Muslims marking Ramadan amid coronavirus pandemic
Yusef Jalali
Press TV, Tehran
Muslims around the world are marking the holy month of Ramadan. It's the second time they observe the fasting month amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ramadan crescent moon has been sighted in Iran. This means the fasting month begins on Wednesday.
During the holy month, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk as a means to practice self restraint.
In Iran, restaurants close during the day and instead work longer hours overnight. This is especially the case for confectioneries, where they add special sweets to their shelves every year in Ramadan.
This is the second year in a row that Muslims observe the fasting month amid the coronavirus pandemic.
With Iran now under a partial nationwide lockdown, religious authorities have ordered that all mass religious ceremonies be either cancelled or held in open air environments, with social distancing.
Ramadan has always been a chance to take part in charity works, and now that the pandemic has unemployed many people, Muslims feel bound to rush for help.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, where months begin and end depending on the movement of the moon in its orbit around the Earth, and the start of each month depends on the sighting of the new moon the day before.
Some Muslim nations such as Lebanon and Iraq started the fasting month a day ahead of Iran.
To Muslims, Ramadan is more than just a time to abstain from eating and drinking, they find it an opportunity to purify the soul from materialistic desires and polish it with spirituality.
This year, they use the occasion as a chance to ask God to make it the last Ramadan that is marked with the coronavirus.
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