Muslims Start Ramadan Under Shadow of Coronavirus

Date: 13 April 2021 - 22:20

News ID: ۸۹۱۳۱

AL-QUDS (Dispatches) – The Muslim holy month of Ramadan began amid restrictions on communal prayers and fasting due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In some countries, the holy month began on Tuesday, while some others like Iran marked the start of the blessed month on Wednesday.
Muslims across the world will be observing fasting during which they abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn until sunset.
Many countries have allowed communal prayers with strict social distancing rules in contrast to the empty mosques a year ago when the holy month coincided with the spike in coronavirus infections.
For Muslims, Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) more than 1,400 years ago.
The breaking of the fast each day is called the "Iftar”, when families and communities gather to feast together. The meal starts with the eating of a single date, a tradition that originated with the Prophet Muhammad.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, announced that the holy fasting month was to start on Tuesday, though authorities said only people immunized against Covid-19 will be allowed to perform the year-round umrah pilgrimage from the start of Ramadan.
In Egypt, restrictions were much less stringent than last year as people took to the streets to mark the start of the fasting month.
Pakistanis began fasting Wednesday after rival moon-sighting committees agreed to a nationally applied start of what is called "Ramazan” in the country.
With the country in the grip of a third wave of the coronavirus –- the deadliest so far -– the government urged mosques to only allow prayers in open courtyards and to strictly enforce social distancing.
The total number of virus deaths is approaching 3 million, according to an AFP tally of official data, as the World Health Organization warned infections are rising exponentially despite efforts aimed at stopping them.
From Indonesia to Egypt and beyond, many Muslims around the world started Ramadan, though restrictions on worshippers varied from country to country.