Advertisement

‘It’s really comforting’: Islamic call to prayer heard for 1st time in Canada amid coronavirus

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus outbreak: With mosques shuttered, Muslims turning to online sermons to observe Ramadan'
Coronavirus outbreak: With mosques shuttered, Muslims turning to online sermons to observe Ramadan
WATCH ABOVE: With mosques shuttered, Muslims turning to online sermons to observe Ramadan – Apr 25, 2020

OTTAWA — The Al Rashid Mosque has stood in Edmonton since 1938, but no one there today can remember ever hearing the daily call to prayer ring out through the loudspeakers.

Usually, the musical chant that ushers Muslims into their house of worship for prayer is prohibited under city noise bylaws.

But across Canada, cities are allowing the call, or adhan, during the COVID-19 crisis, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Click to play video: 'Ramadan under lockdown'
Ramadan under lockdown

Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and other major cities have all made exemptions to the usual rules.

Story continues below advertisement

The Al Rashid, Canada’s oldest mosque, livestreams the call online every evening for thousands of people who cannot be there in person.

Some parents have been bringing their children to stand outside the mosque at sundown to hear the call and share the experience they never expected to pass on in Canada.

Some who worship there grew up in countries where Islam is the dominant religion. For them, the sound transports them back to their own childhood, where the adhan was heard ringing through local neighbourhoods five times each day.

For some who grew up in Canada never hearing the adhan in their communities, the experience has been transformative.

“Being able to break their fast on the sound of the prayer, it was a big moment they will not forget, I’m sure,” said Noor Al-Henedy, who works for the mosque.

Click to play video: 'Toronto Ramadan celebrations go virtual'
Toronto Ramadan celebrations go virtual

Ramadan is a month-long period dedicated to prayer, reflection and charity, underscored by the practice of abstaining from food and water during the day.

Story continues below advertisement

While Muslim Canadians have endured the same hardships as the rest of the country during the COVID-19 crisis, including job losses and isolation, the pandemic has provided an even greater opportunity to reflect on life’s priorities and put others first.

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: How Canadians are praying during the coronavirus pandemic

“This Ramadan in particular took everybody to the root of what Ramadan really is,” Al-Henedy said.

“To really be able to reflect well on yourself while fasting, to look around you and appreciate the blessings that you have, to understand the struggle that many people are going through … is really important.”

Click to play video: 'Manitobans celebrating Ramadan a little differently this year'
Manitobans celebrating Ramadan a little differently this year

Hearing the call to prayer outside the mosque has emphasized that, she said.

Story continues below advertisement

“It’s really comforting,” said Sahar Zimmo, who has heard the adhan before while travelling in other countries, but has now heard it in her hometown of London, Ont., for the first time.

The London Muslim Mosque was built in 1964, making it Ontario’s oldest Muslim house of worship.

“To actually hear the call to prayer, it gave me a sense of hope, a sense of relief at a time when things are up in the air and not normal,” she said.

Allowing the call to prayer in Canadian cities hasn’t been totally without backlash, but Zimmo said neighbours in London have been supportive.

Click to play video: 'Muslim community focused on giving back during Ramadan 2020'
Muslim community focused on giving back during Ramadan 2020

At a time when everyone is isolated from one another, being able to share a part of her community and faith with the rest of her city is heartening.

Story continues below advertisement

“It just gives us hope that better times are coming, it gives us a sense of togetherness and a sense of unity that we’re all kind of in this struggle together,” she said.

READ MORE: Is it safe to cook for people I don’t live with during the coronavirus lockdown?

In Ottawa, the call to prayer was sung from the minaret of the Ottawa Mosque for the first time in its history on May 2, and has continued every night since.

On Thursday evening, a handful of Muslim families in cars lined up down the street to listen. Mothers wearing hijabs stood outside holding babies and toddlers. But neighbours and passersby on bicycles also paused to listen.

Click to play video: 'Muslims across the Maritimes celebrating Ramadan differently this year'
Muslims across the Maritimes celebrating Ramadan differently this year

“It’s emotional,” said Judy Hamwi, 23, whose Lebanese family travelled from Orleans, in the eastern area of Ottawa, to hear the call for the first time in their Canadian home.

Story continues below advertisement

“It’s something special, and it means a lot to us. We’re grateful for that.”

Imam Muhammad Sulaiman, the mosque’s spiritual leader, stepped out of the building at the end of the adhan with a cup of water in his hand to greet the onlookers and signal it was time to break the fast. Families started digging into the elaborate suppers they packed in their cars.

On any other evening during Ramadan, he would have welcomed them into the mosque to enjoy their meals together. But this year, when people can share in little else together, at least they can share this experience.

Sponsored content

AdChoices