The festive atmosphere of the blessed month of Ramadan is returning this year among Muslims in the United States of America, after a two-year hiatus due to the Corona pandemic.

Although the epidemic is not over yet, nearly 77% of the population in America has received vaccines against the Corona virus, according to data from the USAFacts organization, which makes the gathering somewhat reassuring.

Usually, expatriate Muslims bear to spend Ramadan differently from what is usual in their Arab or Islamic countries, and the precautionary measures that accompanied the Corona pandemic during the past two years have increased their suffering, so what will their first Ramadan look like after easing the procedures?

Celebration without procedures

In an area not far from the American capital (Washington), the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center is located in Falls Church, Virginia, serving nearly 40,000 Muslims residing in its area, according to the center’s official website.

The center used to celebrate the blessed month of Ramadan every year through group breakfasts, Tarawih prayers and religious competitions, but with the spread of the Corona epidemic, everything changed, and the celebrations stopped in their usual form.

"The atmosphere of Ramadan this year is returning to its previous era before the Corona epidemic, due to the large percentage of vaccinations against the Corona epidemic. We will celebrate as in previous years without specific procedures," said Saif Abdel Rahman, official of government and public relations at the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Virginia.

However, there are specific requirements agreed upon by the organizers of the Dar Al-Hijrah Center before deciding to gather among the Muslim community this year, whether in the courtyard of the mosque or its attached buildings during the month of Ramadan.

The atmosphere of Ramadan this year returns to its previous era before the Corona epidemic (Al Jazeera)

Tarawih without spacing

Saif confirms that conducting a survey among members of the Muslim community was one of the most important means of deciding to resume Ramadan activities and rituals. We do not require that specific procedures be followed, such as social distancing, for example, during prayer.”

The result of the survey - according to Seif - showed that 78% of the community members received the first, second and third doses as well, so there are no specific procedures in prayer.

Saif explains that Tarawih prayers last year were held in two groups, in each group a very specific number, in order to preserve the social distance between the worshipers, adding, "But this year, Tarawih will be held in its usual form in one group and not as the previous year."

Group breakfast programs

One of the distinctive forms of celebrations in Ramadan is the mosque hosting a collective iftar every day.

During the past two years, the matter has changed, and iftar meals are distributed to fasting people to eat at their homes.

Saif confirms that the collective iftar will return this year inside the mosque as usual.

Every day, about 600 people attend breakfast, and at the end of each week the number reaches 750 people.

"Some people do not come to the daily breakfast because of their own circumstances. We send them breakfast daily to their homes," he added.

He says, "At Dar Al-Hijrah, we are preparing a weekly breakfast for detainees in prisons around the mosque, and there is a weekly breakfast program for local officials, including police, firefighters and ambulances. They will come this year, as was customary before Corona, to the mosque for breakfast."

He added that there is another weekly program that stopped during the Corona period, but will return this year, which is "attracting a non-Muslim friend" to participate in the iftar inside the mosque.

I'tikaf after Corona

In the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, some people prefer i'tikaf in the mosque and stopping to worship, which was what happened in the Dar al-Hijrah mosque every year, but it stopped two years ago.

Saif says, "We have not yet taken a final decision regarding seclusion inside the mosque," adding that the matter was normal before the epidemic, as those wishing to observe seclusion register their names before the beginning of Ramadan, to know and follow up who will remain in the mosque.

He explained that the number of those in retrenchment used to reach 100 people, sometimes increasing and decreasing at other times, "but until that moment we did not take a final decision."

Kids Activities

Ramadan activities return this year after their cessation, and they are mainly intended for children, according to the official of government and public relations at the Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque, who indicates that there are religious competitions held for children in the form of games after Tarawih prayers, and at the end of Ramadan the Quran memorization competition is held for children and presented to them awards.

He added, "For older children, at the time of Tarawih they pray 4 units of Tarawih, and participate in different competitions on religious information, which are different activities that were stopped due to the epidemic, but they will return after a break."

The return of activities, lessons and prayers to mosques in Ramadan with caution (Al-Jazeera)

Infinite decisions

Despite all these preparations to celebrate the month of Ramadan, those in charge of Dar Al-Hijrah do not consider that these decisions are final, as the Corona virus is still present, and the matter will ultimately be decided by the number of infections and their increase.

Saif says, "We are following the numbers of Corona injuries, and we had taken a decision that if at any time the injuries exceeded 10% of the population of the Falls Church area that we follow, we will return to following the usual procedures in that case. But today's injuries in the area do not exceed 4%, and we hope that they will not increase." ".