Isolation, Community and Spirituality

British Muslim Experiences of Ramadan in Lockdown

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3558084
AutoresLaura Jones-Ahmed, Laura Jones (0000-0002-1342-5433, Cardiff University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2022
Volumen13
Número1
Páginas74
Fecha de publicación2022-01-13
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReligions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
EditorialMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel13010074
OpenAlexW4205973950
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas23

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is typically a time associated with individual worship and communal gatherings as Muslims meet, eat and pray together. In 2020 especially, COVID-19 had a significant impact on the observation of the holy month. With lockdown measures in place, mosques were closed and there were prohibitions on visiting family and friends, making the month an unusual occasion. This paper draws upon qualitative PhD research on Ramadan 2020 in Britain comprising more than 50 Ramadan photo diaries from diverse Muslim participants and follow-up interviews. The findings highlight how participants experienced the benefits of isolation by being able to reflect and connect more with God and via the establishment of "Ramadan corners" in homes, while at the same time missing the mosque and the Muslim community. I further highlight how communal aspects of the holy month were maintained and transformed to suit lockdown conditions, including the use of online activities, praying in congregation at home and sharing food. Emerging from these two facets of Ramadan, I explore ideas of socially dependent spirituality and how participants negotiated communal and individual elements of their spiritual lives. Through the diverse examples discussed, I argue that material, embodied, aesthetic and emotive practices were emphasised in 2020 to recreate a 'feeling' of Ramadan when typical expressions of the month were unavailable

Alternative medicine · Embodied cognition · Emotive · Feeling · Islam · Political science · Sociology · Spiritualities · Spirituality · Worship · Dietary Effects on Health · Halal products and consumer behavior · History · Law · Media, Religion, Digital Communication · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology