Iftars alone. Closed mosques. A Sacramento barber observes Ramadan in a time of isolation

Haneef Dear was looking forward to spending Ramadan with friends and community.

But in the early weeks of March, churches and mosques began discussing safety measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Dear, 32, said he knew Ramadan, which began on April 24, would look drastically different.

“It hit me right away,” Dear said. “I knew that we would be in isolation for the whole month of Ramadan.”

Last year, Dear messaged about 50 people and scheduled iftars, or dinners where people break their fast together, during the holy month. Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, and attending prayers at the mosque in the evening.

But with Sacramento’s stay-at-home orders, there are no dinner parties scheduled and mosques have closed their doors.

With no immediate family nearby, the self isolation made Dear feel even more disconnected.

He became Muslim when he was 19 years old, and longed for a strong Muslim community to surround himself with, especially during Ramadan. Ramadan wasn’t just important because of the social gatherings; it was a time for Dear and other Muslims to focus on their spiritual practice as well.

“Being at the mosque with everyone, they are sometimes the only people you see during Ramadan,” he said. “Seeing them at the end of the day, after you had this struggle, you share this kind of relief at the same time together.”

Now, breaking his fast alone, day after day, feels strange.

“I used to go to the mosque everyday,” he said. “I needed to be around Muslims. It gets old really fast cooking for yourself and praying by yourself.”

Keeping physical distancing in mind, Dear makes an effort to check in on his closest friend, who has underlying health issues, and a daughter with asthma.

“You realize that you’re missing that physical contact,” he said. “You miss hugging someone, shaking their hand and just being happy to see someone.”

Dear now puts his energy toward making meals at home, where he spends more time because his work as a barber was deemed non-essential.

“Many people who are Muslim have family members around them,” Dear said. “In my situation, if I don’t see people at the mosque in Ramadan, I might not see anyone at all.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.