Kampong Glam, with Sultan Mosque in the background, on a Thursday afternoon is deserted as most shops remain closed due to the circuit breaker in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Traditionally, Kampong Glam was the place to be during Ramadan with delicious food stalls lined up bazaar-style creating a bustling atmosphere in the area.

Crowds formed inside Geylang Serai Food Centre on a Friday afternoon as visitors were busy queuing and buying food to bring home. During the circuit breaker, the National Environment Agency put up signs at the food centre reminding the public that no eating or drinking was allowed in dining areas.

Syed Sultanul Abidin Abdul Mutaif, 64, pulls the shutter at Ali’s Corner as his family calls it a day inside the Geylang Serai Food Centre, with no customers on a Friday night. On such Ramadan nights, since running this stall in 2007, there would be festive buzz as dining tables would be full after breaking fast he said. Most of Ali’s Corner’s customers now buy and takeout in the afternoon, where it can get real busy. Their revenues dropped almost 80 percent during the start of the circuit breaker on April 7, 2020. Business started picking up once they created a Facebook page, took online orders and provided delivery service.

Before entering Sultan Mosque at 520am to perform the azan (call to prayer), Ustaz Mohamed Yusuf Abdul Rahman records his temperature and name for contact tracing measures. According to Sultan Mosque chairman Mohamed Patail, visitors were not allowed to visit the mosque a day after the first confirmed Covid-19 case was reported in Singapore on 23 Jan 2020.

Sultan Mosque Head Of Dakwah (religious outreach) Ustaz Mohamed Yusuf Abdul Rahman, 37, performs the azan (call to prayer) for the subuh (pre-dawn) prayer in a small room inside the mosque. With 70 mosques closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Sultan Mosque continues to broadcast the azan – five times daily – at Kampong Glam.

Together with a staff from the mosque, Ustaz Mohamed Yusuf Abdul Rahman sits in the empty main prayer hall of Sultan Mosque and reads supplications after the pre-dawn prayer. On such early mornings during Ramadan, there can be over 500 congregants performing additional prayers filling up the mosque.

Staff from Al-Falah Barakah restaurant along Changi Road start packing over 500 packets of porridge in small plastic bags at around 10am every day. With the continued closure of mosques due to Covid-19 islandwide into the fasting month of Ramadan, restaurants like Al-Falah Barakah have stepped up to the tradition of providing free porridge daily to the public.

A queue, with red masking tape on the floor to indicate social distancing, has formed inside Al-Falah Barakah restaurant as people wearing masks wait for their turn to collect free porridge at around 230pm in the afternoon. Traditionally, these packets of porridge are distributed to those in need.

Wooden benches with social distancing red tape were found at the main lobby of Wisma Indah Building which is connected to Kassim Mosque along Changi Road. These benches, once positioned outside the mosque for people to sit and rest, are now placed indoors in the said lobby during the circuit breaker.

Kassim Mosque manager Rahim Ibrahim inspects the living conditions of the 10 homeless and rough sleepers who have sought shelter at the mosque during the circuit breaker amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Existing white wooden partitions are used to demarcate space between individuals in what used to be their office corridor. This is the first time that the mosque has sheltered the homeless and rough sleepers in its premises Rahim said.

This lift lobby is now a makeshift dining space with social distancing markers as Kassim Mosque manager Rahim Ibrahim works on his laptop. Such shelters are called Safe Sound Sleeping Places (S3Ps) and the homeless and rough sleepers were referred to the mosque by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Rahim said. These individuals are given shower and laundry facilities as well as a small allowance for meals.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive decorations outside Joo Chiat Complex have been installed before Ramadan but were not lit up at night. The Hari Raya light-up, an annual highlight for Geylang Serai residents, was postponed to encourage people to stay at home during the circuit breaker according to the People’s Association. Based on news reports, decorations was lit-up briefly on the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri from 8.20pm to 10pm.

The grass patch (left) and walking pavements along Geylang Road were some of the proposed sites for the annual Hari Raya bazaars organised by the People’s Association. These bazaars, known to attract large crowds, were cancelled due to the growing number of Covid-19 cases and to prevent community spread.

Decorations on Geylang Road have been installed during the month of Ramadan but remain unlit at night, resulting in a muted celebration for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. The Hari Raya light-up, an annual highlight for Geylang Serai residents, was postponed to encourage people to stay at home during the circuit breaker according to the People’s Association. Based on news reports, decorations was lit-up briefly on the Hari Raya Aidilfitri eve from 8.20pm to 10pm.

