Ramadan
and Eid in the Time of Corona (May, 2020)
Ramadan, one of the month in Hijri calendar
is a special month for Muslim all over the world. The month marked the
compulsory fasting as prescribed by Muslim law. For many Indonesian, Ramadan is
not only about religious event: on top of fasting before sunrise until sunset, followed
by going to the mosque for congregational prayer with family and friends,
people are also encouraged to pay their zakah (compulsory donation when one is
considered able to give) but also to be more charitable toward those who are
less advantaged. Ramadan is not only deepened our religious and spiritual being
but its also providing a chance to refresh and strengthen our solidarity to
people around us.
Ramadan to many of us is also about living
our tradition which has been passed from generation to generation. For families
that could mean having a breakfasting (iftar) together with families and
friends, bringing back traditional delicacies which probably not always around
on normal days. There is a hadith (prohet saying) which mentions if one hosts a
breakfasting and feed people it is as if he has fasted as many as those people
do. This hadith is welcomed by many Muslims, some went to the mosque to donate
fund or food, some cook food and deliver it to friends, neighbours and those in
need, many invites their relatives to their home for breakfasting or iftar
followed by congregational “tarawih” prayer. In the afternoon many popped up
markets erected everywhere across the country selling traditional cuisines for
food enthusiasts.
After breakfasting, many will rush to the
mosques, walking or driving for “Isya” and “Tarawih” prayer. When I was a
little girl, I was always looking forward to walk to the mosque under the
crescent moon with my late father and siblings. As the street stormed by many
people: men in “sarong” and “kopiah” and women in white prayer clothes, smiling
faces walking to same destination, the walk and long praying did not feel that
hard, it’s a community event, there is a sense of togetherness. To some extent
most of café and restaurants are closed and open up later in the afternoon to
cater to the customer. Ramadan in many places has its own special atmosphere
and indeed it has been both religious and cultural month.
For those of us who live abroad, Ramadan
always bring back the nostalgia of our childhood and our time living in our
homeland. Many are longing to be back to our homeland during the special month,
looking forward to experience the special atmosphere. In the past before
Covid-19 pandemic, life here runs normal, fasting is more personal than
communal. In a way the struggle felt more real: no working hours’ adjustment,
people are eating around us, restaurants and café are open as usual, fasting is
our personal commitment to the teaching of our religion and has little to do
with how others are behaved. Fasting is our personal journey to maintain our steadfastness,
to be closer to God rather than social control.
As the pandemic runs deeper with many
restaurant and café no longer cater for dine in but only take away and home
delivery options and most people are working from home and only essentials
workers go to work, the isolation feels deeper. Before, during Ramadan, the
weekend is a time where everyone has been looking up to: attending the
community iftars and listening to the sermon from Indonesian ulemas/ Islamic
scholars visiting the country or inviting friends for iftar at home followed by
congregational prayer. For many families it also means keeping up with
tradition of going to the mosque for prayer every evening. However, this year,
this too will be a nostalgia.
As Australia still practicing tight social
distancing which no more than five people from different household can meet up at
their homes and not more than ten people in public, most of the community
activities during Ramadan will be banned. Social distancing has been a new
normal for a while however despite the inability to meet in person, many are
turned to technology to socializing. Groups of family and friends are connected
and meet up online as well as religious classes which normally held in the
mosques or at people’s homes. Mosques have been closed for two months and
people opted to pray at home, the rules seem well continues during Ramadan.
However, to many of us Ramadan this year
will be lonelier than ever. The much anticipated community iftar during the
weekends is off the table, as is our nightly drive to the local mosque to pray
congregationally. For those who live alone or elderly people who do not have
relatives, these activities shed a light and give them chances to meet with
others, to defy the daily loneliness. For now, we should be satisfied if we are
healthy, we have food on our table and have a roof over our head as many out
there are in deep crisis. If we can we should extend our hand to help to those
in need around us in any ways we can: donating funds to charity, participating
in food drive for those in needs, helping the elderly in our community to buy
groceries in supermarket and for those who are self isolated, or pick our phone
and call those who live alone and brighten their days.
And despite our eagerness to return home to
Indonesia to meet our families and friends as we normally do every year, both
for re-experiencing again our childhood nostalgia or just because we love them,
that love too, can wait. If we love our families and friends dearly, this year,
that mean we stay exactly where we are, in the country and city we lived. Love in the time of corona means staying away
from everyone who are not living under the same roof so we and them can stop
transmitting the virus, even though those are our parents and siblings. Our
love is manifested in our ability to follow government advices and endure the
loneliness, the longing to be together, the missing of the “takbir” sounds on the
Eid’s eve from the mosques near our childhood home which no other sounds can
reach as deep and solemn our heart, the pause on sleeping on the floors during
the night as our family grow double or triple sizes, the never ending chats,
laughing and eating during the day as we visit our relatives and their visit to
our homes, the tears, once we reach home after Eid prayer, for the absence of
the loved ones who have left us,., Hopefully we all can make it through and when
this pandemic is over we can celebrate our love for each other in the way we always
know or even better.
