In this edition of Saa Nasta Newsletter, we explore how Muslims are observing Ramadan this year, and what are some ways to get through the last 10 nights of Ramadan. Iâm also sharing some of sehri favorites in Bangladeshi cuisine.
Wishing you light, peace and blessings đ¤˛đ˝
Muslims Observe Ramadan During a Second Year of the Pandemic
Ramadan began April 12 and runs until May 12. Itâs a time when Muslims around the world fast, pray, reflect and increase worship to seek nearness to God. Due to the pandemic last year many mosques only offered virtual services.
Without access to the mosque, Lena Basata and her family had to create new traditions.
Canton resident Lena Basata says last year her usual Ramadan plans were altered when the masjid where she typically goes to pray was closed due to the pandemic.
âWe wÂÂere pretty anxious before Ramadan came in, you know. Weâre so used to our routine going to the masjid, seeing all of our friends, seeing family, and I hadnât seen my parents in a month or two I think before Ramadan.â
Without access to the mosque, Basata had to create new traditions. She decorated her house with lights and began praying with her family at home. She also started baking cookies and traditional Syrian recipes with her daughter.
âMy heritage is Syrian and there are things that are traditional in Syria that I had never made before that I wasnât very familiar with, but I started to explore that culture a little more and learn some new recipes, and then we started you know distributing to the community, go drop things off at peopleâs doors, ring the doorbell and run and just leave it for them to enjoy,â says Basata.Â
Muslims Find New Ways To Observe Ramadan
This year the holy month is different yet again with many mosques having opened back up, at least partially.
Around 10 p.m. each night during Ramadan about 500 worshippers gather outside the Muslim Center of Western Suburbs, or MCWS in Canton. Theyâre carrying prayer rugs and water bottles as they file into the mosque. Volunteers check whether people are wearing masks or supply them with one. Inside the prayer hall are rows of maroon and gold carpeting where worshippers will roll out their rugs and pray socially distanced.Â
âPeople have evolved and understand that this is the right thing to do, not only to the way we worship God right now but also thatâs the right thing to do for the community at large.â âImran Jalal, Vice President of MCWS, on how the mosque has adaptedÂ
PrÂayers from the Quran are recited over a speaker. The hallways have been decorated with glittering lights and bright blue lanterns. Because of the pandemic, the mosque is only open at partial capacity. It remains closed for communal iftars when Ramadan worshippers break their fast after sunset. Younger kids and older adults were asked to stay home and stay safe.
MCWS President Haaris Ahmad says while the mosque has reopened, itâs not as full of life as a typical Ramadan.
âThe building is just hustling and bustling, all day long, you know, from, from morning to evening to night in normal times, of course âŚÂ food trucks ⌠we have ice cream trucks, you know ⌠kids and their families there. Itâs such a beautiful time. Everybodyâs connecting and just enjoying themselves,â says Ahmad.Â
Worshippers prepare for socially distanced in-person services
Usually during Ramadan, the mosque accommodates 1,000 worshippers. This year about half that number are showing up and those who are are taking extra precautions. Worshippers are praying spaced apart, not shoulder to shoulder, feet to feet like usual. And many people are vaccinated.
Ahmad says in anticipation for opening in-person prayers, MCWS organizers and volunteers partnered with Rite Aid and Kroger to register and get people COVID-19 shots.
âWe will have vaccinated, Inshallah [God willing] 1,250 people through just our direct vaccinations,â he says.Â
Imran Jalal is the Vice President of MCWS. He says the mosque is strict about following CDC guidelines. Staff clean the prayer spaces daily, check for masks and enforce social distancing. Prayers are also divided into two shifts at two buildings to space out people further.
âPeople have evolved and understand that this is the right thing to do, not only to the way we worship God right now but also thatâs the right thing to do for the community at large,â says Jalal.
There are virtual Quran recitations and spiritual reminders via YouTube for people who canât attend Ramadan services in person.
As for Basata, sheâs practicing a hybrid of her pre- and post-pandemic traditions. Sheâs praying in person at the mosque and also dropping off treats to peopleâs homes.
This story was originally published on WDET 101.9 FM.
When I was a little kid, part of experiencing Ramadan was eating traditional Bangladeshi foods for sehri, the pre-dawn meal, before fasting was just as much a hype as fasting itself. Here are some favorites enjoyed by Bangladeshis, and some foods that my kids also enjoy during Ramadan.
The last 10 Nights of Ramadan are for a time to increase worship. It is a time when:
Worshippers ask for savior from the Fire.
The Quran was revealed in totality after 23 years to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.
In it is the Laylatul Qadr or the Night of Power, a night of worship which equals 1,000 months of worship. Itâs located on an odd number night. Verses of this night are found in Surah Al-Qadr.
Worshippers increase their good deeds and try to create long-lasting good habits to continue throughout the year beyond Ramadan.
Here are some tips to make the most of the last 10 nights.