Ramadan begins with first in-person gathering in three years

Ramadan celebrations in London The annual month of Ramadan begin Friday night and the London Muslim Mosque was a full house. CTV London’s Marek Sutherland reports.

The annual month of Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam began Friday night, and at the London Muslim Mosque it was a full house.

“The mosque was packed and in fact, not just the London Muslim mosque. Where we had the main prayer hall which was packed we had the basement was packed. We had the gym as well. And every single prayer hall in London, they were all busy,” says Bilal Rahhal, the chair of the London Muslim Mosque Board.

This is the first time in three years that a gathering like this has been allowed, and for Aarif Anwer, Imam, and Director of Religious Affairs the evening prayer session was very ‘bright.’

“It was amazing. It was it was awesome. To see people together again to have this opportunity to be together to pray together. We missed out on it the last couple of years, so the opportunity to be back was just awesome,” Anwer said.

The Mosque has been able to pivot during the pandemic and offer virtual prayers, something they say they will continue to do post-COVID, but appreciate the closeness they are able to experience this year.

“This is actually one main part of Ramadan is the you know, ability to get together to see one another to get closer together,” says Rahhal

With fears that another wave of COVID is around the corner, Anwar says it will be ready to pivot again if need be during the month of reflection and prayer.

“If things do end up changing where we are, you know we're for example, told a social distance again, we have the space accommodations,” he said.

Rahhal adds, “we have been telling our community members to try to wear the mask during the congregation's and people you know, thankfully they're doing that the majority of them are we're trying to “

Plans are also underway for July’s Eid Al-Adha, the most important day in the Muslim calendar that attracts thousands of people for prayer.