Ramdan 2022 ||See How almost a quarter of humanity ushered in Ramdan 2022

Ramdan 2022 ||See How almost a quarter of humanity ushered in Ramdan 2022 

Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, begins this weekend for 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. The physically fit among them fasted from sunrise to sunset - and not only did so without food, but without even a sip of water.

"[The pandemic] has touched homes in many, many ways," Macram Numan El-Amin, a priest in Minneapolis, told NPR on Saturday.

So just an idea to be able to regroup in this special month – month of hunger, month of reflection, month of self-development and all that, month of charity and so on. all the things we want to do, we want to do, we will be able to do, at least to a greater extent than in recent years. So I'm just excited. And I'm very grateful for this moment."

While it is easy to think of Ramadan as a holiday, it is not. Muslims go to work and school and live their daily lives.

In this case, the real goal of this month is discipline and dedication. Fasting involves more than eating. Muslims are expected to practice avoiding impure thoughts and actions.

Ramadan is a constant physical reminder to God as well as a reminder to everyone in the world who does not have enough food or water. “It creates a drive for gratitude and charity,” Adil Zeb, a Muslim minister at Claremont Colleges, said in a 2017 interview with NPR.

This month focuses on charity, worship and developing empathy and relationships with others. But there are also strong general aspects that are integral to the experience.

However, in the last two years during the pandemic, the coronavirus has eliminated many of these rituals. Gone are big group dinners, mosque visits, morning pancake runs to IHOP before the hunger strike begins — along with so many other favorite aspects of this month.

This year, many Muslims plan to continue their evening gathering, iftar, where they can break their fast together. Many also look forward to praying Tarawih together after fasting.

This is good news for fans like Rizvan Ali.

“To be honest, the worst thing is losing people,” Ali, imam of the Islamic Center of Naperville, Illinois, told NPR in 2020. “I said that after preparing for prayer, I did voodoo.” Purification of the body before prayer] in my house. And I think, you know, I never thought that I would miss the long line in front of the mosque to do udu and prepare for prayer. Well, those are the little things you miss - smiles, faces. I can close my eyes and tell you where everyone is sitting. And now I miss all those little experiences.”