By Asfar Faridy
Muslims are getting ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan. Its not only the month of fasting but also of more prayer and opportunity to come closer to the Almighty Allah, at the same time it gives immense opportunity to control oneself. In this way the holy month of Ramadan can be taken as annual prescription for the purification of the soul as well as maintenance of the body.
The holy month of Ramadan can also be utilized by the employees as well as the employers. And it’s not a joke. During Ramadan, people who fast and also those who do business with them keep an eagle eye on watch. Every minute are being counted. No one can eat or drink after the stipulated time in the early morning. Same happens at the time of breaking the fast. People do not break their fast even half a minute before the time. Now one can imagine the effect of practices in the month of Ramadan especially in the offices like media house where deadline is being followed more strictly.
Also the month of Ramadan teaches us to respect others. It discourages the people to enter in quarrel while keeping fast. The fasting gives people the real feeling of hunger and thereby encourage them to help those who for different reason sleep without taking any meal. At a time when we read news about the poverty stricken people killing themselves in Vidharba and other areas of the country, it will be an opportunity to feel their hunger and thus work towards helping them. Government of the day can’t solve every problem. The society needs to take some responsibility including asking the government to do more in the area where it is failing.
The holy month of Ramadan should not be regarded as the season of Iftar parties; rather it must be taken as serious business where especially the followers of Islam should come forward to denounce the unreasonable bloodbath in Jammu and Kashmir and also in other parts of the world. It also does not mean that the believer of peace and tranquility should stop opposing the American and Zionist aggression in Palestine and other parts of Middle East. Last but not the least, Ramadan gives us the opportunity to work and pray for the well being of mankind. Let’s pray for the better world that should be without any Bush, Blair, Musharraf or Osama bin Laden and their likes.
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Asfar Faridy is a Delhi based journalist.