Why I think this Ramadan might be my most spiritual yet

This year could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to focus on the holy month’s true meditative essence

Children assist in the installation of Ramadan ornaments in the streets of Giza, Egypt. EPA

Ramadan date sales at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at, Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National

A Ramadan date shopper at the Abu Dhabi Dates Market at Mina Zayed. Victor Besa / The National

Ramadan decoration and offers at the Lulu Hypermarket in Al Barsha in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Ramadan decoration at the Spinneys in Al Barsha in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

The Carpet Souk at the Zayed Port area. Lalujan, a carpet salesman is looking forward to Ramadan carpet sales. Victor Besa / The National

The Carpet Souk at the Zayed Port area. An upholsterer cuts fabric for a Ramadan sofa. Victor Besa / The National

A man hangs decorations ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on a mosque during a countrywide lockdown over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Beirut, Lebanon. Reuters

A Palestinian girl leans out from the window of a vehicle to see the decorative lights in Gaza City as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. AFP

A Palestinian packs boxes with food that will be distributed to poor Palestinian families ahead oof the hoy month of Ramadan, in Nablus, West Bank. AP Photo

Daily-wage workers wait in line to receive free wheat donated by Afghan businessmen ahead of the upcoming holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Photo

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Abu Dhabi Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

The newly installed Ramadan lights on the Corniche during the rain. Victor Besa / The National

A Palestinian vendor displays traditional lanterns known in Arabic as "Fanous" outside his shop in Gaza City, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. From cancelled iftar feasts to suspended mosque prayers, Muslims across the Middle East are bracing for a bleak month of Ramadan fasting as the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic lingers. Ramadan is a period for both self reflection and socialising. Believers fast from dawn to dusk and then gather around a family or community meal each evening of Islam's holiest month, which begins later this week and ends with Eid al-Fitr festivities. AFP

An Egyptian vendor sells traditional lanterns known in Arabic as "Fanous" ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the capital Cairo. AFP

A Yemeni vendor waits for costumers in the old city market of the capital Sanaa ahead of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. AFP

Livestock being carted from the Abu Dhabi Livestock Market to the Public Slaughter House which is directly across the street. Victor Besa / The National

Egyptian youths prepare decorations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, also known to Egyptians as "Zeinat Ramadan" on a street in front of their homes during the night-time curfew to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Cairo, Egypt,. REUTERS

An Egyptian seller cleans a traditional Ramadan lantern called "fanous" at his shop ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Cairo, Egypt. REUTERS

Palestinians shop in the market before the holy month of Ramadan in Gaza City. EPA

A vendor waits for customers to buy traditional food ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the main market in Gaza City. AP Photo

An Iraqi man wearing a mask is reflected on a traditional lantern known in Arabic as "Fanous" at the Shorja market in central Baghdad as Iraq prepares to welcome the holy fasting month of Ramadan which begins later this week. AFP

A vendor wearing face mask sells sweets at al-Midan neighborhood ahead of the month of Ramadan in Damascus, Syria. EPA

People shop for Ramadan lanterns ahead of the holy month, in the Sayeda Zeinab neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt. AP Photo

A vendor wearing a protective face mask serves customers inside his shop, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria. REUTERS

A general view shows an outdoor market set up by the Algerian government to prevent crowding inside supermarkets, ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Algiers, Algeria. REUTERS

Early Ramadan shoppers at Carrefour Yas Mall. A lady checks out a Ramadan promotional stand. Victor Besa / The National

The mosques are closed. The hotel iftars are cancelled.

Many families won’t gather to break bread, for the first time in their collective memory.

With all of this change, I understand why many feel a sense of trepidation about this Ramadan, which is due to start around April 23 or 24.

If you are, don’t feel guilty: we are approaching the holy month in unprecedented times.

The questions and doubts are pervasive: how can there be a Ramadan without the usual Taraweeh prayers? Will I feel spiritually nourished without my daily visits to the mosque? How will I cope with a lack of food and liquid during the day while being cooped up in my apartment with nothing but my kitchen for company?

Despite all of these genuine concerns, I remain optimistic. More than that, I am positive we could be on the cusp of our greatest Ramadan experience ever.

I know the world is in a terrible place, but stay with me.

Stripped of the fun yet unnecessary luxuries of big iftars, Ramadan shopping deals and countless personal and professional engagements, this year could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to focus on the true meditative essence of Ramadan.

More than that, the holy month, in the time of the coronavirus (or “Coronadan” as I now call it), could be the great spiritual reset many of us have longed for during Ramadan, but have never quite reached.

Connecting instead of networking 

Every year, I approach Ramadan with a keen sense of preparation. The goals are both spiritual and social: they range from starting and completing the Holy Quran to reaching out to heal rusty or ruptured bonds with family and friends.

But then life gets in the way. Before I know it, my week is full with back-to-back iftars and suhoors to attend. The daily Quran-reading sessions only happen every two days, then once a week and then I’ve only read a few pages for the month.

Before long, iftars and suhoors lose their lustre. They can begin to feel not like a way to genuinely connect, but instead a chance to network. Contacts instead of insights are shared and I return home mentally drained and physically stuffed.

This year, I won’t have those excuses.

The pandemic wiping my diary clean for the foreseeable future could be the unexpected blessing I need to help me totally focus and achieve the spiritual goals that have long eluded me.

Ramadan in isolation may help me experience some of the true aims of the fast ...

1. Empathy

Done correctly, the fast should engender a sense of empathy for those who are struggling. The lack of sustenance, even if it’s for 15 hours or so, helps us think of those who are less fortunate.

For those who usually break the fast with big families, having a quiet iftar at home may provide a glimpse of the experience of those who live alone around the world, including in the UAE, to work and provide for their families abroad.

2. Gratitude

One should also feel engulfed with a sense of gratitude at the end of a fast; and in these trying times, many of us have a lot to be thankful for. First and foremost there are the medical professionals across the UAE and abroad who are fighting the pandemic.

Then there are also the grocery workers and food delivery drivers who will continue to work tirelessly to ensure our families are fed.

Those of us who have our health, and the time to reflect, should feel more grateful than ever.

3. Forgiveness 

And then there is that uneasy chestnut of forgiveness: Ramadan has often provided emotional strength for conflicting parties to heal rifts. But this year, I hope and expect this important gift will be handed out even more generously.

Because, if there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is to not take anything for granted. Just over a month ago, we were planning our summer holidays to travel and meet family and friends. Now many of us simply don’t know when we will see our loved ones again.

That worry is compounded further as we hear daily stories of people, young and old, passing away from Covid-19.

In such times, holding a grudge seems not only unimportant but also detrimental to our already fractured mental states. Forgive, or at least make peace and move on.

4. And finally, reflection in isolation ... 

Reflection in isolation, a practice called “khalwa”, has always been viewed as a key spiritual tonic throughout Islamic history. The Prophet Mohammed and his peers followed this practice throughout their lives to strengthen their faith.

As we are about to enter our own period of khalwa, may this upcoming Ramadan be full of the insights and lessons we all need, so when the day comes that we can all leave our homes, we emerge more graceful, better and kinder human beings.

Coronadan Kareem.