What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you realize that the Holy month of Ramadan is approaching?
Food? Iftar? Spiritual connection? Or even maybe Vimto?
Looks like I am not the only one. Ramadan always has been a month of peaceful vibes. Less working hours, more time to replug your spirituality.
We socialized, we made efforts and we connected.
With that being said, we found ourselves in a pretty unusual scenario this year. COVID 19 was the buzz killer of the year 2020. I don’t think there is anybody who would disagree to that, maybe Jeff Bezos might for a second.
It is a wind of change. Working methods, socializing, hygiene factors and a whole other dimension of living. Being completely honest, I had no idea what social distancing was. It was straight up easy my end. Ignore or meet. (Simple, right?)
But this year’s Ramadan was different. We did have a fear of how things would phase in terms of regular practices, considering the current circumstances.
Frankly, I did like it and I did not either. No heavy iftars, a fixed routine and time to run. Don’t get me wrong. For me, Ramadan has always been about a month of peace. Keeping things simple and minimal.
Take a minute of your time, reflect back on the last 30 days you spent and compare it to your usual Ramadan. Yes, there are certain things you do miss about the regular season. But look at the bigger picture. It has been a good learning curve in aspects of compassion and kindness. The real elements of Ramadan. Less wastage of food to more value of having a full meal on your table. You realize how important your family members are. The blessing that counts in their presence. Some of them had family members who weren’t sitting on their usual spots. (Bless their souls)
You probably know by now, the difference between the need and the wants. The value of having your loved ones around you safe and sound. Yes, there are the elements, such as prayers, get-togethers which weren’t a part of this Ramadan, but you still did well enough to get through it without it.
So I decided to see how a few of my close friends coped up with the Holy Month this year, and here is what they had to say about the Ramadan 2020.
REAL TALK!
“I miss being able to go to the mosque and pray in a congregation with my family and neighbours. I miss being able to have Iftar with my cousins and friends. I miss seeing the roads lit up with decorations. But aside from everything I’ve missed, I realised that praying at home with my family satisfied my heart the same way. Also, given the abundance of time in my hands, I’ve given a shot at cooking and learnt to make quite a few things.” – Elham Enam
“I got some inspiration and ideas from my parents & siblings on how we can try to make this month a great one. I started noticing that I now have a personalized space for praying (just like our work desk) which did build a very positive and a deep effect towards my worship. I think with no access to striking dishes I was able to have a controlled healthy diet, which resulted in a controlled body weight” – Yusuf Khursheed
“I must say I have also missed having the annual Iftar with my friends. An event which is very much awaited whenever Ramadan is around the corner. I kept hoping for the situation to get better and finally to send out the Iftar invites. As we say goodbye to this month soon, I hope that all our Duas are accepted by The Almighty and we lead prosperous lives hereafter.” – Ramiz Maniar
“Social distancing has me thinking about the different levels of personal space and how a stranger can break these boundaries when we greet each other. For a trendy moment, hugging had replaced handshakes. Now even a handshake is out of the question, so the future doesn’t look so great for the oh so popular Mr. hug” – Anonymous
“This is probably the first time, I had to set an alarm for the Iftar at Maghrib Now Eid is around the corner and my first Eid without my brother. I literally would like to call this year Eid as COV-EID. Altogether, this is a different kind of Ramadan amid COVID-19 pandemic. This is Eid my only wish is to bring back things we otherwise took for granted” – Iqbal Shamz
Never would you have thought in years about spending an Eid like this. But whatever happens, happens for a reason. Thank for that little you have, that little time you have, that little bond you have, that little hope you have.
We will all emerge stronger from this. We will have a beautiful month of Ramadan soon.
May your good deeds and prayers be accepted by The Almighty.
