How celebrities marked the start of Ramadan 2021, from Huda Kattan to Halima Aden and Mohamed Hadid

Hend Sabry, Mo Salah and Yusuf Islam were also among those who posted tributes to the holy month this year

From left: Huda Kattan, Mohamed Hadid and Halima Aden all marked the start of Ramadan with posts on social media. Anna Nielsen for The National, FilmMagic, Etihad Airways

As Ramadan started on Tuesday, Muslim celebrities marked the beginning of the holy month with celebratory posts on social media.

From the US to the UK, and the UAE to India, famous faces across the world sent out video messages and Instagram posts to their mass of followers.

These are just a few of those tributes.

Halima Aden

"Hi everyone," Halima Aden said cheerily in a video shared on Instagram to her 1.4 million followers. "I wanted to come on here to wish everybody a happy, happy Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak."

The Somali-American former model first rose to fame in 2016 for sporting a hijab to compete in a US beauty pageant. In November 2020, however, she made the shock announcement that she was quitting the fashion industry, claiming that she could no longer align her career path with her faith.

Aden, 23, regularly shares anecdotes from the holy month on her Twitter account, also revealing she sleeps a lot when fasting.

Huda Kattan

During Ramadan 2020, Dubai beauty mogul Huda Kattan took part in Instagram's #MonthOfGood campaign, an initiative that aimed to amplify messages of positivity and togetherness during the holy month. Kattan nominated her sister Mona Kattan, Halima Aden and Malala Yousafzai to share their positive messages.

This year, she shared a video in which she asked Huda Beauty team members what Ramadan means to them. "Being patient", "invigorating", "connecting" and "compassion" were among the answers.

"Ramadan is one of my favourite times of the year," she wrote in a blog post on the Huda Beauty website on Monday. "Honestly, I love Ramadan so much I sometimes wish it was twice a year, especially since it brings family and everyone dear to you close."

In the post, she also shared a hydrating skincare routine specifically designed for the holy month.

Mona Kattan

Huda's sister, Mona Kattan, also shared a couple of positive messages on Instagram.

"Ramadan Kareem everybody. I hope you guys are doing better than me," she said with a laugh in a video posted to her Stories on Tuesday, with "coffee withdrawals" written over the top.

She also shared the quote "Prayer is hope that knows no end" on her feed, alongside a video of her unboxing the first limited-edition Ramadan Gifting Calendar from Huda Beauty.

"Huda and I handpicked some of our bestseller products to make your #Eid extra special this year," she wrote in the caption. "Ten gifts for yourself or a loved one to be open every evening after breaking fast for the last 10 days of Ramadan."

Yusuf Islam

The musician, formerly known as Cat Stevens, formally converted to Islam in 1977, and has previously told The National that the holy month is a time to "remember how valuable charity and the inner aspects of the fast are".

On Monday, Islam, who lives in Dubai, shared a video on his social media accounts. "This is the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting. For many of us it's like being at the threshold of another journey, another chance to read the map that leads to wisdom, to knowledge and ultimately to peace with God," he said.

"Wherever you are, I wish you all the blessings and bounty of this beautiful month."

He also shared a link to the animated version of his song Ramadan Moon from 2019.

Iman Abdulmajid

The Somali-born supermodel, who is the widow of British music legend David Bowie, doesn't share much about her experience during Ramadan, but regularly tweets out her well wishes to fellow Muslims during the holy month and at Eid.

This year is no different, as she shared a photo of herself in a colourful outfit and hijab, writing "Wishing you and your families a blessed Ramadan" in the caption.

Mohamed Hadid

The real estate mogul – and father of models Gigi, Bella and Anwar – seems to be spending the beginning of the holy month with his daughters and new granddaughter, Khai, in New York.

Two days ago, Mohamed Hadid shared on Instagram a picture of Khai's little legs, with the message: "It was that kind of a day. With my two daughters and one cute little baby. Magical. To say the least."

Mohamed, who has Jordanian and American citizenship, has Palestinian heritage, which his children have frequently stated they are proud to share. In a 2010 interview with Modern Luxury, he revealed that while he doesn't consider himself a "devout" Muslim, he does fast during Ramadan.

On Monday, he also shared a shot of hummus with caviar from his own Hadid Caviar brand, which is available in the US, UK and UAE, writing in the caption: "Ready for Ramadan."

