Muslims begin holy month of fasting Tuesday
Congregants gather with masks and spaced apart during a Friday prayer service. (KXAN/Tahera Rahman)
AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday, thousands of Muslims in Austin woke up before dawn for breakfast and they won’t eat again until dusk.
It’s part of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims believe God first started revealing the Quran, their holy book, to His last messenger, Muhammad.
Aside from fasting, Muslims also use the month to become closer to their scripture, understand it better and implement it in their daily lives through extra charity, volunteer work and performing extra nightly prayers.
Last year, like many other holiday celebrations, those nightly prayers were canceled due to pandemic safety, and so were community meals where congregants broke their fast together.
This year, with no statewide mandates, Central Texas mosques are opening their doors to congregants again while still following CDC guidelines of social distancing and wearing masks. However, most say they are still not offering food for congregants.
The North Austin Muslim Community Center says while they will not be holding dinners, they are allowing people to eat in their cars in the parking lot. The center says they’ll be using their outdoor space for overflow during nightly prayers and is also streaming them on Facebook Live. The center estimates there are more than 30,000 Muslims in the Austin-area.
The Islamic Center of Lake Travis says they are also only offering prayers, not food. They report being at 70% capacity for the first night of Ramadan prayers on Monday.
Nueces Mosque is offering food to congregants in a drive-thru method and is asking congregants to register for nightly prayers online.
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