Freelance tutor Nuraisha Hassan (in white) performs the nightly terawih prayers with her daughter Nur ‘Atiqah Amirah and helper Nur Aini, from Indonesia, at home in Tampines. These are special prayers performed only during Ramadan and usually done in large groups at mosques. As people are encouraged to stay at home during the circuit breaker, the 46-year-old is missing out on the annual tradition of breaking fast and terawih prayer sessions together with her next-door neighbours.

Freelance tutor Nuraisha Hassan (right), 46, and her husband Zulkiflee Mohamad (left), 43, have their nightly congregational terawih prayers with their family in the living room at their Tampines home. These are special prayers performed only during Ramadan and usually done in large groups at mosques. In previous years, during Ramadan, they would bask in the community spirit of breaking fast and praying together at different mosques islandwide.

With just a smartphone and a ring light, Minimalist Studio SG’s Hairul Nizam Ramle, 36, leads a Facebook Live session selling clothes to their customers. Having invested almost $50,000 in stock preparing for the annual Geylang Serai Bazaar, their plans took a turn when authorities cancelled this event abruptly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This would have been their fourth year participating in the bazaar.

Hartini Ramle, 26, who runs Minimalist Studio SG with her brother, records a short video explaining basic information of their clothes to one of their many customers inside their rented North Bridge Road shophouse studio. It is easier to record a video, and then send via direct message, than to type she said. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become a lifeline for them to sell their products.

Hairul Nizam Ramle engages with his customers at the start of their Facebook Live session, with around 100 viewers. Running Minimalist Studio SG without the physical interaction from a bazaar has been challenging he said. Some of the challenges include coping with multiple personalised enquiries over different platforms and handling exchanges and returns he said. In addition, they only managed to recover $10,000 out of the $50,000 invested in stock less rental at the end of Ramadan.

Starting before 2am, workers from a central kitchen in Senoko are packing the sahur (pre- dawn) meals for over 1000 Muslim migrant workers living in factory-converted dormitories. An initiative by charity organisation Free Food For All, these free meals during Ramadan include a generous serving of rice, mackerel fish and two side dishes packed neatly, catering to a South Asian diet. Based on news reports, all dormitories have come under stricter movement controls during the circuit breaker with migrant workers unable to go out and purchase essential items.

At 325am, volunteers arrive at a factory-converted dormitory in Sungei Kadut to drop-off the sahur (pre-dawn) meals for Muslim migrant workers living there. According to charity organisation Free Food For All, employers from factory-converted dormitories face financial difficulties providing meals as work has stopped from the circuit breaker. Based on news reports, FFFA managed to raise over $92,000 so that these meals during Ramadan remain free for these migrant workers.

A Bangladeshi migrant worker performs the azan (call to prayer) inside Singapore Expo’s community care facility which also indicates the breaking of fast for muslim migrant workers. Community care facilities are meant for Covid-19 patients with relatively mild or no symptoms and do not require extensive medical intervention. Migrant workers, from India and Bangladesh, make up the largest number of infected cases in Singapore.

Immediately after breaking fast, over 100 Muslim migrant workers perform the evening prayers at a dedicated area inside the Singapore Expo’s community care facility while keeping a safe social distance and wearing masks. Usually they would be standing shoulder to shoulder for such congregational prayers. Community care facilities are meant for Covid-19 patients with relatively mild or no symptoms and do not require extensive medical intervention.

In a studio inside Wisma Geylang Serai, Mufti Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir prepares to announce the beginning of the month of Syawal and Hari Raya Aidilfitri to be broadcast on various media and social channels. This marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. In his announcement, he highlights an extraordinary and challenging period for Muslims in Singapore and hopes for their continued commitment to overcome this pandemic. The Mufti is Singapore’s highest Islamic authority and oversees key religious rulings for Muslims here.

Long snaking queues, as early as 7am, are seen outside the popular Geylang Serai market on the last weekend before Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Shoppers also have to undergo temperature screening. According to the National Environment Agency, they can only visit the markets according to the last digit on their identification cards, which need to correspond to either the odd or even dates of the month.

To maintain social distancing and prevent overcrowding inside Geylang Serai Market, it is barricaded with nets and specific entry and exit points. On April 21, the National Environment Agency restricted access to four popular markets including Geylang Serai market.

Secondary school teacher Mohamed Azman Mohamed Selamat, 48, led his family in the Eid Prayer, and a sermon, at his Tampines home on the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. To stem the spread of Covid-19, all places of worship, including 70 mosques, remain closed. In previous years he would perform the Eid Prayer with his son at the nearby Darul Ghufran mosque, where he is vice chairman of the management board. This year’s celebration was a muted one for most Muslims, as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore made public statements to remind people not to hold gatherings during this Hari Raya period.