MY MOTHER TAUGHT US SO MUCH, IN LIFE AND IN DEATH
I lost my mom, Fatma Sayed, due to COVID-19. I cannot believe this happened. My mom was my safe island, she gave me unconditional love. She was my best friend. I lived away from her for the past five years; however, she never made me feel alone. She would call me every day, and we would talk for hours. She was always with me. She gave me help and support every day.
I visited my family in December in Egypt, and we were gathering every week. Eleven members of my family got the virus, including my husband, my children and I, my sisters and my mom. We are not sure how we contracted the virus. Each case was different in the virus severity and symptoms, but my mom had the most severe symptoms. She was hospitalized in Egypt and passed away a few days later. I am filled with regret. We should not have gathered that much. We did not take COVID-19 seriously. We thought it was not that dangerous. We never thought it could take away the most precious one in our life.
We quarantined together. Me, my husband, our kids and my mother at my apartment in Egypt. In the beginning, me and my husband’s symptoms were more severe than my mother’s. I asked her to stay in her own apartment so her symptoms would not get worse. She refused and wanted to stay
with me to help. We got better shortly afterwards, but her case got worse. Doctors said this is because our immune systems are stronger than hers as we are younger. We learned later that it was wrong to quarantine together as this may worsen symptoms.
I am heartbroken, sad and lost without her, but in Islam, Allah told us in the Quran, “Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’ They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.” Al-Baqara (The Cow) — 2:156,157.
So I keep saying, “To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” I read Surah Al-Fatiha from the holy Quran for her every day. I give money for people who are in need and I pray for her. In Islam, this is how we honor our loved ones who pass away. To get over our sadness, we remember that Allah says to us in the Quran, “O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient.” AlBaqara (The Cow) — 2:153. We are trying to be patient through this tragic time.
In Islam, we believe that all good people who made good deeds in dunia (life) and believed in Allah will meet again in jannah (heaven) So I am trying to be a better Muslim to meet her again there. That is the hope that I live for now. I’m pretty sure she is there, Insha’Allah (if it’s God’s will).
She was a very good and generous Muslim. The biggest quality my mother had was kindness. She was kind to everyone, from the family and outside. She was very loving as well, for me and my six siblings.
We never felt that her love was not enough or less even if we had problems or were far abroad. She was very social. She used to talk and joke with everyone, from our friends to Uber drivers and cashiers. She befriended everyone. We would joke with her about how social she was, but she knew that this comes from great humbleness and genuine love and kindness.
We learned important lessons from our COVID-19 experience. We would like to share them with the public so it can benefit. We learned that when people from an atrisk group get COVID-19, they should monitor their cases regularly even if they are not showing severe symptoms as their case might worsen fast. They should pay attention to where the virus is attacking them. For example, since our mother was in an at-risk group, once she caught the virus and started coughing, she should have got a CT scan for her lungs. We also learned that the virus is very contagious as 11 members from our family got it around the same time.
Now we are trying to be extra cautious, avoiding gatherings and wearing masks. We advise everyone with elder or high-risk people to take all possible precautions to protect them from this deadly virus. It is not fake. It is not just a cold. It is a very serious disease that could cause great damage even to young ones.