URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - The holy month of Ramadan is underway.

It means fasting and prayer for practicing Muslims in the state. Last year, the pandemic interrupted the religious tradition worldwide. The virus forced people into their homes and tested the faith of millions.

However, in Urbana, Ahmed Taha is keeping the faith alive. 

Taha is with the Muslim American Society of Urbana. He described the holy month as a 'season for socialization."

Practicing Ramadan was different in 2020. Families and individuals were forced to pray in the comfort of their homes. To Taha, last year's experience deprived him from reuniting with familiar faces.

This year, practicing Muslims are six feet apart. Usually, Taha is used to seeing hundreds of people at a mosque. Houses of worship have limited their numbers to 100. 

"It's very new for us," Taha added. 

Ramadan is a holy month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. It is supposed to be a time of prayer, worship and getting closer to scripture. The same rules apply in 2021, but with social distancing.

The MAS usually holds an event where central Illinoisans are encouraged to try a different culture of foods and learn more about the Muslim religion. City and community leaders are known to show up in solidarity. However, it's been canceled again. Taha is hoping for different results in 2022. 

"It's saddening," Taha said. "But it is the reality." 

During this year's Ramadan, Taha is praying for a healthy, peaceful world. Ramadan ends in the evening of Wednesday, May 12.Â