Muhammad Raafi

Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is here.

It is usually the celebration time throughout the Muslim world. This month shifts the routine schedule in Muslim societies from eating to sleeping and from working to spending.

Unlike Kashmir, Ramzan is a complete brand in modern Muslim societies where it arrives with its own cuisine, dress, activities and the entertainment. Fasting in Islam emphasizes purity of the soul with stiff restrictions on instincts that the month imposes on its followers.

Regardless of what other societies do during this holy month, Kashmir has a set schedule. It eats well, has requirement of peculiar fruits and dishes, earns handsomely and contributes generously for the cause of the poor and the under-privileged. It expects the systems including power supplies function well and the demand-supply chain in the market does not get disturbed for any reason.

What is more important is that a revived and partly salvaged Srinagar Municipal Corporation must act against profiteering, hoarding and selling of unhygienic and contaminated food. The Ramzan rush is paving way for marketing of sub-standard materials.

For the entire month, the Masjids are filled with faithful and all of a sudden there are no spaces available. In certain cases, the Imams are being paid more wages and for the first and the last time in a year people who memorize Qur’an are in “great demand”.

Before shelling out money for charities, we must ask questions, in certain cases uncomfortable ones too. Let the donor know who is seeking help and for what.

Let the donor be told that his/her money is spent wisely and for the right cause. This is important, especially, when we have a number of cases where a few bad souls use religion for their own interests. There should be proper check of such charities. Let his month help us become better human beings.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here