Naima B. Robert – Stay in Your Homes What Does Self Isolation Mean For Us

Smilla Salam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu this is

your sister Nyima be Robert here in my series in response to the

Coronavirus situation. So today I'm going to be speaking to you

about social distancing, what that means for Muslims and why we need

to be more serious about it. So as you guys know, the Coronavirus is

being spread throughout the world. By contact, I don't have to give

you all the medical details. We all know about you know, washing

our hands and about you know, not putting ourselves in situations

where we can be exposed to the virus because it does last for

about eight to nine days I believe. And so I'm not going to

go into all the medical side of things. What I am going to say is,

I'm going to share with you some information that has been shared

by quite a few Imams and doctors in the community about Muslims

susceptibility to Coronavirus in particular due to our way of life.

These things include the fact that we often have intergenerational

living. So we have elderly people who live with us. And as we know,

elderly people are at risk, higher risk of mortality from the

Coronavirus. So that is an area that we need to be really mindful

of. Also, we were going to the masjid congregating in the masjid,

we congregate in people's homes, we have gatherings, we have a very

social community. And this is something that we're used to, we

are being asked by the scholars and the doctors in the community

to stop doing that. And as you know, many mosques have actually

closed. And on the one hand, this is something of course that hurts

our hearts. But on the other hand, it's better to tie your camel and

to be safe than sorry. So with regards to the whole wudu, and

ablutions and you know, sharing of, you know, slippers in the

masjid and praying on the carpet and all of that, that is no longer

a problem right now. Because people are not going to the

masjid. However, however, people may still be shaking hands,

sisters, you still may be hugging your friends, you still may be

inviting sisters round to your house, you still may be having

sleepovers, you still may be having these gatherings and you

know and introducing these types of elements into your home. And

what we're being asked to do, ladies is the social distancing,

which means that you limit your interaction or you're certain your

physical contact and proximity to people in order to protect them,

and protect you from the virus. Now, if you want more information

about this, I will link to a video in the description here. But what

I want to offer you in this video is more how to how to deal with

social distancing, you know, like from a mental and emotional

wellbeing point of view. Because for many of us, you know, the

school run, you know, having coffee mornings, you know, having

your halacha having family over is a huge part of how we live and

it's what you know, is one of the things that brings us joy. Now,

we're in a situation where we are being literally asked to stay in

our homes and only leave for, you know, for for emergencies or for

sort of urgent or really, you know, needed for needed reasons.

So what does staying in your home in this day and age look like? How

can we make this beneficial for us and our families? That is the

question I want to talk about in this video. So the first thing I

want to say is to invite you to reframe social distancing. It is

not an easy ask, okay. And it's not something that anybody enjoys,

and nobody's really happy to do it. But I'm inviting you to

reframe this, as you making the right decision for yourself and

your family. This is a las Panatela giving you an opportunity

to protect your lion cubs, to protect your family to protect

your health, we are actually blessed to have an opportunity

where we can stay at home. And because we have the internet

because we have access to the world via the internet, we can get

a lot done at home. That's what I really want to invite you to think

about is the opportunities that social distancing introduces to

our lives. Yes, we will have less time with our friends. Yes, we are

not going to be out and about and you know, eating out and doing all

of these things. But what will that free us up for? Well, it

frees us up to really connect with ourselves. Let's let's be real. A

lot of us don't like spending time with ourselves and we need the

distractions of the outside world. But why is that? Now is a time to

start really

examining, you know, kind of who we are and and what we want out of

out of life out of this life, you know, how are we showing up? How

are we showing up as mothers? How are we showing up as wives? How

are we showing up as leaders within our homes. Because as we

stay home more, we are going to have to spend time with ourselves

and also time with our children and spouses. This could lead to

some previously buried issues coming to the fore. But again,

what is the opportunity for these relationships to actually be

healed, and be strengthened and be poured into, because we're no

longer distracted with what's going on on the outside. Now, of

course, that will only happen if you don't use social distancing as

an excuse to go on Netflix binges every day, and spend all day on

your phone, checking on the news, one of the things I'm going to

invite you to do is to limit your screen time, limit your screen

time, and get your children to limit their screen time as well.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't, you know, check on what's

happening in the world. I'm not saying that you shouldn't watch

your favorite, whatever. But what I am saying is, please don't allow

this period of social distancing and isolation to result in just

more screen addiction, and just more Netflix binges. Because there

is an opportunity here, there's an opportunity to reconnect with

yourself to reconnect with Allah subhanaw taala, there's an

opportunity to reconnect with your spouse, with your children, to

start creating memories with them, to start doing things that maybe

as a busy family you weren't able to do and now you have the

opportunity to actually do them, you know, to have those

conversations that you always wanted to have with them, but just

never found the time. You know, to play the game that you used to

play with your siblings when you were young.

To start reading, again, to start reading to your kids, again,

to start writing, if that's what you want to do, to start

teaching yourself to start taking an online course, you know to work

on a skill, YouTube videos are great for that, to start

developing something building something for when we go back to

normality in Sharla.

social distancing and isolation does not have to mean the end of

your life. It's simply the temporary close of one chapter and

the beginning of a new one.

The best thing about it is that you get to write that chapter

inshallah. Allah subhana, Allah has put us in a situation he has

set the circumstances, because the circumstances are out of our

control as they usually are. But we have the power to choose how we

deal with those circumstances how we respond to this situation.

So make a choice. Firstly, to see this period, as a period of

opportunity for you, for you and your family. And then make the

most of on the online world, then now is the time to be having

virtual coffee mornings in zoom. Okay, now is the time to start a

whatsapp chain where you you know, inspire each other and remind each

other, now's the time to potentially join some Facebook

groups like the solidarity Summit Group, which will allow you to be

in a positive safe space where you can get to interact with sisters,

and continue to have some kind of social life without having to

leave your home. So make the most of what the best of what's on the

internet. And I really would say shut out the stuff that doesn't

serve you. If you are following people who are doom and gloom who

are constantly updating reports on the Coronavirus, you may want to

unfollow them, you may want to start actually calling your social

media already we're reducing screen time, but then the screen

time that you do have, make sure that it's giving you the result

that you want. It should be increasing you in a man and in

faith and positivity and, and strength and focusing you during

this time on what you can control what you have the power to do.

Rather than making you feel anxious, scared, fearful, panicky

and focusing on things that are out of your control. So make sure

you make that choice because it's a very, very important decision to

decide to only consume what is serving you and to stop consuming

the things that are not serving you. So what I've said so far is a

way to to reframe social distancing and isolation so that

it becomes something that you are able to benefit from and to make

it up

positive experience for yourself and for your spousal relationship

and for your children and your home, and then make the most of

the outside world via the online space. In another video, I will be

breaking down how you can take advantage of social isolation for

your own personal growth. But for now, I just wanted to put social

isolation, social distancing, and isolation in a context. I hope

it's beneficial for you. If it was please do share this video, like,

comment, subscribe, and let other people know and most importantly,

let me know what your takeaway from this video was. Are you

practicing social distancing and isolation right now? Has any thing

that I've shared or anything that you've learned from elsewhere

helped you to make that process easier? Please let me know in the

comments I would love to know and I hope you will join me in the

Facebook group our solidarity Facebook group which is also

linked in the description below. May Allah keep you safe, keep you

sane and keep you thriving throughout this difficult time. I

am your sister name will be Robert was Salam alaykum Warahmatullahi

Wabarakatuh