Staying safe and spiritually connected this Ramadan

Press Release:  28 February 2021

The month of Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and is expected to begin on the 12th of April this year, subject to sighting of the new moon.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. The fast, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, includes abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sexual relations during daylight hours. Muslims aim to maintain purity of thought and actions during Ramadan. Exceptions from fasting are made for children, the disabled, travellers, and those who are physically or mentally ill or pregnant.
A big part of Ramadan for many Muslims is the cultural aspect of social gatherings, togetherness, engaging in charitable acts, and connecting with the wider community. This year worshippers will be able to return to Mosques to celebrate Ramadan and engage in spiritual aspects of the holy month.
Mosques are expected to be open for prayers including Taraweeh, although limitations in number of worshippers and length of prayers are expected. To help mitigate the risk of overcrowding, many mosques and institutes have implemented booking systems for worshippers. For larger prayers, such as Jumu’ah, increasing the number of sessions helped to accommodate as many worshippers as possible. A similar approach could be adopted with Taraweeh.
Every year National Huffadh Association UK facilitates the placement of Huffadh (Imams that have memorised the whole Quran) in Mosques across the world. Owing to the risks of covid-19, the organisation has decided not to make any local or international placements for Huffadh this year. This provides an opportunity for Mosques across the UK to develop local talent. Students that are still memorising the Qur’an could step in to lead taraweeh prayers.
National Huffadh Association UK also maintains its advice to shorten taraweeh prayers in order to avoid prolonged periods of exposure for worshippers.
Last year, during the first nationwide lockdown, National Huffadh Association UK launched a campaign called ‘Taraweeh at Home’, encouraging worshippers to engage in worship, prayer and spiritual activities at home and utilising online resources to connect with their local Mosques and religious scholars. Although Mosques will be open many will opt to stay at home for individual reasons.
Jamal Mannan, Director of National Huffadh Association UK, said:
“We are all very excited at the prospect of being able to celebrate Ramadan with the community. Mosque closures across the UK have had a big impact on the community over the past year. However, the efforts our community leaders have made to keep Mosques safe and open have been amazing, with many taking precautions over and above what was mandated by the government.
Sadly, many of our friends, families and fellow worshipers are not with us this Ramadan and it is our collective responsibility to ensure we do all we can to stick to the guidelines and cooperate with volunteers in Mosques who are giving up their precious time for our health and safety.
For those of us that opt to worship from home, our Taraweeh At Home toolkit is full of useful tips and information to help us make the most of the blessings of Ramadan.
Finally, to our beloved Huffadh who may not have the opportunity to complete the Qur’an during Taraweeh in the Mosque, we urge you to continue this practice with your family at home so that you keep hold of the memorisation you worked so hard for. I pray that we all have a safe and blissful month of Ramadan.”
Ends
Note to editors:
The toolkit can be downloaded here – www.taraweehathome.com
It has been developed in collaboration with the organisations listed below:
  • An-Nasihah Publications
  • British Islamic Medical Association
  • Ilm2Amal
  • Muslim Council of Britain
  • Quran Plan
  • Madrasah Azhar
  • Fayrouz Media
  • Jamiatul Ulama South Africa
The National Huffadh Association UK is an umbrella organisation established in 2016 with the main aim of catering to the needs of Imams and those who have memorised The Holy Qur’an (Huffadh). We are the main and ‘official’ point of contact for all Huffadh based within the UK and provide a wide range of services for new and experienced Huffadh.
National Huffadh Association UK
PRESERVE | PROTECT | PROMOTE
T: 0300 133 1243 | E: info@ukhuffadh.org | W: www.ukhuffadh.org