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Editorial: Ramadan in the Middle of a Pandemic

May 03, 2021

Muslims around the world enter the month of Ramadan this year in a state of major concern. Not much different from last year, this year's Ramadan fasting must be done during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not completely disappeared from our yard. Reflecting on last year's Ramadan experience, the spread of the COVID-19 virus has changed many things: the procedures for carrying out public rituals such as congregational prayers, tawarih prayers, Friday prayers and Eid prayers. COVID-19 forces Muslims to worship at home, and in itself deprives them of the enjoyment of praying in congregation.

COVID-19 threatens anyone indiscriminately, whether people who are in the market aisles, doctors on duty at the hospitals, or people who are doing activities in the mosques. COVID-19 is also "anti-discriminatory" in terms of race, gender and religion. Until the beginning of this year’s Ramadan, this virus has claimed nearly three million lives worldwide (to be precise at 2.93 million), from all racial, ethnic, cultural and religious communities, regardless of whether they are believers or infidels. whether white, black, or colored people. In Indonesia alone, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 has reached 42,443 people. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia as of this script is written (12/4/2021) had reached a total of 1,562,868 people.

The high number of deaths and exposure to COVID-9 force us to compromise with reality. The hope that this year's Ramadan will be carried out more freely because COVID-19 has decreased, does not seem to have been realized optimally. Every day there are new cases, both positive confirmations and cases of death. So health protocols is a must, and still be strictly enforced. Restrictions on social activities and mobility are being continuously carried out. The government has even announced a little earlier the ban on Eid homecoming to suppress the spread of COVID-19.

Homecoming and Eid celebrations are only one or two aspects of the festive phenomenon of the month of Ramadan. Basically, the activities of Muslims in the month of Ramadan always involve the "masses", starting from Tarawih prayers, breaking the fast together, even recent phenomenon of Sahur on the road appears, to the ultimately the Eid celebrations.

Last year's Ramadan left an important note: how religious authorities are helpless against an invisible creature called the corona virus. During Ramadan the largest mosques in the world such as the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the Islamic Center Mosque in New York, including the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, etc., were closed.

In welcoming this year’s Ramadan, a number of Islamic organizations such as NU and Muhammadiyah have allowed their congregations to open mosques and pray Tarawih in congregation. However, this is limited to areas in the COVID-19 green zone. And of course with very strict health protocols, which will be supervised by the COVID-19 Task Force in each region. There is even a suggestion to make Tarawih prayers in two waves to avoid congregation congestion. In other words, this year's Ramadan Indonesian Muslims can breathe a little, although the threat of the spread of the corona virus must still be watched out for.

Another note that can be made here is regarding the "arrogance" of medical technology, which so far only views humans as merely a physical body that can be explored by machines and drugs. Health has always been correlated with money. Hospitals are becoming a lucrative business field. To recover from a disease, people have to pay a lot of money. Medical technology and modern medicine claim to be king whose power cannot be denied.

But COVID-19 has changed everything. Countries that are highly advanced in medical technology, such as Germany, Britain, Italy, the United States, Russia, etc., have been defeated by the COVID-19 outbreak. And these countries have recorded a great number of COVID-19 cases and victims. How powerful is this tiny, invisible virus? So powerdul that almost all technological sophistication seems helpless.

COVID-19 carries a message about the importance of medical technology to be more humble. Humans are not merely bodies that can be explored by machines and chemical drugs. Humans are multidimensional creatures. Diseases suffered by humans are not only physical, but also involve many things including the human’s spiritual and psychological dimensions. That is why ancient medical techniques often used holy places such as temples or monasteries to treat the sick.

It's not just the world of medicine, all dimensions of life are basically being forced by this tiny virus to be more humble. And this includes religious life. COVID-19 is a kind of paradox where the notion of "congregation" is challenged. Everyone is forced to be himself before God, not part of the congregation; not even a powerful mass organization. COVID-19 expels pious people from houses of worship. But, at the same time, people are forced to be closer to God because He is the only one who is expected to be the protector from the pandemic outbreak.

Humility is the most important teaching in Islam. But exactly this is what is most often forgotten. The culmination of the loss of humility is when we feel that we are the most righteous and therefore have the right to impose that standard of truth on others. The consequence of this attitude is the birth of acts of persecution against people or groups who have different understandings or beliefs. The loss of humility is also a source of intolerance, discrimination, and even violence in the name of God.

Every person or religious community is obliged to seek the truth, but the truth-seeking process must be carried out with a humble attitude. Because, as stated by Rasulullah SAW, the best way to practice religion is one that is graceful and full of tolerance (ahabuddin ilallah al-hanifiyyah as-samhah).

Fasting itself is obliged for all servants who believe in Allah, one of which is characterized by being humble. And the Most Merciful servants of God are those who walk the earth humbly and when ignorant people greet them, they speak words of (which contain) salvation (QS 25:63).

In this year's Ramadan, we are still in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. It takes time and patience to be able to enjoy worship in congregation like the previous Ramadan in normal times. At the same time, we still have to comply with health protocols and be pro-active towards government policies in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. Let us continue to strive in our respective capacities so that this pandemic can be overcome, and pray that these difficult times will soon pass.

Finally, the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Media Editorial Team wishes you a Happy Ramadan 1442 H and congratulations on your fasting activities. ***