Abstract
Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is typically a time associated with individual worship and communal gatherings as Muslims meet, eat and pray together. In 2020 especially, COVID-19 had a significant impact on the observation of the holy month. With lockdown measures in place, mosques were closed and there were prohibitions on visiting family and friends, making the month an unusual occasion. This paper draws upon qualitative PhD research on Ramadan 2020 in Britain comprising more than 50 Ramadan photo diaries from diverse Muslim participants and follow-up interviews. The findings highlight how participants experienced the benefits of isolation by being able to reflect and connect more with God and via the establishment of “Ramadan corners” in homes, while at the same time missing the mosque and the Muslim community. I further highlight how communal aspects of the holy month were maintained and transformed to suit lockdown conditions, including the use of online activities, praying in congregation at home and sharing food. Emerging from these two facets of Ramadan, I explore ideas of socially dependent spirituality and how participants negotiated communal and individual elements of their spiritual lives. Through the diverse examples discussed, I argue that material, embodied, aesthetic and emotive practices were emphasised in 2020 to recreate a ‘feeling’ of Ramadan when typical expressions of the month were unavailable.
Highlights
Ramadan plays an important part in the lives of Muslims in the UK and across the world
In this article focusing on Ramadan 2020, I have highlighted here the important impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religious practice and thinking, which goes beyond the more well-studied lens of the virus in relation to medicine and health
I focus on the day-to-day, lived experience of religious adherents rather than religious organisations and authorities, something lacking from research on religion and COVID-19, in reference to Ramadan
Summary
Ramadan plays an important part in the lives of Muslims in the UK and across the world. Various articles have suggested the pandemic sparked an increase in “religiosity” (Bentzen 2021; Boguszewski et al 2020), including a study of Indonesian Muslims and Ramadan (Fahrullah et al 2020) and a UK-based report (Mufti et al 2021), though they are based on quantitative data or surveys and do not look closely at the lived impact of coronavirus on religious communities. Some academic works have started exploring the day-to-day impact of the pandemic on religious communities Many of these discuss the online shift indirectly encouraged by coronavirus regulations. I highlight an ‘everyday’ perspective on religion involving participants from various demographics, rather than focusing on authority figures and organisations This seems to be a perspective that is not widespread in existing research but which can shed light on the day-to-day interaction between the pandemic and wider aspects of society. I am able to build on these conclusions through my use of research diaries and photos, through which I elaborate further on the embodied, material and aesthetic elements of the month
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