Muslims dare to hope for the Ramadan of old

After observing the past two Ramadan festivals at home, Philippine academic Julkipli Wadi is hopeful that he can go to the mosque and join in with congregational prayers. The Muslim holy month started on Friday, after the sighting of the new moon, and Wadi expects that with the Philippine government easing pandemic-related restrictions, Filipino Muslims like him can finally worship together.

Wadi, the dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines, said that while he has been looking forward to this year's Ramadan, he is still waiting for a directive from the university's management on whether it will allow the holding of communal activities related to Ramadan. Such activities are subject to the protocols set by the national government.

Wadi is among the nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide who are welcoming a return to Ramadan's traditional practices as governments ease COVID-19 restrictions.

Ramadan is often marked by fasting and praying. These activities can be solitary and are not affected by lockdowns. But Muslims also observe the holy month by doing communal activities: holding tarawih (night prayers) at the mosque, distributing alms to the poor, and breaking the fast (iftar) together with family and friends. These activities were halted in the past two years as lockdowns were imposed.

This year promises to be different. In Asia-Pacific, home to more than 60 percent of the world's Muslims, vaccination programs have encouraged most countries to reopen their borders and loosen movement restrictions. Places of worship and other public facilities have reopened and gatherings in small groups are now allowed.

Mohammad Salami, a fellow at the International Institute for Global Strategic Analysis in Pakistan, said the easing of restrictions would encourage more social activities－an important aspect in Ramadan as Muslims prefer to do tarawih in groups and donate food during iftar.

In Saudi Arabia, home to the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Medina, the government has scrapped most of its COVID-19 rules and government officials have unveiled organizational plans for worshippers during Ramadan.

The kingdom has also allowed quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated travelers, making it easy for Muslims to take the umrah (Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) during Ramadan.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has also said that women aged over 45 can now perform umrah without being accompanied by a male guardian. In the past, women were only allowed to go on a pilgrimage if they were part of a group with a male chaperon.

Mustafa Izzuddin, senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, said that for this year's Ramadan, Muslims will be "living in an endemic rather than in a pandemic".

This means that despite easing restrictions, Muslims still need to continue following hygiene protocols. These protocols include wearing face masks and using contact-tracing applications when entering public premises even if restrictions have been relaxed. And in some mosques, religious leaders require social distancing during communal prayers.

In the United Arab Emirates, the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority said people will need to use face masks if they enter iftar tents. Security guards or volunteers will also be deployed.

Pakistan has lifted all pandemic-related restrictions, but the government said this will not apply to those who are not yet vaccinated.