Ramadan Eid in COVID

I distinctly remember having celebrated most colourless Holi of my life this year. Though our society had organised community celebration, including sumptuous food, the threat of Corona virus had started looming large on the horizon leading to advisory on avoiding crowded places and need for social distancing. Since then, all of us have been going through lockdowns of various degrees depending on whether we are in green, orange or red zones. We Mumbaikars continue to be under lockdown being in red zone.

What started with Holi is not likely to end with another community festival, Eid Al Fitr. Actually, the entire festival of Ramadan culminating into Eid is about community – assembling at mosques for namaz, breaking fast by eating Iftari in groups and celebrating the festival by greeting each other. However, thanks to COVID pandemic, the entire community has decided to celebrate this festival with restraint and by following COVID protocols. Muslim religious leaders have been exhorting their community members to stay at home and offer prayers/namaz from there itself. Many members of the community are cutting down on grandeur of celebration and instead doing charity by helping poor, downtrodden and hungry , a section most affected in the current pandemic.

I hope fervent prayers offered during Ramadan and Eid will lead to deliverance of mankind from the jaws of deadly pandemic.

عد کا رہتا ہے سبکو انتظار

عد لاتا ہے کھُشئون کی سوگات

آئے سب ملکُے رُعا لدینہ

کی دُنیا کو ملے کو رونا سے نجات

Everyone waits for Eid

For it brings happiness to mankind

Come let’s join hands and pray

That the world is relieved of COVID’s grind!!

Eid Mubarak!