Lives Changed by Coronavirus: Guiding a Family to Islam
Covid-19… The name of this virus, which quickly spread worldwide, often brings to mind the disruption of our daily lives, our separation from loved ones, and the sorrow of losing those around us. But will we only remember Covid-19 for the separations and pain it brought? If you think the virus only brought sadness, you are mistaken. Amidst the challenges, there have been developments that have brought smiles to our faces and warmed our hearts. This story shares a heartening development from the United States, marking the beginning of a new life.
Family Embraces Islam
As we all know, during the pandemic, we found ourselves spending more time with our families than ever before. Consequently, our observations within our homes increased. With these heightened observations, the process of family members getting to know each other more intimately began. So, what happened? Three children living in the United States, who had only encountered Islam a year ago, observed their mother’s life and, during the pandemic, decided to embrace Islam, bringing honor to themselves.
A Joyful Ceremony Accompanied the Blessed Occasion
Despite the closure caused by the pandemic, the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) in Texas, USA, did not hesitate to host a beautiful ceremony. At the entrance of the closed Islamic Center, the new Muslims were delighted with a small celebration. Through this, we also had the opportunity to meet our new brothers and sisters. Let’s hear the developments directly from Sheikh Yasir Qadhi:
“People are embracing Islam during this pandemic. Angela, our sister who started researching Islam after dreaming that she had embraced hijab, entered Islam last year. She did not force her children to embrace Islam; she simply started living according to Islamic principles. Her children began to ask questions, to inquire, and Alhamdulillah, during this pandemic, they embraced Islam as well.”
Sheikh Yasir Qadhi went on to speak about the innate nature of every individual being born in a state of fitrah, announced the joyous news of over a million new brothers and sisters worldwide, and added:
“The entire Muslim world is one family; we are all together, Alhamdulillah! This mosque is your mosque; you can come here. It’s closed now because of Covid-19, but as soon as it opens, you can come here, make new friends, have fun, and whatever you need, you can come to us. I am very happy today, and we have gifts for you!”
The mother, who was excited about the gift presentation for her children’s embrace of Islam, shared her joy at her one-year-old son saying “Allahu Akbar” and raising his hands, witnessing his cute gestures. Later, the director of the madrasa, Ustad Baajour, individually presented gifts to the children and reiterated that they could always come to the mosque. He congratulated both the mother and the children with prayers.
Ending with an emphasis on unity and togetherness, this blessed ceremony reminded us of the blessed saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “The believer to the believer is like a building whose parts support one another.” Ebu Musa El-Esh’ari (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated this hadith, mentioned that the Prophet (peace be upon him) interlocked his fingers to illustrate this concept (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i).
