Muslims in Niagara, Hamilton celebrate coming together for Ramadan, after two years apart

In Imam Asad Mahmood's community, pandemic restrictions have been a mental blow. 

To comfort followers at his mosque, he'd find himself telling people: "We're in this together. As much as you want to come to the mosque, we also want to come to the mosque," he said. 

Mahmood is the imam and president at Mosque Aisha in Niagara Falls, Ont., as well as its counterpart in nearby Thorold. 

Since restrictions have almost fully been lifted, he said this year's observance of Ramadan will allow Muslims to pray, meet and break their fast together. 

Ramadan's beginning is based on sightings of the new moon, marking the start of the Muslim lunar calendar, and is expected this weekend.  

For 30 days, Muslims in Canada and around the world will abstain from food and water from sunrise to sundown, as well as other pleasures like alcohol and smoking in order to focus on self discipline, charity and prayer. 

The lifting of restrictions couldn't come at a better time, after two years of spending Ramadan apart, Mahmood said. 

"It has ignited our hearts that we will be able to go back to our natural normal," he said. "Not the 'new' normal."

During the last two years, gathering to break fast together had proved a difficult challenge because of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. 

The ability to come together this month is a privilege that he said most people didn't realize they had until it was gone. 

"We just stayed home, no activity and then fast, and then not come to the mosque," he said. 

"This is the time when we give food to the needy, do a lot of charity. We invite people and as a family we sit together and eat together. It's nice that it's not only five people or 10 people [that] can sit and eat." 

This weekend, Mosque Aisha is inviting the Muslim community in Niagara to break their fast together on the first day of Ramadan. Mahmood says he also been in touch with several restaurants in the area who are volunteering to bring meals to the mosque throughout the course of the month. 

While restrictions forced people apart over the past two years, Mahmood said he has seen many non-Muslims in Niagara turn to religion during the pandemic.