French Muslim Council Advises on Ramadan Observance During COVID-19 Lockdown

"The month of Ramadan (9th lunar month) of this year 1441 of the Hegira will most likely begin on April 24, 2020, since the new moon of the month of Ramadan will be visible on April 23, 2020 over a large part of the African continent and the entire American continent. The conjunction (birth of the new moon) will take place on April 23 at 4:26 am, Paris time," the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) states in a note.

"According to the health authorities of our country, the confinement related to the (covid-19) crisis is likely to continue for several weeks, therefore beyond the beginning of the month of Ramadan. The ban on any physical gathering of people, added to the closure of places of worship throughout this confinement period, would very likely lead to the suspension of many activities of the month of Ramadan in their usual formats," the council notes.

Based on this observation, the CFCM has reviewed these activities and their possible alternatives. Thus, it calls on Muslim leaders to keep the mosques closed and encourages the faithful to perform their daily prayers at home, until further notice. Similarly, the Collective recommends that Muslims perform the Tarawih prayers at home and observe the fast as usual.

As for the breaking of the fast meals, meal distributions that comply with the current restrictions, may be the subject of consultation with local authorities and call on mutual aid between the various associative actors, assure the members of the Collective. For the month of Sha’ban, the month of the Prophet Muhammad, the Muslim organization calls on Muslims in France to observe the prophetic tradition by multiplying supererogatory prayers and fasting as well as invocations.