228: 29.4 Prescribed Solitude (Ramadan Reflections II)

I was listening to a talk by Sheikh Abdel Hakim Murad yesterday where he was talking about how the whole world is in a prescribed state of solitude. Without really realising it, this Ramadan, we are all performing our own i'tikaf within our own homes. We are temporarily cut off from things that our souls have learned to desire and crave - such as material wealth and the feeding of our need for instant gratification. A trip to the grocery shop is no longer easy nor is online shopping for things like clothes, stationery or books. And the space in our hearts where those previous desires took root are now left vacant. 

Streets are quieter, everyday life is slower. And our minds that of which were once constantly bombarded by distraction are now almost reluctantly and awkwardly asked to stop and ponder. After realising that our thirst for meaning and connection cannot be quenched by mindlessly bingeing shows on Netflix, we are now left asking, "Now what?" Our thoughts and feelings are given a larger podium, a louder voice. An emptier mind is a vulnerable place to be in - we are not used to such silence. Inwardly, we are forced to face our fears and anxieties which we normally burry deep. Whilst outwardly, our world has visibly shrunken - with our lives revolving between rooms as opposed to between cities and countries. 

There is little place to hide your deficiencies from your loved ones, let alone yourself. And as we live between our four walls, we also come to a larger realisation that the freedom that we used to have was a privilege and gift we all took for granted. Within the uncertainties in today's world, we are left completely dependant.

Whilst we are depending on one another to do the right thing by following the rules of self-distancing and staying at home, a larger dependence on God is manifested and physically palpable through this pandemic. We depend and trust Him to get us through this, and we seek His help in every step of the way because honestly, (especially with the leadership of lunacy that we have at our disposal currently) we cannot get through this on our own.

As the hadith of the Prophet (s.a.w) states as he (s.a.w) taught this prayer to his beloved daughter, Fatima (r.a): 

"Ya Ḥayyu ya Qayyūm (The Ever- Living, The Sustainer of All Things), by Your Mercy I seek help, rectify for me all of my affairs and do not leave me to depend on myself, even for the blink of an eye."

Thus, whilst there are many challenges this year, I am grateful for the beauties of spending Ramadan under lockdown. It has enabled me to be unburdened from the unimportant weights I use to carry and it has given me the space and opportunity to reflect and reconnect to God. Alhamdulillah for all His blessings.