Ramzaan Mubarak

'Ramadaan Mubarak.'
'Ramzaan Mubarak to you too.'

What holy ordure! All these mubarakbadis floating around. The month of Ramzaan must have rolled around like it does once every year.

‘Aap nay roza rakha?’
'Aap rozay say haiN?'
'Kya aap ka roza hay?'
'Roza kaisay ja raha hay?'

Most people feign lip service. Some even lie more.

The Qur'an was revealed in this holy month. And in Ramzaan Muslims (eligible, healthy only) are asked to fast from sunrise to sunset to observe the fourth of the five pillars of their faith.

Soldiers on the battlefield, travelers, sick and elderly, those suffering from diseases like diabetes (where they have to eat something every few hours), pregnant or nursing women, children, laborers and peasants who cannot carry out their daily work load if they abstain from food or drink are all exempt from this observance.

Those exempt from fasting are required to feed one hungry person for each fast missed. But the very poor who cannot afford this are exempt even from this.

The curtains and blinds will come down in restaurants to indicate respect for those observing fasts. Or they will be closed to reopen at sunset. Those not fasting, eat in their offices and homes burdened by guilt.

Iftaar parties mushroom. Food wastage is elevated to an art form. Mr. Gorging Abdul Gluttonous partying with Ms. Bingeing Aanisa Bender all over the town.

If you live in the diaspora you notice the influx of well heeled visitors and vacationers from Pakistan.

Here in Southern Ontario, fueled by the ignorant, the media plays to the hilt how during fasting from sunrise to sunset observing Muslims abstain from food, drink and sex. As if it is normal to have sex at office.

While most businesses suffer during this month due to absenteeism and lowering productivity, caterers, ladies tailors and some others do roaring business.

But other than feigning a respect for Ramzaan and those who fast, what does it really mean? Fasting, or abstaining from food is supposed to:

* Enhance Taqwaa (Piety.) Does it?
* Inculcate Sab'r (Patience.) Does it?
* Instill Tolerance and Good Manners. Does it?
* Strengthen Unity (with Muslims all over.) Does it?
* Cleanse the soul. Does it?
* Makes us feel one with the underprivileged. Does it?

Ramzaan also gives us an incentive to give out more Zakaat (charity), another pillar of Islam. This activity does increase during the holy month in Pakistan. People come out in droves to contribute Zakaat.

While their intentions are laudable, I do find financial accountability in most religious and welfare institutions seriously lacking. To reiterate, I will qualify this: while some major players have excellent transparency in their financial dealings and have audited statements available for view, most of them do not.

Apart from invoking heavenly thanks and blessings the donor, is left with little else.

The intent of Ramzaan is good: cleansing the body and soul; learning the virtues of patience and sharing. But the dogma in practice has been turned into dogmatic acerbity.

I might get flack for stating the obvious. Why must being a good Muslim be confined to one month out of twelve only. Yes, I am aware that nowhere does it say that a Muslim should forgo being a good Muslim during the other eleven months.

But I do find all this immoderate emphasis over Ramzaan misplaced.

Being a good Muslim, or being a good Insaan is a 7/24/365 proposition. It is disarranged folly to think that by abstaining from food and drink for thirty days and indulging in some rituals, the rest of the year is fair game for other travesties.