By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net
Hyderabad: ‘Zohridaar’ or more popularly known as ‘Sehri Wala’ has been an integral feature of Ramzan since centuries. In an era when all the traditional norms are in a stage of extinct, sehri wala’s do every bit to survive in the age of ‘Alarm clock’.
At around 2:30 a.m. pre-dawn and heavy tunes of Qawali with drum beats started mesmerizing narrow streets in the Muslim localities giving call to the devout to wake up for ‘Sehri’ or pre-dawn meal. These Sehri wala’s start from their homes for their pious duty, when nearly every Muslim is in the best of their sleep after a late night ‘taravih’ prayers or a night of “hoteling.”
56 year old Khaja Miyan is performing this duty of waking up Muslims for Sehar (pre-dawn meal) for the past 25 years. With a ‘Dhol’ in his hand he wanders the streets of Amberpet locality singing a song depicting the sacrifices of the Companions of prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) urging Muslims to follow the same and perform their own sacrifice of nap. Unlike to the popular perception that all people in this profession are Fakhir’s (beggars) Khaja Miyan is a tea-seller by profession and according to him this job is more like a spiritual duty.
“This profession is to give call to Muslims towards Allah and its prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h), I am doing this duty since 25 years in the month of Ramzan. I go to houses of Muslims in the localities where I have given the call, at the day of Eid to collect my reward if they are willing to give it to me, I don’t compel any one, if even they don’t give anything I am sure I will get my reward from Allah.” Said Khaja Miyan while walking on the wet street, armed with an umbrella for an unforeseen situation. Khaja Miyan said the biggest challenge he faced during his work in this Ramzan were the heavy rains, but he also said rather in assuring manner that “Even storm cannot stop me from performing my duty, it is for Allah and I am answerable to him.”
These Sehri Wala’s follow strict rules in their pious duty of giving a wake-up call, they cannot cross their locality or the area and enter into another Zohridaars locality, if two more of them are working in a same locality then they have to adhere to the timings fixed by them in mutual consent.
Mohd Aleem Miyan is the most senior Sehri Wala in the Amber pet locality, 78 year old ride his Hero bicycle in a flexible style in the tapered streets with a 3k.g. ‘Phirki’ in his hand making fluttering noise and he goes singing a song in his old sore voice whose verses is still hard to understand.
Unlike Khaja Miyan for Mohd Aleem Miyan this work of waking up devotes for Sehar is more like a job then a pious duty. He said, “There is no other work to do, to earn money, to have some food, so that is why I have to do this.” Aleem Miyan is a Fakhir (beggar) and visits his area every Friday for his reward.
Till few decades back when there was no mobile phones, Alarm clock’s or even Sirens on the terrace of Mosques these Sehri Wala’s was the only source available to rouse the ‘Rozedars’ from their sleep for the Sehar, thus in those times it was regarded as a Nobel duty.
Working in the 21st century, some Sehri Wala’s have also gone modern and hi- tech. Some have installed batteries on the rickshaws and amplifying their call with a micro phone. Some even gone to the extent of playing Qawalis or Naats from their battery equipped rickshaw to give a new trend to the profession.
But in recent times there is a huge drop in the number of Zohridaars, as younger generation doesn’t find this job feasible. With only handful of same old guys left in this profession or pious duty some, in the coming decades this profession might just disappear.