Ramy Youssef

True to form, Egyptian-American Ramy Youssef, co-creator and star of Hulu series Ramy, shared a funny post to mark the start of Ramadan on Tuesday.

In a reference to season one of the show, he posted a photo of a poster advertising a "halal family movie night", which would be screening Finding Nemo 2. At the bottom of the post, it says "Inshallah they find him".

"#RamadanMubarak", Youssef writes in the post, which was liked nearly 43,000 times and commented on extensively.

"This is so perfect. I can picture the auntie who printed it," wrote one fan.

Youssef drew on his own experiences of the holy month for the comedy show, which follows a young man attempting to navigate being a modern, practising Muslim in a millennial generation in New Jersey.

Lupe Fiasco

The American rapper and music producer kept it simple for his greeting this year, sharing an illustration of a crescent moon with the words "Ramadan Mubarak".

"Have a lovely and stress-free fast," he wrote in the caption.

Lupe Fiasco, whose real name is Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, revealed on Twitter in 2014 that Islam "plays a part in my life and everything I do, to a certain extent".

Imaan Hammam

The Dutch model, who is of Moroccan and Egyptian descent, shared a series of beautiful photos of herself smelling a striking red flower, with the simple message "Ramadan Kareem" in the caption.

Hammam is regularly featured in Vogue magazine, having appeared on the international publications' cover 18 times as of 2020, including four on its US edition.

In a 2018 interview with Vogue Arabia, in which she starred alongside Iman Abdulmajid, Hammam referred to herself as a "proud Muslim", saying her family's support of her ambitions "gave me the strength to use my platform to talk about issues like race and religion, with the aim to empower young girls – no matter the colour of their skin or where they come from".

In 2020, she donated to three causes during Ramadan, including She’s the First, a non-profit organisation, for which she's an ambassador, that fights gender inequality through education.

She also donated funds to a mosque in Indiana, US, to help them create a women's prayer room, and the Islamic Cultural Centre of New York.

Mo Salah

Devout Muslim and Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah, who plays as forward for English Premier League club Liverpool FC and captains the Egypt national team, has been open in the past about how he manages fasting with his intense training schedule, something he's always adamant about doing.

Last year, he shared his 3am workout routine on Instagram throughout the holy month.

In 2021, he shared a photo of himself as the holy month began, with themed decorations in the background, captioning the shot: "I’d like to wish everyone a Ramadan Mubarak!"

Paul Pogba

Footballer Paul Pogba, who was born in France to Guinean parents and plays for Premier League club Manchester United, is also a devout Muslim.

"Islam is not the image that everyone sees, terrorism," Pogba told The Times' Life Times podcast in 2019. "It's really a religion that opened my mind and that makes me, maybe, a better person."

He shared a photo of himself with the message "Ramadan Kareem" emblazoned across it on Instagram on Tuesday. He wrote: "Ramadan Mubarak to all celebrating around the world. I hope you have a very blessed time with your loved ones and enjoy this very special holiday."

Hend Sabry

Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabry shared a quirky photo on Instagram marking the occasion, of her smiling and holding a crescent moon-shaped silver balloon. "Wishing you all a #happy_Ramadan," she wrote in English and Arabic.

The star, who lives in Egypt, has been involved in Ramadan charity campaigns in the past, including one for the United Nations World Food Programme in 2018, which asked people to #ShareYourIftar with children in need in Syria and Yemen on the organisation's ShareTheMeal app, which is still active today.

This year, she will star alongside Ahmed Ezz in MBC's Ramadan action TV series, Hijmah Murarda, in which the former plays Rifaat Al Masri, an undercover Egyptian intelligence officer who attempts to thwart the plans of foreign operatives intending to wreak havoc on Egypt's economy and society.

Hina Khan

Indian television and film actress Hina Khan shared a photo of herself in 2020, on the first day of Ramadan, urging people in the caption to "pray for infected, let's pray for protection and healing", referring to the coronavirus.

This year she simply wrote "Ramadan Mubarak", sharing a series of photos of herself in a stunning yellow outfit and holding up a plate of dates.

She had a Covid-19 scare in March, as she came into contact with Kartik Aaryan, who had tested positive. However, Khan tested negative following the encounter.

_________________

Read more:

Ramadan 2021: 15 global celebrities who observe the holy month

UAE leaders send Ramadan greetings as holy month begins

_________________