The holy month of Ramadan is a special time for nearly two billion Muslims all over the world.
In any normal year, it is a time of communal prayer, of daytime fasting, night-time feasting, extensive socializing and acts of profound generosity and charity.
At a difficult time for the whole world, Muslims prepare to welcome the fasting month of Ramadan with unprecedented social-distancing measures.
Read Also: What You Need to Know before Ramadan
With the mosques shut across the UK, a leading British Muslim organization has released a guidance for communities to make the most out of the season in lockadown.
The Muslim Council of Britain’s guideline is part of its sustained initiative to encourage British Muslims to stay at home and provide a platform for mosques and Islamic associations to continue to serve their congregations.
“The message for this Ramadan is clear: fast and pray at home and share Ramadan digitally. This is the way to help save lives,” Harun Khan, Secretary-General of the MCB said in a statement published online.
“Ramadan is about connecting to God through worship, reflection, compassion and giving back to others. It is important to use this time to reconsider, to reflect on the way we live our lives and the way we relate to our Creator, our communities and those in need. We must be sure to celebrate Ramadan in the safest way possible: in our homes.”
Making Most of Ramadan
Expecting a very different Ramadan for Muslims, the guidance gave Muslims ideas on how to make the most of Ramadan.
It includes advice on hosting and attending virtual iftars to tuning in to their local mosque’s livestreamed services.
In the month of giving, Muslims were urged to give charity to vulnerable people and support mosques which depend on donations.
“The MCB is encouraging all Muslims to use the holy month of Ramadan to give back to their communities, both in the way of financial donations to their local mosques if they can afford it and getting involved in local initiatives if it is safe to do so,” the statement read.
Despite difficulties, Dr. Emman El-Badawy, an expert on Islamic jurisprudence, believes the spirit of Ramadan will survive.
“So much of the essence of Ramadan can be maintained during isolation,” she told BBC.
“The spiritual aspects may even be heightened for some of us, with less distractions than usual.
“The communal practices will be missed under the restrictions, for sure, but there are already great initiatives being built to help with this.”
The post UK Group Issues Guidance on Celebrating #RamadanAtHome appeared first on About Islam.
source https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/europe/uk-group-issues-guidance-on-celebrating-ramadanathome/
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