ACTNews, MOJOKERTO - Many are wondering when this pandemic will end. The global outbreak has severely affected the activities of many communities for more than half a year. It impacts not only health but also other sector such as economy and society.

Seeing this condition, Muhammad Yusuf Misbah, known also as Gus Yusuf, the Secretary General (Sekjen) of YP3I and Gema Petani always holds on to his father’s advice. KH Mahfudz Syaubari, Gus Yusuf’s father and caretaker of Riyadlul Jannah Islamic Boarding School in Ledok Village, Pacet, Mojokerto, East Java, used to teach him about the verse in Surah Al-Inshirah which fits the current conditions.

"I always remember the advice of my first teacher and my father, KH Mahfudz Syaubari, that in spite of the current difficulties, we must not sit idly. Truly, with hardship comes ease, as Allah says. With hardship, not after hardship. What does it mean? Allah has prepared ease for us. Therefore, we must rise up with the spirit of Bangkit Bangsaku (Rise, My Nation),” said Gus Yusuf, Saturday (10/17) at Riyadlul Jannah Islamic Boarding School.

He also emphasized the importance of keeping on striving while maintaining health. "Don't be too afraid that you locked yourself inside, but don’t be reckless when you have to go out. What must we do then? Yes, we must keep working, but we must still be careful. We must also ask help from Allah. We must make this pandemic a lesson to find a solution," said Gus Yusuf.

Gus Yusuf explaining the lessons learned from the pandemic. (ACTNews / Reza Mardhani)

Gus Yusuf also quoted verses from Surah Al-'Asr. His father took four lessons from the surah that he can learn. His father said that people are in loss if they simply wait idly for the pandemic to ends. However, people won’t be in loss if they follow these steps: acting based on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in their lives, work together, and have strong endurance in the face of tests.

"If we follow these steps, we won’t be in loss. This situation should not make us more pessimistic and far from Allah. This is a lesson. We must get closer to Allah, to our family, to the community. If, for example, we used to eat by ourselves, maybe today we have to share our meals with five people. No problem. That’s the lesson we learned from the pandemic. Now is not the time for us to be arrogant and full of ourselves. Now is the time to help one another,” he explained.

Gus Yusuf saw that, at this time, the movement for community support is very much needed because complicated problems will be easier when solved together. "And I am sure, our spirits will group together based on our interests. For example, the spirits of people who like to help one another, they can immediately connect and work together when meeting for the first time. Hence, I think a movement where we can work together to help one another is extremely necessary. Maybe, in percent, we 10,000% need such movement. We are social creatures. We must not feel that we ourselves are the biggest. No. We will go to heaven together. If my friends in ACT go to heaven first, please find me. I am also a humanitarian volunteer, right?" he joked.

He invited the community to support a similar movement initiated by ACT, namely the Bangkit Bangsaku movement. "The movement that was pioneered by ACT, the Bangkit Bangsaku movement, is something we must support. In the midst of a crisis like this, we shouldn't be pessimistic. We have to rise up," said Gus Yusuf.

The Bangkit Bangsaku movement will focus on saving three vital sectors that are currently severely affected by the pandemic: social, economic and health, through its various programs. "Our nation needs to be motivated by a movement that keep us aware of our various problems, pave a way for real solutions and implementation, and keep optimism alive. All of these actions require great collaboration from various elements of society. All of the nation's children are invited to contribute and spread their enthusiasm and ideas to revive the nation. Together, we will roll a snowball of our concern for Indonesia, "said ACT President Ibnu Khajar at the launching of the Bangkit Bangsaku movement on Wednesday (9/30). []