Followers of Islam celebrate Ramadan during the ninth month of the Hijri Calendar. It is considered the holiest Islamic month when Muslims fast. They don’t eat or drink from dawn to dusk. The month (starting April 23 and ending May 23 this year) concludes with the grand celebrations of Eid ul-Fitr.
The daylight fast is followed by a feast after sunset, which is called Iftar. Then there is Suhoor, the feast before sunrise. Reading Namaz and offering Zakat (charity) to the poor and needy ones are other main activities associated with Ramadan. People go to mosques for prayers, exchange greetings, and organize large feasts. Ramadan brings Muslim families and communities together in celebration.
But this year, the scenario is different. Like everybody else, the Muslim people are trying to avoid gatherings. They have confined their prayers, feasts, and other celebrations to their houses. The festival this time has become a family affair. Common rituals like taking Suhoor, reading Namaz, breaking fast after sunset, taking Iftar, and doing nightly prayers continue. But in the absence of community and family gatherings, the Ramadan is unusually quiet.
For Armaan Khan, a businessman from Sunsari, this year’s Ramadan is unique. He shares his experience of turning a small room of his house into a tiny mosque for Namaz and other prayers. “Complying with government directives, we are having Iftar party within the family”, he says. “And we now pay Zakat digitally.”
The pandemic and lockdown have resulted in considerable financial hardship for many families. As income shrinks, buying nutritious food during the fasting period has become difficult. Ismam Ansari, an IT expert in Kathmandu, says, “Due to the lockdown and resulting financial problem, there is a scarcity of quality food in families. Fruits are expensive. Many can’t afford them.” His only comfort is being relived of his office duties during Ramadan. “There is no work stress and no rush, which makes it easy to fast.”
Mosques across the country are almost empty, which is the most strange during Ramadan. It’s the same abroad. Most countries have closed down mosques and asked people to pray at home. The government of Nepal too has restricted human movement in mosques. The Kathmandu-based Jame Masjid issued a notice requesting people to not come visit for prayers this year.
For Abjal Khan, a pharmacy student in Kathmandu, the toned-down celebration is fine because the risk of the virus is high.
After praying and fasting, charity is another major component of Ramadan. The lockdown has affected this tradition too. Shamshad Aadil, a social activist from Kapilvastu currently living in Kathmandu, espies a couple of alternatives. He suggests that instead of handing out Zakat, people donate to local governments and help them control the pandemic. The other alternative, he adds, is to offer food to poor families at some safe place.
Hani Ansari, a pharmacist in Nepalgunj, does not like this traditional way of giving being interrupted.
Another Sunsari native Armaan Khan is relying on the digital payment platform e-Sewa this time. “As the world is being digitalized, we can use online platforms to help the poor and needy. Where there is will, there is a way,” he adds.
