When The Holy Month Of Ramadan Comes At The Peak Of A Pandemic

Last year, 26-year-old Layla Comstock broke fast with her friends almost every night during Ramadan. “My first four years of being Muslim, I was the only person I knew who was a Muslim.” Layla Comstock plans to celebrate Ramadan with her friends this week via "Zoom iftars." “Many of the mosques did not have a strong online presence and did not have an effective means of reaching its congregants through the virtual platforms,” said Osamah Salhia, the resident imam at the Clifton location of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, New Jersey, which is home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S. “So I think this has definitely been a growth experience.” The Islamic Center of Passaic County, which serves more than 25,000 congregants, closed down at the state’s direction in March. He encourages people to take advantage of the time at home to practice the Islamic tradition of seclusion and inward reflection “Ramadan, just as it’s special for Muslims every single year, it remains special even if we’re not physically in the same location,” Salhia said. “I think that it’s important that parents take a moment and really reflect and plan for this Ramadan, in terms of what they want their families to get out of it.” Combating Loneliness Gathering online is a good thing, but it still isn’t quite the same as the friend and family gatherings and communal prayers and worship that make up most Ramadans.