As we bid farewell to the holy month of Ramazan 1429 (September 2008), it is almost obligatory that one ask the question, candidly and courageously, whether Ramazan made any difference to our life. Or what difference did this majestic month make to our life, individually and collectively.
Whether it was different from the other Ramazans in our lives, in the past. Put straight and directly, did this Ramazan make us better Muslims? Were we able to devote ourselves to the twin supreme goals in our lives, namely, Huqooq-ullah (rights of Allah on man) and Huqooq-ul-Ibad (rights of community on the individual)?
Ramazan, as we know, was the month when the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), and so the question that goes abegging is whether this Ramazan we were able to read the Holy book with meaning, and decide to try and live our lives by submitting to the will of the Almighty. And Lailatul Qadr? Did its power and glory bless us? That's the way I am contemplating the farewell to the glorious month of Ramazan, and the arrival of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Indeed, these are Eid thoughts and there are many others that surface in the mind. The significance of Ramazan is multidimensional, and, it extends into Eid-ul-Fitr, which is a festival that unfortunately seems to be viewed in this society as being divorced from the divine and spiritual dimensions of the month of fasting and worship. It is rather sad that mistaken and misunderstood concepts of Eid-ul-Fitr and how it should be celebrated are demonstrated by almost all sections of society.
Why one thinks like this is because there appears to be a rather flippant and superficial approach to Ramazan and Eid-ul-Fitr that seems to be evident in some parts of this society. It has also become evident in the media. It, sadly, seems that fasting is limited only to the denial of food from Sehri to Iftar, and I have heard lengthy Radio and TV programmes talk only of the advantages of losing weight for the fashion conscious. The deeper and divine aspects of Ramazan, are underplayed and even completely ignored at times. I would like to write about this in my TV column later next week.
That it has been a tough Ramazan, is something I have said before. Calling it tough, is an understatement, perhaps. It has been a trying experience for the people of this country to make ends meet, and balance their home budgets in view of the highest ever rate of food inflation in particular.
Then the spiralling costs of living have also had a telling effect on the holy month, and the humiliated, harassed faces of poverty and deprivation have been far more visible this time than ever before. I do not know how far personal and institutional charity (Zakat, Sadqa, etc) were able to alleviate poverty. But I would like to underline that never before have I seen people become so desperate, nagging and dogged when it came to asking for alms, financial assistance, assorted forms of support.
In saying this, one does not seek to underrate or overlook the visible forms of charity that we have witnessed this Ramazan. Or the large turnouts in the mosques for worship, especially in the last ten days, of Ramazan - which is quite a contrast to the heightened insecurity that looms large in {society at this point in time. The collective prayer (dua) that takes place at the end of the Taraveeh prayers have attracted a familiar traditional turnout of faithful (men and women of all age groups) - and this too despite the insecurity concerns. Security measures or not, the faithful assembled all over the city to ask for the mercy and the blessings of the Almighty Allah, which are showered on the devoted and God fearing.
That should not surprise. I do not have only the Marriott Hotel tragedy in mind. That is one pointer. That I also have happy memories of the time spent there, is another story. But our insecurity has many causes, many faces, many consequences. And many thoughts about the future, therefore.
One cause of the insecurity in our lives, a war against terror that we are in. What is happening in places like Bajaur and the tribal areas, as well as in NWFP and elsewhere in the land, is something that Pakistanis are aware of, though not all of them have the same perception of the reality that is inside the country. It is no longer an insecurity at the door alone.
It is being said that this is not a war for the West or the United Statues, but that it is to safeguard our own territorial interests, and integrity. A very powerful advertisement has appeared in yesterday's newspapers, which highlights it as this being our war, and which also enables us to understand the content within which we have had our Ramazan this year. Of course, Eid-ul-Fitr is also conditioned by the war, and the insecurity of our times has cast a dark long shadow on the festival too.
I cannot resist the temptation of referring to a somewhat narrow minded, and unfair perception of Eid-ul-Fitr which has appeared in an article in a leading daily yesterday. It does not appear to appreciate, to even the slightest degree, the true spirit of Eid-ul-Fitr, which of course cannot be understood without comprehending the meaning, the purpose, and the grandeur of the holy month of Ramazan. The article begins by describing the Eid as "the age old, insipid, three letter festival" that haunt our lives.
The details of Eid-ul-Fitr as perceived in this article reflect a distorted and myopic view, and it concludes by wishing "if only one could fast forward the Eid day". It is truly sad that there are such perceptions, and opinions of Eidul Fitr (and Ramazan). I was speechless at the way in which this article misrepresented the festival of Eid, which is not only an occasion for thanksgiving, but also for sharing Allah's bounties with the less fortunate.
One prays that Pakistanis will realise this year more than ever, that given the rising costs of living and the dwindling purchasing power of the Pakistani rupee, sharing with the less fortunate people in our community is an obligation that cannot be set aside. Don't turn away the person who wants Eidi, please. He is not trying to harass you.
While I waited for the official decision (held up where I know not) whether we should observe Eid today or tomorrow? I must confess that I will miss Ramazan.
Eid Mubarak, anyway.(nusratnasarullah0@hotmail.com)