You might not be surprised to learn there’s been a rising wave of religiosity due to COVID-19. More people search online for prayers and dua’s (from all races and religions) than ever before. It’s as if millions of people suddenly turned back to God.
In times of crisis, religion reveals it’s many benefits. It can help calm us, give us strength and peace of mind and also boost immunity. Dr. Harold G. Koenig explains, “Anxiety and fear adversely affect the physiological systems that protect individuals from infection,” whereas “Religious faith and practice [plays a role] in helping individuals remain free from infection by the coronavirus and in helping to moderate the effects of infection if that should occur.”
Jeanet Bentzen says, “Humans have a tendency to turn to religion for comfort and explanation. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Using daily data on Google searches for 95 countries, [it’s clear the] COVID-19 crisis has increased Google searches for prayer (relative to all Google searches) to the highest level ever recorded. By the end of March 2020, more than half of the world population had prayed to ‘end the coronavirus.’”
The PRNewswire also reports that new polls show COVID-19 is creating enormous spiritual interest. Some people are reading the holy books, listening to sermons, and consulting various scriptures. For some, it’s their first time doing so! The results indicate, “Millions see [the] pandemic as a ‘wake-up call’ to return to faith, [with] nearly one-in-three Americans believ[ing] we are living in the ‘last days.’”
Now, more than ever, it’s important to build a strong spiritual life. Doing so will help us get through this prolonged and uncertain COVID-19 pandemic.
Some major spiritual gifts are easily apparent. I’ve personally experienced some, as have some of my friends. Reasons to appreciate and deepen your connection to Allah (SWT) have been highlighted by this pandemic. Here are some of the many blessings we’ve all experienced, many were hidden in plain sight:
Spending More Time with Friends and Family
Spending more quality time with family members (especially children) has only served to increase and deepen our love for them. We’ve had more time to relax with family and appreciate the few relationships that are most meaningful to us. COVID-19 is also teaching us teamwork as we each come with different strengths…with some seeing their children pitching in more than usual as well!
Quiet Ramadan, Hajj, and Eids
This past Ramadan, and Hajj season, was one of the first Ramadan’s I had at home in a while. We had more time to pray together as a family during Ramadan. It was lovely to have a quiet Ramadan without the work of having many guests dropping by every day. Some even staying for weeks on end.
This 2020 Ramadan was, alhamdulillah, one of the biggest blessings we could have asked for. And the quiet small family Eids—both of them—were the best I’d experienced in over a decade!
Increased Patience and Tolerance
COVID-19 is teaching us patience, tolerance, and how to feel peace within ourselves and within our homes. Not only do we have to be so much more patient with each other when cooped up together, but we are learning to be more patient with Allah’s (SWT) will (and timeline), as well.
Time to Get Orderly Homes and Other Affairs
Despite the lockdowns and hiccups, I got a lot of important things taken care of at home. From near constant cleaning and organization—to finally getting around to fix-it projects—I crossed a lot of things off of my to-do lists. And Allah loves those who make themselves, and their environments, clean and pure! Many of us organized cabinets, put a ton of things straight in our homes, or utilized websites to manage things like paperwork and renewals.
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