Mosques shut on an Eid without festivity
When Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid, will deliver his Khutbah (sermon) after Eid prayers on Friday, only a handful of people will be listening, unlike pre-covid-19 days when at least 15,000-18,000 people gathered to offer namaz at the mosque.
The Jama Masjid will stay shut to avoid crowding in the wake of the pandemic, and only the Imam and the mosque staff will offer namaz inside the Mughal-era monument. Imam Bukhari urged people to stay home, and not crowd mosques and markets on Eid-ul Fitr -- the festival that is celebrated on the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan.
“We pray for the well-being of our country and our fellow countrymen. But this time, there will be special prayers for the people who died of Covid-19 and their grieving families and those who are still struggling with this deadly virus. Some of them are from our own families and acquaintances. The situation this time is even worse than last year. The virus is not even sparing youngsters and children… I urge people to stay home and pray for the welfare of our country,” Bukhari said.
NEW DELHI:
Similarly, other big mosques in the city will stay shut on Eid as a lockdown remains in effect to contain the spread of the virus. Only the mosque staff living inside the building will offer the prayer on the premises.
This year, for the second time in a row, Muslims will observe the festival at homes with no public prayers, and feasts.
Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, the Shahi Imam of Masjid Fatehpuri, said, “In view of the extent of loss around us, this year’s Eid is not about celebration and festivities. It should be observed by helping those in need and praying for those suffering due to this deadly virus. We cannot forget things happening around us and indulge in celebrations.”
Several people said that this year, Eid is actually not about celebrations, but prayers and atonement. Anas Tanvir, an advocate and founder of the Indian Civil Liberties Union (ICLU), said, “There is nothing to celebrate this year when so many people we know have lost their parents and family members to Covid-19.”
On social media, several people said that they will not have their loved ones around them this festival because they succumbed to Covid. “My Eid would start with receiving eidi (gifts) from abba and amma, no matter where I was. Now that I have lost both of them, it will never be the same,” Siddiqui Fariqa wrote on Twitter.
Several Delhi residents have decided to celebrate Eid by helping those in need amid the lockdown. Abu Sufiyan, an old Delhi-based entrepreneur, said he and a team of volunteers have donated 500 eid kits, containing regular ration and items to prepare Eid delicacies such as sewaiyan, to the poor between Wednesday and Thursday.
“We are distributing these kits among the poor irrespective of their religion, since Eid is for everyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, several doctors will spend Eid while working in Covid wards in hospitals.
Dr Kashifa Majeed, 24, an intern at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research said her parents in Jodhpur (Rajasthan) have motivated her to choose duty over festivities this year.
“I will be doing night shifts on both Thursday and Friday. My parents said that I am more required here at the hospital and we can celebrate Eid next year... There are so many patients who would not be able to be with their loved ones on this Eid. At least we can be there for them and cheer them on,” she said.
SAD DEMISE