The 21st Show

Observing Ramadan In a Pandemic

Produced by Libby Foster
 
In this photo from April 28, 2020, Asghar Ali Khan and his wife, Shaheen, participate in the evening prayer as the Iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset, waits on the dining room table at their Wheeling home.

In this photo from April 28, 2020, Asghar Ali Khan and his wife, Shaheen, participate in the evening prayer as the Iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset, waits on the dining room table at their Wheeling home. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

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This weekend, the holy month of Ramadan will come to an end. It will have been 30 days of fasting from sunrise until sunset for many muslims here in Illinois and around the world. 

Ramadan is about more than just fasting for those of the Islamic faith. Every year, mosques and muslim communities around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charity. 

This year, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, that charity has taken different forms. So too will the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which traditionally marks the end of the month of Ramadan with celebrations with family and friends and prayer at the mosque. 

Guests:

Imam Hassan Aly of the Mecca Center, Willowbrook

Imam Ousmane Sawadogo of the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center, Urbana