During the lockdown when online time and users have pumped
up, a 12-year-old girl has not used any online or offline entertainment
services for the last 10-days and has continuously been praying for the city
and world to heal from corona virus infection.
Zainab Shaikh, a school student, was pained by the trauma of
the world as over 50 lakh fight coronavirus. “Though it is possible that humans
deserve to be lockdown and learn to respect nature, but such a suffering of
human kind pains my heart,” she said.
Residing at Maharani road, this little girl could not
helplessly see the city and world suffer through corona. “If there is a will,
there is a way, and I saw my way in prayers to Allah for saving the world,”
Zainab said.
On 20th day of Ramzan that was May 14, she
isolated herself in a room to concentrate on prayers. “We must devote ourselves
entirely in ‘ibadah’ and impossible can happen,” Zainab said.
She spent the following 10 days, i.e. known as last Ashrah of
Ramzan in the room reading Quran.
There are three Ashrahs of Ramadan, each of which has a
separate dua. The first stage (ashra) of Ramadan begins from the 1st and ends
on the 10th of Ramadan, the second stage (ashra) from 11 to 20 of Ramadan, and
the third stage (ashra) from 21 to 30th of Ramadan.
“I had heard and learned about Itikaf and felt the urge to
do it for the world,” Zainab said. Itikaf is an Islamic practice consisting of
a period of staying in a mosque for a certain number of days, devoting oneself
to ibadah during these days and staying away from worldly affairs.
“To devote oneself
completely to Allah, we need to move away from all types of diversions and
distractions,” Zainab said.
The biggest diversions for children as well as adults today
is social media, online gaming and entertainment soaps on television and live
streaming channels. “I have not used any such entertainment options and it is
has helped me in concentrating on my prayers,” Zainab said.
She does not doze off either, rather spends all her time
praying and reading Quran. “I pray at least fives times every day known as Salah
or Salat or Namāz.”
She explained Salah as a physical, mental, and spiritual act
of worship that is observed five times every day.
Offering Salat is the second of the five pillars in the
Islamic faith as daily obligatory standardized prayers. “I also offer Tarawih,
which are extra nightly prayers performed during the month of Ramadan,” Zainab
said.
Understanding that humans have not been kind to mother earth, on behalf of entire human kind, she seeks forgiveness from Allah with prayers known as ‘Tasbih’.
Understanding that humans have not been kind to mother earth, on behalf of entire human kind, she seeks forgiveness from Allah with prayers known as ‘Tasbih’.
Her entire family is inspired by her efforts. “If any person
does Itikaaf then Allah forgives the person and helps him/her from all the
problems and even heals difficulties of her surroundings,” her uncle Zafar
Shaikh said.