Ramadan: Fasting is one of the pillars of Islam

Members of Qatar's philharmonic orchestra perform from their balconies one last time before Ramadan in Qatar's Qanat Quartier, a part of Doha's man-made Pearl island. The musicians had made it a weekly tradition to perform outside since the orchestra was forced to stop its regular concert series due to the measures put in place by the authorities to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

Muslim worshippers pray while respecting the social distancing restrictions next to the Kaaba in Mecca's Grand Mosque. Saudi Arabia partially lifted its curfew but said it would maintain a round-the-clock lockdown in the holy city of Mecca.

There is a curfew in place in the Somali capital, and authorities have pleaded with worshippers to stay home as coronavirus infections rise. But many carry on with normal life.

Africa's measures to slow down COVID-19 have changed how the holy month of Ramadan is observed, restricting Muslims to their homes. Previously, followers of Islam prayed in mosques and broke the daily fast together.

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Ramadan is an unusual one for the Muslim community who are used to gathering together to pray and share meals as a community. Mosques around the world, including the holy sites in Mecca and Medina, have also been closed. These are a few of the reasons why this year's Ramadan is looking very different for adherents Islam around the world.⁣

Ramadan is typically a period of both worship and socialising, but this year strict lockdowns have limited gatherings for iftar meals at dusk when the fast is broken — a centrepiece of Ramadan. For millions of Muslims around the world, this Ramadan is unlike any other, with closed mosques and family gatherings forbidden.

In order to discourage large gatherings during Britain's coronavirus lockdown the country's mosques have generally stopped broadcasting the traditional call to prayer. But with the holy season of Ramadan drawing to a close, one of Britain's largest Muslim places of worship, the Baitul Futuh Mosque in south London, has been granted permission to resume their evening call to prayer.

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into the teachings of Islam and here are seven important of Ramadan in Islam.

In countries that practice Islamic law, legal reforms to advance the status of women tend to fail due to hard-liners who see it undermining religion. But a new wave of efforts views it as a fundamental part of Islam.

Muslims around the world have began celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive holiday, spoilt by stay-at-home orders and fears of fresh coronavirus outbreaks. DW looks at how countries have altered their plans.

It's no longer labelled a law against religious separatism and you will not find in it the words "radical Islam". But as Emmanuel Macron's justice minister openly states, it's abundantly clear that "between the lines", the French government's much anticipated law to reinforce republican principles is precisely about what this nation can no longer endure.

Designer Rana Bacaloni says the arts products and decorations she creates aim to help Muslim Americans feel they "belong" in the US during the Muslim holiday Ramadan. Jomana Siddiqui, an influencer and creator of ModernEID, says she seeks to create products "her generation" can use.