Practising an age-old faith in extraordinary times
Solitary prayer: A worshipper at the Dewatagaha mosque in Colombo. Pic by Sameera Weerasekera
Like many medical workers, Sabith Liaquat is accustomed to navigating hospital shifts during Ramadan. For the past four to five years, he has been on call during Ramadan and as a doctor, he now knows how to calibrate the rhythms of work life to the rigours of fasting. This year, he takes extra precaution to stay hydrated.
As the number of COVID-19 patients increased around the country, Kattankudy Hospital, where he currently works, was swiftly transformed in mid-April into a hospital equipped to treat Coronavirus patients. While methods such as cameras, intercoms and PA systems were put into place to help observe and interact with patients at a distance, to cross into the specialized treatment centre for COVID-19 positive patients required personal protection equipment (PPE) – crucial equipment to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to keep healthcare workers on the frontlines safe.
“Think of it as being inside an airtight polythene bag,” he explains. “You can’t wear it for a long time, you sweat a lot and you get severely dehydrated. To have to fast and to wear this is a bit difficult and I make sure that I have a lot of water (for suhoor) if I am on duty. That’s been the most challenging part this year.”
Hailing from Aluthgama, Sabith opted not to go back home to visit this month due to his exposure working on the frontlines of the pandemic. He has kept physical social interactions to a minimum and spent a quiet Ramadan, using the extra time to stay connected with family and friends through social media and messaging applications.
M.R.Husni Ahamed is also spending a socially distanced Ramadan, away from his wife and three-year-old daughter. Husni, who works as a doctor at the newly opened Respiratory Ward at the National Hospital in Colombo, left his family in his hometown in the east coast during their last visit. For Husni, Ramadan has been a blur of work and adjusting to the new normal. Solo prayer sessions and recitations have replaced communal gatherings this year and in his free time, he has been memorizing chapters of the Quran and reading up on translations.
During Ramadan, Muslims around the world abstain from food and water from dawn to sunset. As a month that emphasizes community, spiritual rejuvenation, charity and introspection, this year, Muslims around the world were faced with a Ramadan like never before.
In Sri Lanka, the Muslim Mosques and Charitable Trusts or Wakfs and Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs issued directives to mosques to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. Mosques were requested to remain closed to the public, refrain from all congregational prayers and activities such as iftar and to also refrain from preparing and distributing kanji –usually eaten while breaking fast – within their premises.Trustees of mosques were also urged to implement systems to distribute alms in a collective manner to those struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Ramadan and fasting is a key tenet in Islam and the changed conditions have had scholars delving into Islamic legal traditions and jurisprudence – known as fiqh– to provide new solutions from an age-old faith for an extraordinary time. The Coronavirus has served as an opportunity for faiths to innovate, aligning religious tradition and spiritual solace to new living practices and safety measures.
After our conversation, Sheikh Muiz Bukhary will break his fast and ready himself for a speaking engagement at 1 a.m. which will be live streamed from Colombo to the UK. Usually a busy month involving travel, things have slowed down for the Islamic theologian, preacher and educator. In one sense, he has had the opportunity to spend time with his family at home and introspect; the community feel replaced with a quieter, intimate setting.
On the other hand, there has been an urgent need to transpose the spiritual experience Muslims seek during the holy month into virtual mediums and to also address developments and questions which arose in the backdrop of the pandemic in Sri Lanka.
“As the religious leadership, we didn’t have time to be in shock because we had to rise to the situation. People wanted comfort and solace– we needed to be there to give that to them,” says Sheikh Muiz. “We need to maintain a positive outlook and nurture hope and faith. And as a community leader, I choose to light up people’s lives rather than plunge them into more darkness and fear than we are in.”
The social media savvy theologian’s platforms are used to regularly disseminate sermons and information on how Muslims can adapt Ramadan traditions while adhering to national guidelines and safety regulations. Sheikh Muiz, who also has an interest in video editing and graphic design, has relaunched a youtube channel while the classes his foundation conduct have been moved online. Updates are posted about donations done around the island with zakaath contributions received and a recent video suggests guidelines to celebrate Eid responsibly under lockdown.
“It’s important for us to remember that we as the human race are all in this together. Unfortunately while we have the pandemic on one side, we also have certain elements using the pandemic to fuel divisive agendas. Unity and empathy are of the utmost importance,” he notes. “And as Muslims, we also have to remind ourselves that our Prophet was an optimist and preached optimism. Yes, we are in the middle of a pandemic and things are turbulent and chaotic, but we have to strive to thrive and come out of it as better individuals not bitter ones.”
Sri Lanka’s Dawoodi Bohra community was also swift to adapt to changing conditions brought on by the Coronavirus. The community kitchen which usually delivers freshly cooked meals began supplying dry rations instead – menu cards with recipe suggestions, giving the boxes a personal touch. Rations and assistance were also dispatched to daily wage earners and those unable to access essentials. Even as lockdown measures began unfurling around the world, the community’s Central Office urged everyone to strictly adhere to national regulations while issuing guidelines to ensure no congregation in mosques. Bohra communities all over the world received exercises to keep children occupied until home-schooling routines was established, documentaries, tips to manage businesses in a post-COVID-19 environment, virtual prayer sessions, sermons and more.
While Rashida Badani Tajbhoy misses the communal aspect of Ramadan, the apartment complex she lives in has seen a blossoming camaraderie among its residents and has been a source of warmth. Every evening when she breaks fast at sunset, there is a food offering from one of her neighbours. Produce is bartered and dishes are exchanged while neighbours check in on each other regularly. “It’s so lovely to see everyone come together,” she says.
Shanaz Mohideen* (name changed on request) describes a subdued Ramadan within the Galle Fort, which otherwise thrums with activity during the fasting season and the holidays in April. With guesthouses shuttered and tourist shops closed, the Fort remains silent. “This is the first time I have seen the Fort like this. Though we had a curfew last year, it was entirely different to what we have now,” she says. For Shanaz, a restrained Eid is on the cards with a simple home cooked meal with her family.
Every year for Eid festival, Haleema Dane goes to the mosque with her neighbour in the morning. After offering Eid prayers, she recites a special prayer for her loved ones buried in the burial grounds behind the mosque, comes home to have kiribath for breakfast and then entertains relatives and neighbours who drop in throughout the day. Haleema, a Past President and currently a Committee Member of the Women’s Association of Sri Lanka Malays will be spending a very different Eid this year. While house calls will be swapped for phone calls and congregational prayers and social gatherings are eschewed, she remains hopeful.
“This is something all of us have to undergo globally. We will bear it up this year and pray that things will be better next year,” says Haleema.