The abrupt sound of my cell phone’s ringtone awakened me out of my sleep. I wondered who could be calling in the middle of the night, so I decided to send whoever was bothering me on the other line to voicemail.
I quickly adjusted my pillow and rolled over in my bed to sleep. However, the ringer sounded louder this time and wouldn’t stop until I was fully awakened.
I immediately grabbed the phone only to hear the sound of my friend’s disturbed and hurt voice on the other line.
“That’s it! I’ve had it. My marriage is over and I don’t know what to do,” yelled my friend through the receiver of my cell phone.
📚 Read Also: 14 Beautiful Cards for Ramadan 1441/2020
It has been several weeks since COVID-19 has shut-down jobs, schools, and non-essential businesses. People are forced to stay at home and indoors during this global pandemic.
For many families, this is a time of blissful and meaningful connection amongst family members, while for others, quarantine has highlighted some of the challenges within their own marriages and relationships.
Marriage is the cornerstone of our faith and the glue that holds our communities together. In Islam, Muslims believe that marriage represents half of their faith and the family unit is essential to the success of the community.
“And they say, “Our Lord, let our spouses and children be a source of joy for us, and keep us in the forefront of the righteous,” Surah 25 ayat 74.
The Challenge
Although quarantine presents an opportunity for couples to reconnect and spend extra time with one another, it also serves as a source of stress and anxiety for families that may find themselves impacted by the disease.
The shutdown of businesses and job layoffs have caused a sense of stress for many families, as over ten million Americans have already applied for unemployment. Families are also experiencing a strain from COVID-19 related deaths, health scares, and schooling children at-home.
The number of couples filing for divorce in China is reportedly way up after long periods of COVID 19-related confinement. There are similar concerns in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, however there aren’t any current reported cases of divorces in these areas.
According to an article written in Time Magazine, “couples will have to figure out new ways of working, living, parenting and just getting along with each other.”
“After a few weeks of being in the house together, my husband and I decided to obtain a marriage counselor. We attend counseling sessions weekly and it’s the only thing keeping us together,” Sara Abdullah shared in an intimate message to AboutIslam.net.
“Our relationship may have been in trouble prior to the shutdown but our busy lives kept us unaware. We now are able to identify what the issues are and work through them,” she added.
Click to read more…
Pages: 1 2