand and exciting. People had been talking about all the cool stuffs that are going to happen in 2020 - especially the flying cars lol. But masha Allah, He knows better and everything happens within His knowledge. Who knew the whole world will be swept away by the creatures which can't be seen with our naked eyes? Who knew this particular creation of Allah would put people in so much worry and would take so many lives? But honestly, it depends on how you view things. Some might see this pandemic as a blessing, some might take it as a lesson while some might see it as a test. As for me, I see it as a test, a blessing and a reminder all at once. I believe it has taught me to be grateful, to be sympathetic towards others, to reflect on ourselves and most importantly, it reminds me of how helpless we are without His help, how we are so clueless, our knowledge is limited and so little that we can't even find the cure or even take control over this situation.  

Lesson #1 

Once the covid-19 has spread vigorously in Malaysia, our government decided to implement Movement Control Order (MCO) and it lasted for a month. Now, we are in the phase of Conditioned Movement Control Order (CMCO) which alhamdulillah, is so much lenient than before. During MCO, we were asked to stay put at our home and only the head of the family could go out - that is, to buy groceries. Schools, universities, workplaces and shopping malls were closed. People had to work and study online. As a student myself, honestly online learning is a hassle. I do not like it at all. Assignments and tutorial tasks were all piled up, my lecturers got no chill and most of the days the internet connection is really slow in our house. I felt as if there's no space for me to breathe. But alhamdulillah, went through it. Classes are over but I still have online assessment coming up this June. I think I had it hard because of the online learning alone, but little did I realize, I was and still, blessed in so many ways. Alhamdulillah, I am indeed one of the lucky and blessed ones - I'm healthy, I'm able to eat good food everyday, I have my parents by my side, I have two cute cats which never fail to put a smile on my face and I have a conducive, cozy place to stay in. Honestly, there are so many more things that I am forever grateful for.

Lesson #2

Which brings me to the next lesson, which is to sympathize for other people who are less fortunate. Both my brother and sister are currently living alone. My brother had just moved to a new rental house so there were no cooking equipment or facilities. And, he can't cook. So during MCO, he would eat cereals or breads, especially for dinner. My sister, on the other hand, lives alone for at least, six days a week, while her husband is working offshore. So just imagine, people all over Malaysia, or even all over the world, who have to go through the same thing or maybe worse, than my siblings. Some people don't have enough money or food, some had to quit their jobs, some lose their loved ones, some live on the streets, some battle with the disease, some feel extreme pain and discomfort, some sacrifice their own lives just to save others'. And masha Allah - so many more situations they're put in. Just by imagining them breaks my heart. I wonder how I'll cope with life if I were ever to be put under such circumstances 😭 SubhanAllah, I'm grateful. SubhanAllah, I'm blessed. 

Lesson #3

Sometimes I feel this pandemic is a reminder for all of us. We all have sinned and committed destruction upon destruction in this world. So now is a good time for us to reflect and ponder our actions. It's time to start correcting our deen, actions and attitudes. Be better human beings and slaves to Allah. What breaks my heart the most is when I saw pictures of the holy Mecca and Medina, which used to be packed with people, are now empty. Mosques are closed - Friday prayers, Taraweeh or even the fardhu prayers can't be performed in jamaah anymore. I also read that the air pollution is decreasing and the rivers are much cleaner,  now that everyone is staying at home. What did we do so wrong that Allah has stopped giving us the opportunity and freedom - to roam around freely, to travel, to go to work, to go to class, to see and visit our relatives, to pray at the mosques, to visit Mecca and Medina? Repent, reflect and think - this is what all of us should be doing.

Lesson #4

Now that we have reflected on ourselves, here comes the last lesson that I have identified - we are helpless without Him. We may have all the wealth, power or knowledge the world has to offer, but nothing can beat His power, His knowledge and His plan. Up till today, we still can't find the vaccine for this virus. Every day, the number of deaths and the positive cases of covid-19 are increasing. Not to mention how the world economy is now collapsing. We don't know when this will end, in fact, it almost seems like there's no end to it.  This shows how we are all helpless, clueless and weak. Our lives, our health and generally, our fate depend on Him alone. He is indeed the Greatest and the Most Powerful.

May Allah forgive and have mercy on us. May He protect us and our loved ones. May He lift and ease all our pain, then replace it with something better. May we have sabr and faith in Him alone. And may this pandemic be over as soon as possible.