Muslims across greater New York gather together on a cold, rainy evening in Times Square to pray and break fast together in observance of Ramadan. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Muslims across greater New York gather together on a cold, rainy evening in Times Square to pray and break fast together in observance of Ramadan. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
As the sun began to set on a dark and drizzly February evening in Manhattan, hundreds of Muslims from across New York City gathered under the bright lights of Times Square for iftar and taraweeh prayers.
The Taraweeh in Times Square event, organized by Way of Life SQ together with Droplets of Mercy, is an annual tradition that began in 2022 and serves as a public display of faith and unity during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Each year, hundreds gather to pray together and break their fasts — this year they did so with Darbar’s halal chicken over rice — and while it had been raining all day, the weather didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits.
“Being in the middle of Times Square is a blessing,” said SQ, a Bronx resident and organizer of the event. “To have permits from the city of New York and to have the NYPD supporting us and everyone else is just a huge blessing, so we’re very grateful to be here to spread the message of Prophet Muhammad and educate people, because that’s all we do.”
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By night’s end, nearly 1,200 Qurans, in multiple languages, and roughly 1,500 free food boxes had been distributed to participants — and anyone else who might be in need of a meal.
New York City is home to roughly 1 million Muslims, nearly 1 in 8 residents, making it the largest municipal Muslim population in the United States. New York City is also home to approximately 3.1 million immigrants — and this year, as immigrant families continue to be separated by detention and deportation, many of those families were top of mind for observants at the Taraweeh in Times Square event.
“They are in our prayers,” SQ told Documented. “This is as much their country as anyone else’s. … To me, serving our community and being a good neighbor is what makes you American. It’s not just about being born over here. It’s about what you give back to society and there’s a lot of immigrants that do great things for this country and it should be recognized for sure.”
Documented spoke to some of those in attendance about why they decided to come out and what they hoped to reflect on during this Ramadan. Here’s what they said.
Hundreds of Muslims, and some on-lookers, gathered in New York City’s Times Square in observance of the holy month of Ramadan. Together, they performed the Taraweeh prayer and then broke their fasts. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“I wanted to have a different experience besides praying at home and to be among others of my faith, especially as I’m with my now husband, who recently converted to Islam,” said Nikey Anderson, 40, of Brooklyn. She and her husband Malik Anderson, 30 — standing behind her — recently got married and this is his first Ramadan. When asked what she plans to reflect on this month, she said, “Being a better, humble servant.” Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“I wanted to have a different experience besides praying at home and to be among others of my faith, especially as I’m with my now husband, who recently converted to Islam.”
—Nikey Anderson, 40, of Brooklyn
SQ, 47, is a Bronx resident and key organizer of Taraweeh in Times Square event. When asked what he planned to reflect on during this holy month of Ramadan, he said: “Those who are food insecure who don’t have access to food is on my mind unfortunately — they get overlooked. The homeless community of New York City, all those parents and families who are losing loved ones because of ICE and all these other systems that are happening in the U.S. I’m reflecting on all those who do not have and I’m just being thankful that we do have.” Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“I’m reflecting on all those who do not have and I’m just being thankful that we do have.”
—SQ, 47, event organizer and Bronx resident
Faisal Latif, an imam, founder of Tahleeq Institute and co-founder of the Path to Arabic Language, leads the group in prayer as he recites the Quran. Latif, 30, traveled to New York from Florida to celebrate and observe Taraweeh in Times Square. “I’m grateful God has chosen me for 5 years to do so in Times Square,” he said. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“I’m reflecting on and grateful for how far God has brought me. Being a part of another Ramadan is a favor.”
—Faisal Latif, 30, imam and Florida resident
“We are going to use water and dates to break fast and then get a really good meal after. We don’t know what just yet.” Aksi, 21, and Amina, 19, both originally from Kazakhstan, attended the Taraweeh in Times Square event. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
The Islamic Tasbih is traditionally a string of 33 or 99 prayer beads, which are used to count the 99 names of Allah. It’s also used for reciting phrases of praise (dhikr) as well as meditation and stress relief. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“We are on holiday from the UK, so Alhamdulillah, I am still keeping my fast and, you know, on top of it,” said Zia Rahman, 33 of the UK. “I feel very happy to see this in person…I said, ‘I’m in New York.’ I was going to do my iftar at a restaurant — and [then] I said ‘Why not?’ I’m gonna do my iftar here and I’m gonna pray with my family.” Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“Ramadan means everything to me. Ramadan is my life.”
—Zia Rahman, 33 of the UK
Muslims preparing for iftar, huddle together under hoods and umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Women pray together at the Taraweeh in Times Square event. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Volunteers happily hand out Darbar’s halal chicken over rice to those who were observing Ramadan — and anyone else who was looking for a meal. Reports say that over 1,500 free to-go iftar meals were shared. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“I’m here because of all the brothers here; the energy is here,” said Myke Rook, 26, of Long Island. “It’s been so amazing to be able to come here and help feed the brothers and sisters and anyone else that needs food. You know, spread the message of the Quran and just have a good time bro.” During the holy month of Ramadan Myke says he wants to spend more time with his brothers, with family — and staying off social media. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“It’s been so amazing to be able to come here and help feed the brothers and sisters and anyone else that needs food.”
—Myke Rook, 26, of Long Island
Young men stand shoulder-to-shoulder, their hands clasped, as they begin the Taraweeh prayer — something that is done nightly during the month of Ramadan. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
As customary in the Mosque, men and women pray in separate sections. Here, two women stand together, dressed smartly in down jackets, mittens, and sneakers. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
A father holds his child, decked out in bright blue winter clothes, at the Taraweeh prayer event in Times Square. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Muslims across New York City gather in Times Square to pray the Taraweeh prayer, a special congregational prayer performed nightly during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Muslims stand together, before their prayer mats, awash in Times Square’s blue light. The prayer and iftar event was organized by WayofLifeSQ and Droplets of Mercy. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Donning hats, jackets, hoodies, scarves, and gloves, young Muslim men stand together in the cold winter air as they begin the Taraweeh prayer. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
“We’re stronger together, more than ever. When we got community on our side, we could never lose and this is just another test that God is putting us through. Just never give up hope and God‘s mercy.”
—Zia Rahman, 33, of the UK
Folding your hands across your waist is mandatory for Muslims in their prayers. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
One family kneels and smiles together as they break fast with some halal chicken and rice, provided by event organizers. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Participants kneel and pray together in the streets of New York City. The event, called Taraweeh in Times Square, drew hundreds from across the city — and out of state — to pray and break fast. Photo: Taurat Hossain for Documented.
Katrine Dermody is an award-winning journalist, editor and video producer. Based in Brooklyn, NY, Katrine is currently working as an editor at Documented, her previous work can be found at outlets such as Doha Debates, Fusion, and AJ+.
Taurat Hossain (he/him) is a New York–based photographer working across fashion, commercial editorial, and long-form documentary projects. His work, featured in The Washington Post’s “Best Styles Photos of 2024,” has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. Commercial clients include New Balance, PopSugar, and Von Dutch, with recent commissions for Bloomberg Originals’ show Bullish.
