At a difficult time of mosques’ shutdown due to the coronavirus, many Muslim congregants find it hard to reconnect with the community.
However, in Prior Lake, Minnesota, members of Masjid Hamzah al-Mahmood Foundation found a way to meet and help their community.
About 40 families have volunteered to sew 1,500 homemade masks for low-risk patients and non-medical staff at local hospitals around the Twin Cities, Sahan Journal reported.
The idea started when Dr. Ayesha Rashid asked the imam to put the word out for volunteers willing to make some non-medical face masks.
Making masks allowed members of the mosque to put their faith into practice and connect with a sense of purpose.
“This was a substitute for us for being unable to gather in the masjid. I think this kept our spirit alive,” the mosque imam, Sheikh Muhammad Faraz, said.
“We felt a bigger gathering than when we usually gather in the masjid.”
Community Miracle
Ayesha, a doctor of infectious diseases who understood the seriousness of the virus and its potential spread, described the community response as “nothing short of a miracle.”
Ayesha said she’s heartened and astonished at the work done by her community in the span of a week to help her colleagues at United Hospital.
“What started as one family, went to three, then 10, and within a few days, over 40 families had joined hands,” she said.
“The true grit and beautiful character of the Muslim community shone like a bright light, unfazed and focused in the face of crises. Each problem was followed by a brilliant solution.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected 1,215,192 and killed other 65,600, according to the latest estimates by WorldOMeter.
The US is grappling with over 311,000 confirmed cases of the new virus. The US has reported 8,454 deaths so far.