What Happened in Pandemic?

2020: A Year of Evolution

A year that no one truly expected. Can you imagine, back then, what we dreamed this year would be? Flying cars. New worlds. Ultimate achievements. A decade’s promise of progress and happiness.

But then… reality hit.

2020 did not bring what we imagined.

It brought evolution.

On 12 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. For once, the entire world felt the same uncertainty, the same fear, the same sudden halt. It was surreal. From bushfires in January to international crises, and finally, the coronavirus hitting all corners of the world—everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, our mornings were no longer filled with cafes, coffee, busy commutes, or endless schedules. Masks became a necessity. Social gatherings disappeared. Work, travel, stress, and productivity as we knew them all vanished overnight. Life, as we decided to live it, was no longer ours to control—it had been decided for us.

So, what should we do now?

We prepare.

Preparation does not mean panic; it means awareness, small precautions, and readiness for the unexpected. If the world is quarantined for months, what then? Can life return to the “normal” we had in 2019? The reality is, it won’t. And perhaps it shouldn’t.

Because the world is changing.

Evolution is happening.

A subtle, quiet shift—a recalibration of what it means to live. We gain new eyes to see, new capabilities to adapt, and new limits to understand. The 2000s brought development; 2020 brought “edevelopment”—a fusion of development and evolution. A reset. A fresh start.

Humans have always dreamed of easier lives, freer work, technological convenience, and abundance. Maybe this pause, this pandemic, is the reset we never knew we needed. To reach a new normal, sometimes we have to leave something behind, to break before we build, to survive before we thrive.

For now, survival is simple: water, food, air, and shelter. Add the internet, the new essential of modern life. Corona may limit our air, but we still have the basics. Protect them. Value them. Live well.

And when we struggle or falter, turn to faith. Islam, in its guidance, offers clarity, strength, and answers to the questions this world cannot always provide.

Perhaps for those who once lived “normal” lives, life now feels abnormal. And for those whose lives were never normal, perhaps now a strange sense of order exists. Whatever your situation, be grateful. Embrace it. Survive well.

Because we are all evolving.