April 17, 2021 Share
Muslims in many parts of the world marked the start of Ramadan on Tuesday, but a spike in coronavirus cases in several countries has once again put curbs on the holy month’s signature feasts and lengthy prayers in mosques.
Still, there are glimmers that Ramadan 2021 could feel less restricted than last year, when Islam’s holiest period coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Mosques have since reopened and limits on movement have eased as vaccine rollouts continue in Muslim-majority nations. Clerics in such places as Indonesia have issued assurances the vaccine does not break one’s daytime fast.
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Muslims pray during the first dawn prayers of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, as they keep social distancing to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
A Muslim bows in Sijdah during an evening prayer called taraweeh marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Chicago s Muslim Community Center on April 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)
In this photo taken using slow shutter speed, Muslim women offer an evening prayer called taraweeh marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. April 12, 2021. (AP Photo/ Achmad Ibrahim)
Rest of World News: Although Muslims abstain from all food and drink in daylight hours during Ramadan, the vaccine enters muscle rather than the bloodstream and is not nu
Throughout Ramadan, Muslims abstain from any food or drink - including water - from morning to night. The month-long practice is aimed at heightening remembrance of God, curbing unhealthy habits and deepening gratitude.
In Mecca, home to the Kaaba - Islam s most sacred site - Muslims performed socially distanced “taraweeh” prayers, marking the start of Ramadan. Observant Muslims around the world pray toward the Kaaba five times a day.
Only limited numbers of worshippers are being allowed inside the Grand Mosque that houses the Kaaba in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. Saudi authorities are only allowing individuals who ve been vaccinated or recently recovered from the virus to perform taraweeh prayers at the Kaaba.