On Eid al-Fitr, Kamrul Islam and his family would usually see roughly 100 guests visit their home before they, in turn, visit others. But that would be on any other year’s end to the Muslim holy month Ramadan, which started last week.
In 2020, Ramadan, which began Thursday and ends with the start of Eid on the evening of May 23 — like any other event during a global pandemic — is anything but normal.
During the COVID-19 crisis, the Muslim Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MANL)’s Masjid Al Noor mosque on Logy Bay Road in St. John’s, as are all other places of worship, is closed.
But the Muslim community — which has 3,000 members across the province — is making the best of the situation with the understanding that protecting one another's health is the most important thing.
“As we are seeking Allah's mercy, we must place our hearts in submission by giving what we have in efforts of prayer, supplication, service and Sadaqa. We ask Allah (SWT) to keep you and your families safe and healthy,” MANL’s COVID-19 message to its community reads.
“We ask Allah (SWT) to benefit you thereby and decree reward for you.
"In this time of uncertainty, we seek Allah’s protection and ask that He relieves us from the pandemic that is affecting each of us locally and us globally.”
In normal times, Ramadan sees members of the community gather together for daily prayers and groups share food together at the end of each day’s fasting — from dawn to sunset — especially on weekends.
“During Ramadan we have gatherings on Fridays or Saturdays (normally) … those are not happening,” said Islam.
Difficult decisions had to be made, said MANL president president Dr. Syed Pirzada.
“These are unprecedented times and difficult times,” he said.
“Everybody waits for this month. We want to be closer to have more spiritual attachment to religious activities and do more charitable things.”
Those charitable things have always included providing food for those who don't have it for after the fast is broken, or providing clothes or other aid for those in need.
The Muslim community understands why there are restrictions on public gatherings, Pirzada said, and it is still helping those in need of assistance.
The community is also able to participate in prayers together with a live streaming from the mosque of the imam alone reciting prayers.
“That, basically, has given our community some spiritual connection to the mosque,” Pirzada said. “What they used to do, they would come to the mosque and stand behind the same imam shoulder-to-shoulder. That we cannot do. … At least they can feel some connection. It gives them some relief. That is how we are helping our communities stay together and stay united. Hopefully we will get through this difficult period sooner rather than later.
“Obviously all of us are facing difficult times … we have to take steps and be very careful. That is what we are doing, trying to keep the social distance, maintain that and guarding our community … Everybody feels bad and sad they cannot go to the mosque and pray as they wish. These are not normal times. We need to keep the flatten the curve and get over the hill then.”
Pirzada, originally from Pakistan, has been in Newfoundland and Labrador for more than 20 years. He has many friends in New York, where he spent 10 years, who have been affected by the pandemic. He also has family living in California and Toronto as well.
“It is a blessing in disguise we are living on an island,” said the dermatologist, explaining he feels safer from COVID-19 here than others would be on the mainland.
For Kamrul Islam, who’s been in the province for about 28 years and works in immigration and multiculturalism for the provincial government, the only experience that comes close to this year’s disruption in tradition, is the impact of the Christchurch massacre last year which happened about a month before Ramadan. On March 15, 2019, 51 people were murdered by a gunman in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Some people were apprehensive about going to the St. John’s mosque at that time, feelings shard by many Muslims around the world, he said. Extra security features were put in place and he said the Muslim community was blessed with support from the province, the city and law enforcement.
This year's mass celebration of the end of Ramadan is expected not to happen, but Eid has seen 1,500 to 2,000 people gathering in facilities like the Techniplex or the Jack Byrne Arena in prior years.
And once the mass celebration is finished, families and friends visit each other, sharing special meals.
While cases of COVID-19 seem to be waning in Newfoundland Labrador, Islam is doubtful restrictions will be lifted in time for any of that to occur.
But he said people are getting together for virtual gatherings instead.
Other activities have also gone virtual.
His daughter, 10-year-old Amreen, is taking lessons in the Qu'ran on from an Islamic teacher through FaceTime.
Being occupied the last few years with a young family, Afiya Altaf, who operates Curry Delight in Mount Pearl, with her husband, Nasir Muhammad, had already adapted Ramadan activities in the past to do more things at home and with virtual connections to their families afar.
"The biggest thing would be the fasting,” Altaf said. “That is the main thing we would always have been able to do.”
This year, their son Zayn Kasbaati is asking more questions about Ramadan because of educational material he’s reading and hearing about. They include daily online programmig for children through Memorial University’s Muslim Students Association.
“He absolutely loves it. He can’t wait for it to hit 12 (p.m.) to go to class to see his friends,” Altaf said.
“As he gets older, he's starting to understand ,” Altaf said.
She and Mohammed have been doing takeout sales to customers through their restaurant and they tag team the duties.
Altaf said she is prepping food at night where possible instead of during the day so she doesn't break the Ramadan fasting by tasting the recipes for quality control.
In online conversations with family, Altaf said everyone is talking about missing Ramadan, but they are also looking for different ways to approach it.
“Everyone is just talking about their solo bubbles,” she said. “Everyone is trying to make the best of it. It is definitely a different situation from the past, that is for sure.”
Large orders for gatherings as in past years are not happening, but people are ordering special items for the families to have at the end of fasting.
Curry Delight has also had some orders placed for virtual family events in which the food is packaged up for individual households to enjoy while celebrating together online on platforms such as Zoom.
“It was so lovely, heartwarming that they can still be close while being apart,” she said of the online gatherings.
For her family, Altaf said they have pushed their children's bedtime a bit so that they can experience meals at the end of fasting as her son has asked why his parents are not having lunch with them during the day.
Their youngest, Haadiya, is 17 months old.
Altaf is unsure what the COVID-19 situation will be when Eid happens in almost a month’s time.
“It is difficult to not be able to see people that way, but everyone understands how important it is. It is good everyone is on the same page with it,” she said.
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