Private Opinion

Ramadan Blogging: Day 2

I am really getting to like the short talk after fajr (early morning) prayers. Since it is no more than 10 minutes, the speaker has limited opportunity to digress from the main theme. Today’s talk was given by a young (looked like American born Arab to me) who was quite nervous in the beginning but gained confidence soon after. I don’t know his name and most of the people in the mosque didn’t. He should have introduced himself in the beginning but anyway. His emphasis was on the social aspects of Ramadan and how Muslims should help the needy in poorer parts of the world like Africa and people affected by natural calamities as in Bangladesh floods or Indonesia earthquake. He also mentioned Darfur and I have recently began to notice that more and more speakers are raising their voice against the injustice in Darfur in Jumah Khutbahs (Friday Sermons) and other events.

When people talk of Ramadan they mostly emphasize on the ritualistic aspect of the month as to more prayers, more Quranic recitation, more azkaar (reciting Allah’s name) and so on. It is further strengthened by the fact that the magnitude of such deeds is multiplied during Ramadan. The reward of one farz (compulsory) prayer becomes equal to the reward of 27 such prayers and the reward of one optional prayer becomes equal to a farz prayer in Ramadan. So, another important aspect of Ramadan, which is the social aspect, is usually left out in the discourse. Therefore it was refreshing to see a young Muslim emphasizing on its importance. To help the poor and the needy in our society is something all Muslims should focus on, especially in this month.

After isha (night) prayers there was a talk by Dr. Imad Bayoun from Los Angeles on the first revealed verses of Quran which we know now by Surah Alaq. I am copying here the translation of the first five verses of this surah here translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali:

Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created-
Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood:
Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,-
He Who taught (the use of) the pen,-
Taught man that which he knew not. [USC]

It is amazing to find out the very first revealed words in that dark period of history in the desert of Arabia were on reading, pen and knowledge. It is disappointing to see contemporary Muslims totally ignoring the import of Prophet’s message in terms of learning. The fifth verse is especially dear to me as it is the motto of Aligarh Muslim University which is my alma-mater. I asked a question after the lecture about the distinction between secular and religious knowledge and if one is preferable over other. Dr. Bayoun replied that both are connected and most of the times one is needed to appreciate the other. He gave an example of Al Khwarizmi who magnificently combined the two. In India the same question would have got a different response where people (even educated ones) go out of the way to create a distinction between religious knowledge and secular knowledge and regard the latter as hunar (skill) outside the domain of ilm (knowledge). May be it is because of the hold of clerics on religious discourse in India and don’t want to let go the power that comes with it.

Personally I feel that Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam in which every Muslim, rich or poor goes through the same experience as hunger and thirst is same for everyone. It reinforces the message of equality for all human beings of Islam.

I leave you with this clever ad by Nando’s for Ramadan.