In May 1987, when a curfew was imposed in Delhi after tension flared in some neighbourhoods following communal rioting in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, Eid prayers were not offered at the iconic Jama Masjid. Thirty-three years later, Delhi’s largest mosque will again remain shut to devotees when Eid is celebrated on Monday.
Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, cited the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic as the reason for the mosque remaining shut. Similarly, all other mosques in the city will remain shut to devotees on Eid as a lockdown continues to be enforced to contain the spread of the virus.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated to mark the end of the holy month of Ramzan during which Muslims observe a fast from dawn to dusk. On the day of Eid, dressed in new clothes, devotees offer prayers at mosques and then hug and greet relatives and friends. After the prayers, people visit each others’ homes with sheer khurma (a traditional dessert) as a customary ritual of the festival. This year, the community will observe the festival at homes with no public prayers, hugs, and dawats (get-togethers).
“It’s going to be hard for people to celebrate Eid like this but we need to do this to protect each other from the coronavirus infection. People have an immense attachment to the Jama Masjid. But this time everyone has to pray at home. We have already announced that no one will be allowed inside the mosque on Monday. Only the mosque staff living inside will offer the prayer on the premises,” Bukhari said.
Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, the Shahi Imam of Masjid Fatehpuri, recalled the last time Eid prayers were not held in the mosque.
“In 1993, when the curfew was imposed post-Babri Masjid demolition, we did not hold Eid prayers in the Fatehpuri mosque and encouraged people to offer prayers in their local mosques (Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992). But this year it’s unprecedented. The mosque is closed since March due to the pandemic. We are requesting people to not only pray at their home but also avoid roaming on the streets and gatherings,” he said.
Haji Miyan Faiyazuddin, 82, of the iconic Haji Hotel in the Jama Masjid area, said that he has never experienced an Eid without Namaz being offered in mosques, hugs being exchanged, and celebrations on the streets.
“I had gone for my first Eid namaz in Jama Masjid when I was six. Even during instances of communal tension, namaz was not prohibited in the local mosques as it has been now. After the namaz, we would visit each other’s house. Children would buy toys and sweets on the way home. We would also share sweets and other delicacies with our Hindu brothers and they also visit our homes. But, this time, it will be a silent Eid,” he said.
Faiyazuddin, whose family claims a lineage of five centuries, said people should follow all the norms specified for the prevention of Covid-19. “We can celebrate Eid again next year but we cannot afford to put everyone’s life in danger. Also, people should help those who have lost their livelihood and loved ones due to this pandemic,” he said.
Shopkeepers selling clothes, shoes and jewellery, and tailors, who would otherwise remain busy throughout Ramzan, said this would be a “black Eid”.
Farookh Ahmed, who runs a readymade garment showroom in the Shaheen Bagh neighbourhood, said, “We have opened our shops two days back after a gap of five months. The market was first shut due to the anti-CAA protest and then the Covid-19 lockdown. We did not even get a window of a week to sell some clothes before Eid. People are also not shopping like before this year. For us, it’s black Eid,” he said.
The reference was to the long-running protest staged in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
On Saturday, very few people were spotted in the markets for Eid Shopping in the walled city, Batla House, Shaheen Bagh, and other Muslim-dominated areas.
The hashtags of #EidatHome and #EidiforMigrants were also trending on Twitter, requesting people to stay at home and help those in need. “Refrain from buying new clothes and rather use the money for the marginal sections of the society,” said Ashhar Uddin, in a tweet.
Rana Safvi, an author, said that she will have a low-key celebration at home. “I won’t be able to meet my daughter as she lives in Delhi while I am in Noida. We will do a video call and greet each other,” she said.
“This time, we should celebrate an Eid of compassion. We should give more to those in need. I will also do that,” she added.
