Mohamed Salah is one of football's leading names marking the beginning of Ramadan - Daily Mail

Mohamed Salah hangs up decorative lanterns as Liverpool star marks the beginning of Ramadan at home with Mesut Ozil and Antonio Rudiger among football's leading names to start celebrating the Holy Month during lockdown

• Mohamed Salah shared photos of himself preparing for Ramadan on Instagram
• The Egyptian is pictured putting up symbolic lanterns to mark the holy period  
• Salah along with many Muslims have adapted their traditions due to lockdown 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Charlotte Daly For Mailonline

Published: 18:15 BST, 24 April 2020 | Updated: 20:05 BST, 24 April 2020

Mohamed Salah, Mesut Ozil and Antonio Rudiger will be celebrating Ramadan like no other as the Holy Month begins amid unprecedented restrictions due to coronavirus. 

With Ramadan beginning on Thursday April 23 and lasting until Saturday May 23, the fasting period is taking place during lockdown. 

Nevertheless, traditions are being carried out all over the world to mark the start of the holy celebration and some of the biggest names in football have took to social media to post pictures of them getting ready.

Mohamed Salah hung symbolic lanterns at his house to mark the start of Ramadan

The Liverpool star smiles for the camera as he begins celebrating the Holy Month

Salah is one of many Muslims taking part in Ramadan from home. The Egyptian uploaded a series of photographs to his Instagram account which showed him preparing for the Holy Month. 

He is pictured decorating his house with lanterns as they symbolise the holiday and welcome the coming month of Ramadan. 

Other footballers including Mesut Ozil, Antonio Rudiger and Xherdan Shaqiri will all be following suit by celebrating from home.

Mesut Ozil is another one of the famous football faces altering his traditions amid coronavirus 

Xherdan Shaqiri is another devoted Muslim that will be taking part in the holy period

In this period - which marks the ninth month of the Muslim year and the window in which the Quran - or Koran - was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad by Allah, Muslims will also abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, from dawn through until sunset. 

WHAT IS RAMADAN?

A month of fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to sunset. This was stated as a ruling of Islam in 624 AD.

The ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Ramadan is said to mean 'burning/scorching heat' in Arabic.

Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the mandatory acts that form the foundation of Muslim life.

The other pillars are faith, prayer, charity and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Fasting means abstaining from food, drink, smoking, sex, swearing, gossip or other sinful acts, during daylight hours.

Meals are served before dawn and after sunset.

The meal before dawn is called sufur, the one after sunset is known as iftar.

However key parts of the holy month, such as communal prayers and Iftar - a meal eaten after sunset to break the daylight fast - are traditions Muslims will not be able to take part in this year.  

Mosques, along with churches and synagogues, have been closed down and worshippers told not to congregate as the pandemic continues to affect communities across the country. 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has thanked British Muslims for their service and 'sacrifice' in foregoing communal events during Ramadan because of the lockdown. 

'This Ramadan, many Muslims who serve their country in the NHS and in the Armed Forces and in so many other ways, will not be sharing the joy of this month as they normally do,' he said.

'I want to say to all British Muslims: thank you for staying at home.

'I know how important the daily Iftar is, how important communal prayers are at night and how important the Eid festival is.

'Thank you for making major changes to these vital parts of your practice and I want to say to you all: Ramadan Mubarak and thank you for your service and citizenship, and thank you for your sacrifice.'  

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has thanked British Muslims for their service and 'sacrifice'

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2020-04-24 19:13:02Z
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