When The World Witnessed A Quiet Ramadan

A Report of Ramadan in the Epidemic Era

By Abdulfattah Abdussalam

To Allah belongeth the Mystery of the heavens and the earth. And the Decision of the Hour (of Judgment) is like the twinkling of an eye, or even quicker: for Allah hath power over all things.

In 1770, the then empress of Russia, Catherine the Great, was so desperate to restore public order in plague-ravaged Moscow, with a hasty decree ordering that all factories be moved from Moscow and citizens quarantined. By the time the plague ended, as many as 100,000 people had died. The decree caused riots and violence erupted throughout the city, culminating in the murder of an Archbishop, who was encouraging crowds not to gather for worship.

In (2019-2021) the world witnessed a pandemic, which sent the world into an abysmal dungeon of deaths. Already, the virus has gone viral affecting over four million people with over 300,000, killed and the world was still counting. In reaction to the global pandemic, what Islam taught years ago, became the laws and means to curtail the coronavirus that started in, Wuhan in China. The world was to practice physical distancing, not to greet one another in the way that we usually greet each other by hugging or shaking hands, and the world stayed in total lockdown. Because of these decisions which included a consensus that mosques should shut down and that all religious and social gatherings during the month of Ramadan should be suspended, were agreed upon by many Governments in the world citing guidance from medical experts, local officials, and “fiqh” or Islamic jurisprudence. This decision damped the spirit of many Muslims and turned 1441-1442 A.H Ramadan into an unusual one. Fasting is a practice that dates back centuries and plays a central role in many cultures and religions, particularly Islam.

Being a very practical religion, Islam has been handling pandemics for more than 1,400 years but it has no record of the current situations, which suggest pandemic Ramadan and how to react. Rather, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, PBUH admonished “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; and if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.” (Sahih al-Bukhari). “Do not place a sick patient with a healthy person.” This teaching was extended to animals as well; “The cattle suffering from a disease should not be mixed with healthy cattle.” (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Furthermore, when he would sneeze, the Holy Prophet would cover his face and muffle the sneeze, effectively containing the spread of airborne bacteria and viruses. (Jami’al-Tirmidhi). Lastly, it is reported that a leprous man once wished to pledge his allegiance to him, an act that would require him to touch or hold the Holy Prophet’s hand. Instead, the prophet sent words to him that his pledge had already been accepted and that he should return home. (Sunan Ibn Majah).

When 2021 Ramadan started, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic rose to high levels across the globe. By then, COVID-19 has already deeply affected all spheres of people’s life. It is believed that this is one of the greatest challenges humanity has faced in its long history, including the Muslim world. The 1.7 billion Muslims of the world ended up having a quiet fasting month for Ramadan 1441/1442 A.H because Governments across the globe have taken unprecedented precautionary measures to stop the catastrophic spread of the virus; thus Many Muslims felt a void in their lives.
It is unprecedented in annals of Islam and our worship, even when there were World Wars, similar wars, and natural disasters historical texts, and literature in various archives, found that Muslims still gathered during Ramadan, and observed their religious rituals together. For a believer, it’s painful to see mosques being closed; especially in the blessed month of Ramadan and not being able to celebrate Eid properly would be even worse.

The coronavirus pandemic upended life around the world and the crisis has forced Muslims to rethink traditions and find new approaches to one of Islam’s most important religious rituals. The Prophet (SAW) gave us specific guidelines to navigate threats to the community such as epidemics. Quarantine, social isolation, travel bans, and restriction of select movement, visitations, congregation, and socialization are among the precautionary and preventive measures specified in authentic hadith,” “Fear for one’s safety is a genuine Islamic reason to forgo some of the fundamental Islamic actions and rituals.”

This Ramadan, however, was dramatically different from one’s past. It has converged with the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency stay-at-home orders that have shuttered mosque doors and confined Ramadan reverence within people’s homes. One new aspect of Islam that many learned about for the first time is the possibility of Adhan calling people to stay home, rather than coming to Mosques. At Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque the third holiest site in Islam, the call to prayer takes place five times a day, same in Mosques elsewhere but only religious workers were allowed entry, others turned their Living rooms into mosques.

Tarawih prayers, which were usually performed in the congregation every night of Ramadan, were not done for Ramadan. The custodian of Holy Mosques in Makkah and Medina, King Salman ordered the shortening of Tarawih prayers, at the two holy mosques without public attendance. And in few areas of the world, where such was allowed, worshippers kept a distance of two meters (six feet) from each other and were encouraged to bring their prayer mats. The ban also applied to itikaf – a practice where we spend the last 10 days of the fasting month in a mosque to pray and meditating. Saudi Arabia banned pilgrims from entering the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, especially in Ramadan where millions traditionally flock to perform the Umrah pilgrimage. Community iftar) was another important part of Ramadan that, many Muslims all over the world cannot participate in due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing.
Personal hygiene and cleanliness, which have been highlighted globally in the battle against the coronavirus, are also intrinsic parts of Islam. “Wudu,” which is the Islamic ritual for cleansing and purification involves washing the hands, feet, face, and head before each of the five daily prayers. Today there are wash-hands basins outside mosques all over the world. If there is one thing people have learned, it is proper hand washing techniques and thorough hygienic practices – a hallmark of Islam.
During this challenging period, in human history, many mosques shifted to Zoom, Facebook, YouTube webcasts, video-conferencing, and Skype, for their live-streaming of sermons, Quran recitation, and prayers to be able to connect to the community. Many in Nigeria as in all over the world, stayed home, quarantined with their Quran and kin, fighting to endure the financial noose that tightens as each day of Ramadan and the converging pandemic rolled by. This was the new abnormal.

This year’s Ramadan hopeful will make us appreciate our blessings even more, and connect us more closely to our Creator. May Almighty Allah give us a cure for COVID-19.

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