By Sherwin Esguerra

Muslim students at the University of Maryland are finding new ways to appreciate Ramadan after the COVID-19 pandemic changed their celebration plans once again.

Ramadan, the ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic calendar, started with the appearance of the crescent moon on April 12 and will end on May 13. Muslims believe Allah revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad during this month. 

Many Muslims faced challenges during Ramadan last year, such as isolation from their communities. Since last year’s celebration, they have steadily learned how to cope with the circumstances. 

The month-long fasting during Ramadan involves refraining from food, drink and other behaviors of choice from dusk until dawn as a practice of self-restraint. Breaking this fast is an enriching experience and is usually done at large gatherings, which are now limited to 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoors in Prince George’s County. Mosques face similar restrictions due to a 50% capacity limit on houses of worship in the county.

Senior mechanical engineering student Danyal Malik said he feels nervous about going to the mosque and doing night prayers since he is not fully vaccinated. But the president of the UMD Muslim Students’ Association said there is at least one upside to celebrating Ramadan in a pandemic.

“I think it’s a blessing in disguise because a lot of people are having a lot of fun with their families,” Malik said.

Muslims are getting used to social distancing after so long and are finding new ways to celebrate Ramadan, according to Malik. Readings of the Quran are an essential part of the month, he said. Malik and his friends have found ways to share passages over Zoom and watch Islamic lectures despite being separated, something they had not figured out last year. 

Ramadan is also a time known for giving to charity, known as Zakat. Despite the pandemic, the Muslim Students’ Association continues to uphold Zakat. The association recently encouraged its members to donate money to a local initiative called Sweet Stories, which will use the proceeds for educational toys for children undergoing treatment at John Hopkins Hospital.

Fatima Yazdi, a freshman journalism student, said she felt she lost her sense of community during Ramadan last year. Like Malik, Yazdi has learned to deal with this loss throughout the pandemic. 

“Not being able to go to my community mosque, see my friends or attend group prayer feels like I’m lacking something,” Yazdi said. 

Yazdi has made up for the lack of community through an intensive Ramadan routine with her family, which includes breaking fasts together at home and video chatting with family abroad.

Jeyda Muhammad, a senior architecture student, missed Iftars, festive evening meals to break the daily Ramadan fast. “Every day, we’re locked in our rooms on Zoom, and we’re like, ‘The sun has set.’ So we go break our fast and ask, ‘what now?’” she said. Muhammad and her aunt recently held a safe and socially distanced Iftar to bring people living in her community together. 

Congregations like this are rare, and pandemic guidelines force many people into isolation within their homes. Festivities may be at an all-time low, but Ramadan’s natural emphasis on self-reflection is heightened. The coronavirus intensified panic and anxiety, and the celebration of Ramadan has helped Muslim students cope with these feelings.

As a freshman living off-campus, Yazdi has experienced stress and a lack of motivation because she does not know what will come. Ramadan has helped with those feelings, she said.

“Praying and connecting more with my faith has given me peace and the motivation to push through,” Yazdi said.

Muhammad shared a similar sentiment. She focuses on fasting and her hunger pains to relieve anxiety.

Celebrating Ramadan in isolation has also strengthened Muhammad’s faith and identity. Despite the stigma surrounding Islam and Muslim people, Muhammad said she is more comfortable being herself and celebrating her religion in public. “If it happens to bring more Islamophobia towards me, then oh well. I’m going to keep practicing.”

Malik has taken the opportunity to use isolation as a time for prayer. Dhikrs are simple prayers that are intensified during Ramadan. They are a remembrance of Allah and spirituality. 

According to Malik, dhikrs are like conversations with a trusted friend. “If I can keep that up, I’ll be less stressed and have a moment of clarity to know I’m not alone in this situation,” he said. 

Although the pandemic has changed some aspects of Ramadan’s celebration, Muslim students have not forgotten what Ramadan means to them. 

“When people think about it, there’s a lot of downsides because Ramadan is all about community,” said Yazdi. “But I think that being alone is great sometimes, and the nature and values of Ramadan and Islam have helped me throughout this entire year.” 

Featured image: Muslim students said they feel less alone during Ramadan even when they are not on campus. Abigail Russ/Stories Beneath the Shell.