The holy month of Ramadhaan is the first celebration of the year following Eid. However it will celebrated under tight restrictions due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
As a Muslim myself I have realised that every Ramadan seems to be the same. I believe that lack of distraction from the outside world will give Muslims the opportunity to reflect on themselves spiritually.
Many Muslims struggle as a nation to abide by the Islamic laws because they struggle to connect with the religion itself due to worldly distractions. Daily jobs and schooling eats out of our time. It also disconnects us with the people we share a roof with.
It is important for a Muslim family to keep ties because that is the foundation of our wellbeing and our outlook on life. This lockdown gives fathers , mothers , brothers , sisters , uncles etc to truly bond with their kin.
Furthermore , we get to know whom we worship in the comfort of our homes with the people that mean the most to us. In Islam prophet Mohammed beloved advised that charity begins in the home. Now is a time to truly implement this teaching.
From a technical point of view it will physically make fasting a lot easier for Muslims who tend to struggle to fast. Due to not having to move around as much as when we did in our daily routines as normal pre-lockdown. People who suffer from health issues like anaemia who still want to fast will be able to.
Covid-19 has has had a massive impact on daily routines but the affect on the Islamic holy month of Ramadhaan will be drastic. This is an important time for muslims to reflect and unite with one another by praying a long prayer standing feet to feet which goes against the pendemic guidelines.
Mohd Faizal Musa , a research fellow at the University of Malaysia institute of the Malay World and civilaviation said “I can’t remember anything like this happening before,”.
“There was World War II or natural disasters, but from past literature, historical texts, and various archives, I found that Muslims still gathered during Ramadan, despite the war or disasters, and still observed their religious rituals together.”
Muslims took to Twitter to express how disappointed they were about the affect lockdown has already had on mosques.
On the positive side many Muslims have expressed that staying home will improve and strengthen Muslim families. Sharing important religous moments such as reading the Quran and refraining from evil and implementing good. There’s less temptation from outside.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, has spoken out on his feelings on the matter of the foreign experience of ramdan this year. He expressed that it will be ‘weird’. However he took to Twitter to encourage Muslims to stay home during this pandemic and still embrace Ramadan.
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