Prayers are usually done at home or at a place of religious worship. But for Muslim Covid-19 patients now housed at EXPO, they can only do so at the newly transformed isolation facility.
Yesterday (24 Apr) marked the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims enter a time of worship and discipline. They will also start fasting from dawn till dusk.
One Covid-19 patient’s Facebook video, uploaded last night, showed us how Muslims perform terawih prayers on the first night.
With masks in place and seated 1m apart on the ground, it’s touching to see how patients remain steadfast and devoted despite their ailments.
To the uninitiated, terawih is a special congregational prayer at night and is among many communal practices done during Ramadan.
Unlike the rest of the community who get to break fast and pray with their family members, those stricken with Covid-19 have to separate from their loved ones till they get better.
Covid-19 patient Mr Nasiruddin was no exception. In his caption, he revealed that he was not a spokesperson of any sort.
We are all positive Covid-19, that is why we are able to have terawih at Expo.
According to him, there were rules in place for Muslims who wish to pray together:
Mr Nasiruddin later added, “please keep us in your doa (prayers) so we will be back with the society.”
The rest of his post is in Malay. But we’ve translated it for you if you wish to know more of what Mr Nasiruddin had to say.
Allah Almighty knows best. Those on the outside cannot congregate, but those locked in are given the opportunity. This year’s Ramadan is wonderful.
Okay, I’ll stop here first before I start crying over Allah S.W.T’s given chance to have terawih together.
I would like to thank Asatizah who gave me words of encouragement so that I’ll recover soon.
In a separate Facebook video featuring Mr Nasiruddin, we learnt that he has been separated from his family for almost 3 weeks.
He is still on the journey to recovery and is now being isolated at EXPO.
You can hear the touching account of his Covid-19 experience here.
Mr Nasiruddin is among many patients worldwide who are marking Ramadan under lockdowns and strict social distancing measures like ‘Circuit Breaker’.
During a time of crisis where countless lives are impacted by Covid-19, prayers can be powerful. There is certain solace gained even when seeing devotees coming together for a quiet moment.
We wish all Muslims a blessed Ramadan, and all Covid-19 patients a speedy recovery. May they reunite with their loved ones soon.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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