“O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation.” Al Quran- [2:183]
Earlier posts on Ramzan Sharif have prompted me to write a few lines that may not be contested by readers but I think in all fairness we need to be a little truthful particularly in the month when we need to take a closer look at our conduct. Each year, Ramzan generates much of the usual piety and loud proclamations about how the Satan is chained in this month and the doors of repentance are let open upon the believers. We have grown up internalizing these views and therefore a majority of Muslim population across the globe fasts and prays for Divine mercy.
Essentially this month is a time of cleansing one’s soul as well as the body. However, every Ramzan witnesses some distasteful activities by the believers that come hand in hand with the rituals of the holy month.
First, the consumerism: forget about the cleansing of the system – there is an overemphasis on food when it should be the last item on our priorities. There are Iftaars galore and rich fatty foods are added to the diet like never before. A lavish Iftaar (across the board) is followed by a sumptuous dinner. There are Iftar packages everywhere from small stalls to five star hotels. And, the whole purpose of the exercise is somewhat undermined by the food-fest[s] indulged in by all and sundry.
A few words on the despicable behaviour of the profiteers and hoarders nowadays defined as the ultimate magic bullet – the market. This year the prices of basic staple diet – atta reached the skies when a sack of wheat flour was sold at Rs 320-340 much higher than the “fixed” prices. Not content with this, there was an average increase of 10-11 per cent in all the food items. Now if this is the official statistic, then the actual figure is bound to be higher. I have no estimate but judging by stories in the media it was much much higher.
Imagine the poor of Pakistan who constitute 24-34 per cent of the total figure (depends on the measure and source one adopts). They have had a tough time this Ramzan. And, then all this piety and repentance? The Federal Bureau of Statistics has reported an increase of 12.61% increase was seen in the “ratio of dearness for the low income group” during this time in comparison to the last year.
I can even imagine that those benefiting from the hikes would give massive amounts of charity, offer all the prayers (perhaps more through the nawaafil) and think that they would wash away their crimes and misdemeanours. Indeed the ultimate arbiter and decision maker of their deeds is the Almighty but one cannot help notice the irony of this situation.
The spirit of Ramzan also stresses the redistributive aspect of Islamic practices. The giving of Zakat at the end of the month is also mandatory for Muslims. In the past a hash was made of the Zakat system put into place by the Zia regime where all these funds were diverted and used for political and ‘strategic’ gains. This trend has been somehwhat arrested but pilferage continues. And, I will not say more on the new status symbol of the elites – an Umra towards the end of the holy month – where hundreds and thousands of rupees are spent while a majority of poor put up the posters of Kaaba on their cracking walls.
Road rage is also another trend during the month and many a people think that fasting has to do with starvation – our speech and thoughts need to fast as well. Do they? Rumi rightly said:
Wash your hands and your mouth, neither eat nor speak; seek that speech and that morsel which has come to the silent ones.
There is much too much emphasis on the ritual and the spirit of our great religion is the real casualty of the way we practice religion in the land of the pure. About time someone explained the words Taqwa and Tazkia-e Nafs in their entirety. I end with these words.
There is more to be said here but may God forgive me for this rant. Perhaps I am also a victim of that impatience that I am supposed to contain.
Shueyb–exactly right! Christians with their instant born-again forgiveness fall prey to the same way of thinking. Now Muslims are doing a version of the same thing–everything can be made right and we can go on sinning ad infiniteum….
Of course, too much emphasis on rituals, and too little attention to character and welfare of humans … the momins of today for you! I guess this behaviour is encouraged by the prevalent way of preaching. They keep on mentioning the exponential count of sawab one can earn by such rituals and have one’s most horrible sins washed. So one may think, why not keep committing the wrong, when washing it away has been made so easy.
Yes I am sure it is true that middlemen profit from the situation (however there are those who market their goods directly–but then I am apt to think more about livestock than row crops). Perhaps this could be altered in the future so the farmers see the money. It’s a complicated problem.
Many thanks to all the friends here for their insightful comments.
SH Kavi: thanks for mentioning the middlemen here who exploit the small farmers. Tina’s contention is correct in theory but then the reality in Pakistani rural areas is altogether a separate matter.
Adonis: There are several studies that are now available on the leakages of the Zakat system. Recent surveys have shown that many deserved never received the Zakat due and those who did had to pay a bribe to receive the funds.
By strategic I was implying the whole networlk of laying down patronage networks through ‘nominated’ zakat committees who prepare the lists of mustehaqeen and disburse the funds. These channels are highly politicised and used by the state to further the patronage culture. If you add the support to the local clergy through their inclusion in this system, then a very convenient alliance can be seen that of course defines the strategic dimensions.
Let me humbly submit that I do not subscribe to conspiracy theories (though love them as a daily surreal experience in Pak). A few years of development experience in the field allowed me to observe these dhandhas play out in full measure. And this would also include the art of profiteering and price hike orchestrated by powerful lobbies!
I can send you a report on Zakat and other links that I saw some time back via email. Please contact me at razarumi@gmail.com.
An arab writing in english would write ‘ramadan’ while a Pakistani or Irani would write ‘ramzan’. For those purists who are bothered by this, why not use ‘month of fasting’ instead?
Though there certainly are profiteers but increased consumer demand in ramzan also puts pressure on supplies thus increasing prices. BTW, profiteering is not all encompassing in ramzan. I have come across shopkeepers who actually bring down prices in ramzan believing that it is an act of piety.
Furthermore, I have heard rumors in the past about embezzelment in zakat fund but never anything about diversion of these funds for strategic purposes. Seems like we as a nation love to believe in conspiracy theories. Incidentally , the zakat fund collection has come down significantly since the supreme court allowed all muslims to opt for disallowing zakat deduction from their bank accounts.
“If people don’t get good prices for locally grown food, they won’t stay home and farm.”
Small farmers don’t get the large profits out of price hike, it is the middlemen who do.
PMA,
“Ab sadiyon kay iqraar-i-ataa’t ko badalnay
Laazim hai keh inkaar ka farmaan koi utray”
All I can say is mukarrar, encore.
Persisting on spellings like ‘Ramzan’ and ‘Ramazan’ in an English article, is like using the spelling ‘Amreeka’ rather than ‘America’ while writing in English. The standard spelling you would find in any dictionary is Ramadan. Why fight it?