Ramadan begins in Islamic countries

The annual fasting period for Islamic believers, Ramadan, begins Thursday night and runs through May 23rd. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, which is 29 or 30 days, depending on the orbit of the moon, and begins eleven days earlier each year, according to the Gregorian calendar.

With about 1.8 billion followers of Islam – 24 percent of the Earth’s population – it is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, and today there are hardly any countries without Muslims. The five pillars of Islam are the creed, the five times a day prayer, the Ramadan monthly fast, the Mecca pilgrimage, and the alms to be given to the poor — these are the most important commandments of religion that all true believers must follow.

The thirty-day fast that strengthens body and soul falls on the month of Ramadan because, according to tradition, in 610, on the 27th day of this month, Allah gave the Qur’an from heaven to Prophet Muhammad, who retreated to Mount to meditate and fast. According to Islam, during Ramadan, the gates of hell are closed, the demons are chained, so this month, despite the miserable physical deprivation, is a period of peace and spiritual cleansing.

The primary purpose of fasting is for Muslims to dedicate themselves to contemplation and prayer, to increase their patience and willpower, and to prove to Allah that their souls are stronger than their bodies, able to overcome their bodily desires. Regardless of rank and financial status, the rule that applies to everyone also emphasizes the equality of members of the religious community, during this period the rich must also live the daily lives of the poor for at least some time. Ramadan is also a period of struggle in the name of faith, with two crucial moments in the rise of Islam to Arabia: The Prophet reaped his first military victory over his opponents this month and conquered Mecca.

Believers should abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, bathing, listening to music, marriage, and other pleasures of the body from sunrise to sunset this month. They should avoid anger, violence, envy, desire, gossip, but charity is also a requirement, that is, they need to pay more attention to each other. Only children under the age of fourteen, travelers, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, combatants, and patients, including those weakened by the coronavirus epidemic, will be exempt. The “wasted” days must be made up later by vigorous believers, so after the end of the month they must fast for as many days as the number of days the exemption was valid.

Mosques in Mecca and Medina remain closed during Ramadan

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, this year’s Ramadan is out of the ordinary. On March 27, Riyadh ordered the temporary closure of all mosques except the mecca and medina. However, the ban was extended to them for three days, so that the Grand Mosque of Mecca (Masjid al-Haram) and the “Mosque of the Prophet” (Masjid an-Nabaví) of Medina remain closed during the fasting month. Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned entry into its territory at the end of February due to the coronavirus epidemic, and as a result, Muslims are not allowed to arrive for a small pilgrimage (Umra) at any time of the year. Riyadh not only closed the border in front of pilgrims from abroad but also banned entry for anyone who wanted to get to the country on a tourist visa. The measure is a disappointment to many pilgrims who wanted to get to Mecca and Medina in the framework of the Umra. An Umra pilgrimage can be made at any time of the year, as opposed to a Taj pilgrimage, which is tied to a specific period. Due to the curfews, the usual common prayers are held without believers and the ceremonies are broadcast online, the Suhur and Iftar feasts, and then the Little Bajram take place only in a family circle.