By Zaharah Othman – April 25, 2020 @ 5:05pm
FOR the past few years, as a family we performed our tarawih prayers at home.
It’s a choice that we made as tarawih prayers at the surau of the Malaysia Hall or Sofa Mosque London during Ramadan in the summer months would finish quite late.
Thus during this lockdown, as mosques and prayer halls throughout the United Kingdom closed their doors to prevent big gatherings, we are fine with it. We have some, if not all, of our family members to break our fast with and to perform prayers together at home.
However, Ramadan during a lockdown, during an enforced social distancing brought about by the fear of the killer virus Covid-19, is going to be a totally new experience; one that is so unprecedented that no one could predict as we welcomed the year 2020. Yet in a short time it has changed the way we live our lives.
To make a choice to stay at home while observing Ramadan is fine, but to be forced to stay at home and not have the opportunity to nip over to have tarawih together as we were wont to do at Tuk Din’s, where we would stay on until after the early morning meal and fajar, is something that we will have to contend with for now.
Since the lockdown, places of worships are turning to social media and apps to keep in touch with worshippers by live streaming motivational lectures, courses and prayers. This is the new normal; listening to sermons and religious discussions from the comforts of our own home as the imam or the preacher speaks from his study or even his kitchen. People are slowly adapting. Doing it differently would put lives at risk.
Prominent British personalities, such as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, actor Riz Ahmed and television presenter Konnie Huq, have collaborated for a new coronavirus advice video for the #RamadanAtHome campaign.
The Ramadan Tent, a project that has attracted people from all races from the streets and from other faiths to join in the breaking of fast, is now no longer possible. However, they too have taken to social media with their new daily #RamadanReflection live call-ins to discuss, reflect and take a deeper introspective spiritual journey into this blessed month.
For Malaysians, the big thing about Ramadan, apart from tarawih, is the moreh, or the feast served after the prayers. During the Ramadan of days gone by at Malaysia Hall, individuals or government agencies would take turns to sponsor the meals, much looked forward by all of us. This would be a time to catch up and rekindle friendships. For people living on their own, this was something they looked forward to. But not anymore, thanks to Covid-19.
However, in this time of uncertainty, we must not lose sight of the fact that this blessed month of Ramadan is a time for giving. And neither Covid-19 nor the lockdown is a reason to stop reaching out to the needy and the homeless.
The Sofa Mosque London has taken the initiative to do shopping and delivery for those confined to their homes. There are various other community centres that are collecting foodstuff to be distributed.
And reaching out is what Mercy Malaysia UK (MMUK), a non-profit organisation and the UK chapter of leading humanitarian charity in Southeast Asia has been actively doing for the past few years. Last Ramadan, for the iftar and sahur campaign, MMUK provided food to the refugees and the homeless. Some of the food were cooked and contributed by members of the Malaysian community as well as Malaysian restaurants.
But this year, while the campaign to help is still going ahead, the lockdown means that the logistics will change.
MMUK chairperson Haliza Hashim said the charity organisation was doing its own small fundraiser to sponsor two days of the holy month with 200 meals a day.
“However, due to the current pandemic and social distancing situation, it is recommended that the best way is to collect donations and to engage a Malaysian restaurant to cook and deliver the food,” said Haliza.
This year, apart from refugees, the homeless, women fleeing domestic violence and the disabled people in the south of London, the beneficiaries will also include National Health Service workers who are tirelessly working to save lives from the deadly virus.
MMUK is working in collaboration with Café Rasa Malaysia in Westfield Stratford, which will cook and deliver 200 packs of rice and chicken curry on April 29 and May 6.
Café owner Noor Azlina Zainal Abidin, who is no stranger to feeding the homeless in London with Malaysian food, said her eatery, like others, was affected by the lockdown. However, Café Rasa Malaysia is open for deliveries and there have been many orders for her food.
It will be some time before things get back to what it used to be. Even after the rumoured relaxing of stringent measures soon, life will not be the same. Perhaps we should take the opportunity from this lockdown and Ramadan to reflect on the life that we had taken so much for granted.
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