On top of that the prices of food items, mainly fruits, are raised
KARACHI: As the holy month of Ramazan is close at hand, our lives will see an overt transition from piety to commercialisation and excessive consumption. Ramazan teaches us to become spiritually close to Allah by attaining inner peace through our personal reflections but the whole spiritual concept comes crashing down our feet when the desire for materialistic benefits becomes paramount.
From street vendors to lavish buffet restaurants, everyone will engage themselves in filling the empty stomachs of the starved population at sahr and iftar times. By keeping the whole population indulged in overeating and consuming mouthwatering, highly reasonable deals of food, the Islamic notion of conducting restraint and patience in our eating habits is turned around. On top of that the prices of food items, mainly fruits, are raised.
On the other hand, the media moguls enjoy the greatest amount of benefit from this holy month. Numerous Ramazan transmissions present a modestly dressed host asking religious scholars to address certain Islamic issues on air and the whole transmission will end in a lighthearted superficial take on Islam. When entertainment and amusement comes in, the after iftar shows are the worse.
So, the question arises who benefits from Ramazan? Superficially, it’s capitalism that takes much of the cake. However, if we look beyond the obvious, we are all empty handed. Ramazan, like every year, will come and go and none of us will make most of the spiritual aspect it carries with itself.
Hadia Mukhtar Singapuri
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2018.
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