Adhuri Ghazal

Teri Chahat Sey Dil Bhara Hi Nahi Kabi
Aur Tu Hai Ki Hamey Samja Hi Nahi Kabi

Meri Aankhun Sey Beh Rahen Hain Jo Yeh Jheel
In Kye Kinarun Pey Tu Thehra Hi Nahi Kabi

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Ramadan Diary

The environment created during Ramadan is one in which conducting the religious rituals and pious acts becomes easy. On the collective level, there is a rush in masjids, observance of religious rituals and empathy displayed towards the poor. This positive environment reinforces the pious acts undertaken by the fasting Muslims. Every muslim tries to earn more rewards, please God and refrain from evil.

Once Ramadan is over, this positive environment too ends, so the external motivation is gone. Only few Muslims, then sustain the Ramadan spirit over the next eleven months and many adorn the religious fervor only in this month, while going back to their old deeds once Ramadan is over. This relapse on the old days defeats the purpose of Ramadan spirit and depicts lackadaisical approach on the part of fasting Muslims. Ramadan spirit demands that it's essence and esoteric aspects be maintained for the whole year.

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Ramadan Diary

Ramadan calls for what I term as "Ramadan Spirit." This spirit is the basis of all religious practices and rituals in Islam. If the spirit is missing, the rituals and practices become hollow and devoid of the real essence. Islam lays down emphasis on both exoteric and esoteric aspects of the religious practices, but more emphasis is laid down upon the spirit and esoteric aspect.

A Prophetic saying expounds the fact that there are many fasting believers for whom fasting encompasses nothing except for hunger and thirst. It means that mere abstinence from food and water are not the end goal of fasting but it is a means towards developing the God consciousness among the believers. So if fasting does not help a believer attain the same, then there is something wrong with his fasting attitude that has become an impediment in not helping him to attain the real goal of fasting and connecting with God.

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Ramadan Diary

The prayers during night have a special place in raising the spiritual state of Muslims. One who wants to be more closer to God, the night prayers are ordained and need to be established. Night is the best time when the whole world comes to a stand still and people rest, except for the one who is seeking pleasure and nearness towards God. During the night, there is an eerie silence, calmness and serenity that are ideal for a believer to remain focused on his prayers without much disturbance. Also to sacrifice sleep for the sake of God and prayers certainly has a spiritual benefit.

Night prayers during the last ten days of Ramadan are encouraged and fasting Muslims are supposed to pray during the odd nights. It is these night prayers that are quite powerful for attaining spiritual strength.

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Ramadan Diary

Those Muslims who skip fasting during Ramadan deliberately fail to implement a basic pillar of Islam. Fasting is a personal choice and commitment towards God and Islam. Some of these deliberate skippers, to add insult to injury start to eat and drink in public spaces. Again it is a personal choice to fundamentally break the laws of Islam that too publicly.

The resturants and eateries in Muslim dominated areas hang curtains to conceal the identity of Ramadan skippers. But one does not understand the hunger of these non fasting Muslims that instead of eating at homes and private spaces, they make sure that the public joints of eating operate with hustle and bustle. The reverence of Ramadan calls for abstinence of public eating of muslims during Ramadan.

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Ramadan Diary

Many Muslims are looking out for opportunities and justifications to escape from fasting. Some seek medical justifications, while others concoct various excuses and few make up stories for not fasting. It is correct that a lot of relaxation is provided to the pregnant, menstruating women, travellers and sick. But on these pretexts escaping from fasting is uncalled for, because deliberately skipping fasting invokes strong penalty. Also skipping even a single day of fasting will not be compensated during the whole life.

Fasting needs a strong resolve, and it also develops the resolve among common people. So those who do not want to inculcate such a resolve find ways to escape from the same, hence develop into weak personalities. Those who cannot give up food and water for a limited time cannot be expected to make great sacrifices for common good.

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Ramadan Diary

Children are always excited about Ramadan. For them it is a novel experience to get up at night and eat food, pray and then sleep. Fasting is not obligatory on children but parents can help them develop the Ramadan spirit. This spirit helps them to observe fasting as they grow older.

In my childhood, I insisted on being awoken for pre dawn meal. Many times parents brushed it aside, sometimes they gave in and i was quite happy. But then they made me eat during the day at proper times insisting that i can observe fasting from one meal to the other. As a child, I believed them, so parents should try to somewhat involve children in the fasting process. Also children should be made to give some charity from their hands to the poor and destitute.

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Ramadan Diary

Fasting comes to inculcate among Muslims the values of humanity, compassion and empathy. Also it makes us experience that we can survive spiritually without indulging in vices or minimizing them. The environment that Ramadan intends to create should be one of peace, pluralism and tolerance and should extend beyond this month.

The values of piety should get reflected in our daily lives and not be confined to Ramadan only but extended to all seasons and months. Ramadan is just a means to attain these values and end is our salvation by the implementation of Islamic values in our day today lives. Most of the time we take Ramadan as an end in itself while forgetting the fact that the real spirit of Ramadan needs to be reflected in our everyday lives, only then Ramadan can make a permanent impact in our lives.

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Ramadan Diary

Donors and Muslims who pay the obligatory Zakah should keep this aspect in mind that before paying the relief and religious organizations the first priority of their donations are their poor relatives, neighbors, friends and acquaintances. Once they are satisfied that they have fulfilled their needs, only then they should go ahead and pay to other charities, while making sure that they are the genuine institutions, where the donation will be spent for the poor and downtrodden.

Many among us hand our Zakah without undertaking the background check of the people and organizations whom we are lending our monetary support. It renders us wrong and sinful in the eyes of God because like prayers where we have to follow a proper procedure while praying, for the Zakah and other donations we should ensure that it is spent according to the principles laid by the Holy Quran.

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Ramadan Diary

Fasting during Ramadan teaches us to value many things, that on a daily routine we take for granted. Hunger is a world problem and for few hours all fasting Muslims do experience the pangs of hunger. The food that is available to us daily is quite rare and valuable for those who have to struggle and toil for it.

Fasting inculcates compassion and empathy for such souls and every fasting muslim should try to provide for the hungry. The fasting souls should pledge to remove hunger from their neighborhoods and society. While fasting themselves some food should be given as charity so that those who cannot afford food are able to participate in the month of Mercy by not feeling the pangs of hunger.

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