• Limitation of physical communal engagements due to Covid need not kill the spirit
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It is that time of the year again when Muslims around the world will unite in a single act of worship: fasting. Fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan is simply the practice of abstinence. Abstaining from food and water from dawn to sunset, abstaining from immoral activities or any wrongdoings. In turn, those who fast become completely aware of themselves, their actions and the suffering of those around them.
The month of Ramadhan is important to Muslims for several reasons. For starters, the Holy Quran, the holy book in Islam, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH during the month of Ramadhan. Therefore, it becomes significant for Muslims to try to read the whole book during this time.
Hence, Ramadhan becomes a spiritual time for one to reconnect to his Maker. Other than the five daily prayers, there are supplementary prayers made especially during the month of Ramadhan. These prayers are predominantly made at night and in the Mosque, as they require a certain quorum to be performed. These prayers include Taraweh, a supplementary prayer made after the last obligatory prayer of the day, and Itikaf, overnight prayers made during the last 10 days of Ramadhan.
Last year, as the world was hit by the global pandemic that scared most into retreating into their own homes and away from any gatherings, most Mosques cancelled evening and Taraweh prayers due to lockdowns and restrictions. This year, while the pandemic battle continues and most people have come to terms with the new world order, there are several things we can implement where we can still achieve the ‘specialness’ of Ramadhan while observing the Covid-19 regulations.
Muslims around the world associate Ramadhan with a time for family and friends. They associate this month with unity and coming together, be it to break their fasts or to pray. The sense of community is one of the greatest treasures of Ramadhan. However, as of last year, Muslims around the globe have missed out on this special camaraderie. While the pandemic is still rampant in many parts of the world, it is safe to say there will not be any physical communal engagements this Ramadhan as well. However, there are still other ways to maintain the spirit of community during the Holy Month.
1. Share what you have
While people can no longer come together to break their fasts in groups, we can still share what we have by sending food parcels to family and neighbours. Muslims might miss sitting down to break fasts with others, but there is no reason why we cannot share the little we have. Instead of inviting people over to your homes to share a meal together, we can consider sharing our delicious foods with others by packing it up and sending it to friends to be shared among their own families. A pro tip here would be to use non-returnable Tupperware and dishes, as this would minimise interaction. Another thing to consider would be to share dry foodstuff to ensure our loved ones have enough supplies to last them through the month.
2. Make supplementary prayers as a group at home
There is no reason to miss out on special prayers like Taraweh, which come only once a year. As national lockdown laws do not permit people to be out late at night, it becomes almost impossible for these prayers to be made in the Mosque. However, we can engage our own families as well as children to partake in these annual prayers.
3. Check up on one another
A good way to show support would be to check up on everyone you know during this month. Some people might be hiding their troubles but will share them with you if you call to check up on their wellbeing. Others might just miss that sense of community and feel very alone and would appreciate any form of contact. Let others know they are not alone in these tough times.
4. Support small businesses
The last year has been bad for small businesses. In places like Mombasa, food businesses soar during the month of Ramadhan and vendors line their laden tables by the road with a delicious assortment of snacks and foods. However, in the last year, these businesses have not been doing so well. If you know anyone in the food business who is having a hard time surviving in these harsh times, you might consider promoting their business.