With the first day of Ramadhan over, many families found it difficult going without their social gatherings and not partaking in their traditions because of strict rules on social distancing amid the lockdown.
Every year, Saudis welcome the month of Ramadhan with anticipation as the beauty of the month and its blessings inspire worshippers across the country and the Muslim world to perform acts of kindness, spread joy and be charitable. With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, almost all this has been stopped.
Um Mohammed, a resident of Jeddah, usually prepares a feastfor iftar (breaking of the fast) on the first day of Ramadhan for the wholefamily. She thinks about all her grandchildren’s preferences, prepares thedifferent drinks early, and sets out a colorful variety of dishes covering thetable from one end to the other.
This year though, as she spent her home isolation with herson and his family, it was difficult for Um Mohammed to accept the fact thatshe would not be seeing her family members and share a meal.
“For years, I’ve had my family for iftar on the first day,as well as good friends of the family. For some time, as the grandchildren gotolder and traveled to pursue their degrees abroad, the gatherings becamesmaller,” she said. “In recent years, they came back and I had them all undermy roof and what a joy it was. Though it’s not a rare occasion in ourhousehold, Ramadhan is special and my heart soars seeing how all my childrenand grandchildren are together again. This year is different and is extremelydifficult, I finally have everyone here in Saudi and now with the coronaviruspandemic, it’s painful not having them over.”
“In all my years, I have never been in such a situation. Ihave lived through troubled times in Egypt, the Gulf War, my kids traveling fortheir own university degrees, my grandchildren too, and so much more, but this… this time it’s different and I can’t believe that we’re in isolation thisway,” she said. “I understand it’s important to self-isolate, it’s necessaryand naturally we’re all being careful as we want this pandemic to be over withand live our normal lives peacefully. Coronavirus has stolen our traditions, itis very surreal.”
Um Mohammed is not alone. Expats and Saudis alike have triedto keep their morale up as they spent the first day of the blessed month aloneor with their immediate family. As many decorate their living rooms withlanterns and lights and delicious smells waft from the kitchens the factremains that this Ramadhan is one that “stole our traditions.”
Aya Alzubi, a Syrian-American resident in Saudi Arabia,misses her cousins with whom she usually spent her Ramadhan. “What I miss mostthis Ramadhan is being able to pray Taraweeh at the mosque and gathering withour families after iftar. We have a tradition in our family that we spendRamadhan together.”
Alzubi said that even if she were not meeting them afteriftar they would catch up during Taraweeh. “Other than that I usually have thecousins that are my age spending a week or two at our house, staying up allnight together, making sahoor (last meal) and iftar together,” she said.
Many friends and families take the time to greet one anotherand send the month’s blessings via text message, but the use of videocallingapplications have surged in the past couple of weeks and many familiescommunicated through various apps to see how their iftar was and catch up on arather somber day.
“Sadly, it is never the same as actually seeing their lovelyfaces shine brightly during this holy month,” she said.
On a positive note, Alzubi suggested that this lockdown canalso help make this Ramadhan more fruitful. As she said: “We can spend thistime trying to break our bad habits and form new better ones.”
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Ranum Ali recently moved toPakistan for further studies and she is spending her first Ramadhan away fromher family. Despite the separation, Ali decided to decorate her house inPakistan the same way she would decorate it in Jeddah.
“I put up little lights, some candles, and used bukhoor tomake my house smell like home. Video calls and text messages are the onlythings that are keeping me in touch with them. I never thought I wouldappreciate small things like these so much.”
She drew a sentimental picture of all the things she willmiss during this Ramadhan, “Just being around my family, doing everythingtogether. From helping Amma (my aunt) in the kitchen to fighting with my littlesister over who will do the dishes, reading the Qur’an and listening tolectures with my father. For me, these were the things that had the essence ofRamadhan.”
Fahd Naseem, who is currently quarantined with his family inJeddah, said that he was lucky to be quarantined with his family. “Since we areall together it isn’t as sad for me as it is for some other people. One thing Idid miss was going to Makkah and praying our first Taraweeh there, which issomething we have been doing every year,” he said.
“The women in my house even walk into the room and greeteach other as if they are meeting each other in a mosque,” he added jokingly.