He said the decision to prevent crowds of any kind was made unanimously by Muslim religious authorities. \u201cIslam prioritizes people\u2019s physical integrity, so the recommendation is to keep mosques closed, and anyone with a health condition of any kind is not supposed to fast,\u201d Zoghbi told ANBA.<\/p>\n
People who have coronavirus or any other illness are not required to perform the fast, which they can make up for once they have recovered, or by donating food to families in need. Travelers, pregnant women, lactating women, children and the elderly are exonerated from fasting as well. You can find out everything you need to know about Ramadan in this article<\/a> (those fasting must not even drink water).<\/p>\n According to Zoghbi, solidarity and prayer both multiply during the holy month. \u201cBeing close with one\u2019s creator is very important during this time. People are required to perform five mandatory prayers, and additional prayers are advised during Ramadan. In line with what science tells us, we must pray by ourselves, in our homes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Praying together is always beneficial and positive, Zoghbi said, since it is an important moment of social interaction. \u201cHowever, praying alone with our families at home is all we can do right now. There are pros and cons to this. agora. This pandemic is reeducating us on how we view the world, and it will influence everything we will be. This is a moment of faith that calls for more mercy, more patience in what is recommended to us. We will not be the same once this pandemic is over,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Regarding charity, the said the decision was made to donate food kits because having the Iftar \u2013 or breaking of the fast \u2013 at mosques would cause people to gather. \u201cThe food kits and food items are being donated while taking every necessary step for protection, by a small number of volunteers, taking care not to put people at risk, with delivery logistics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Fambras has had its Iftar Brasil <\/em>project for over a decade now, and it includes the breaking of the fast for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. \u201cThis year we\u2019re donating chicken and beef and food kits to various organizations. We are getting food inside people\u2019s homes, using Fambras\u2019 own resources,\u201d said Zoghbi. Some 3,000 kits will be distributed across Brazil.<\/p>\n Zoghbi mused on Ramadan and the quarantine. \u201cRamadan is also about personal transformation through reflection. Social distancing can help us gain the clarity to reassess and reevaluate our habits, to reconsider where we are going, to repent for harmful attitudes towards ourselves and others, and to ask forgiveness for our sins. It is about purification so that a new phase in life can begin, and so that we can live fuller, happier lives.\u201d<\/p>\n United by technology<\/strong><\/p>\n Egypt\u2019s Abu Bakr Ibrahim is the sheikh at S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s S\u00e3o Miguel Mosque (pictured above<\/em>), and the head of sheikhs for Egypt\u2019s Awqaf Ministry in Brazil. He moved to the country two and a half years ago, and he told ANBA how technology can help keep the community united during the ninth holy month of Islam.<\/p>\n \u201cRamadan is the month of visiting, so this is one is going to be a bit harder. The mosques are closed and gatherings are prohibited, but we can stay in touch with the people we love through social media, apps or even the phone. Let us fraternize in a different way, one that is also heartwarming,\u201d said Bakr.<\/p>\n The sheikh is communicating with Muslims via WhatsApp, Facebook videos, and live streams. \u201cSheikhs can reach out to their communities by teaching lessons and having online praying sessions on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram, so they can advise Muslims,\u201d he said. Bakr advises the community to find out what method of communication is being used by their mosque of choice.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at your mosque\u2019s socials. There are many ways to communicate with people. the mosque is important, but if we can\u2019t go, we need to see what\u2019s most important and beneficial to the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bakr said his mosque has given over 100 basic food kits to the community, and another 500 are expected.<\/p>\n Families<\/strong><\/p>\n Vict\u00f3ria Fares is a 23-year-old Medical student who frequents the Miseric\u00f3rdia Mosque in the southern S\u00e3o Paulo neighborhood of Santo Amaro. \u201cThere are four of us at home: my parents, my brother and me. During Ramadan, however, it\u2019s usually us plus two childhood friends,\u201d she told ANBA. Her father is a second-generation Lebanese immigrant; her mother was born in Lebanon.<\/p>\n For Fares, Ramadan is about unity, and an eagerly anticipated month for Muslims. The Covid-19 pandemic wrought changes to the daily routine at her home, especially when it comes to personal hygiene.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Salat [the five daily prayers] and the Iftar [breaking of the fast] will basically work the same way. It will be the six of us \u2013 my family and our friends \u2013, while taking every step to protect ourselves. Not much will change at home, except for the fact that we won\u2019t all go do the Salat Isha and the Taraweeh [prayer at the mosque]. Still, I can only thank Allah for everything, and even if we go through a few changes, Allah has to make things easier. I\u2019m eager for it to begin,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Heba Altabakh of Syria is a Dentistry student in Palho\u00e7a, Santa Catarina. Married to a Syrian man, she moved to Brazil three years ago. eiba is not attending college at this time, but she does have online classes. During Ramadan, she\u2019ll be able to watch the lessons at the time that suits her best, so that she can do her fast.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing that changed Ramadan for me was when I made the move to Brazil; the quarantine hasn\u2019t changed things much. Back in Damascus I had my family, I have four sisters and a brother. Mine\u2019s a really big family, and I lost that by moving,\u201d she told ANBA.<\/p>\n Altabakh claims that she\u2019s the only Muslim in her college, and that she doesn\u2019t know any other Muslim Arabs in the city besides her and her husband. So far there\u2019s only a prayer room in Palho\u00e7a, but she said two mosques are in construction. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t matter, I care about my inner peace more,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Altabakh said her husband is still going out to work, and he will not have different work hours during Ramadan, because his employers are Brazilian. She will be home alone for Iftar. \u201cI must break the fast around 6 pm. I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019ll call my family because of the time zone,\u201d she said. Syria is six hours ahead of Bras\u00edlia time.<\/p>\n \u201cFasting teaches us patience and control. I do get the urge to eat, and no one will see it if I do, but I can\u2019t, because I have priorities in life. This is a time to be closer to God, a really cool experience, I really like it. Our most important relationship in life is with God, rather than with people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Hajj<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WhatsApp-Image-2020-04-20-at-11.45.222-150x150.jpeg\")
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