People buy and sell prayer caps, beads and mats by the roadside. PHOTO: AGENCIES
Street vendors have set up shops outside mosques, cashing in on the rush of piety traditionally associated with the month.
Moreover, shops which exclusively sell prayer mats and caps, are swarmed by customers.
“Sales increases during the month of Ramazan because Muslims try to follow Sunnah and teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). So, they use miswaak (herbal toothbrush), attar, prayer caps, rosary and prayer mats,” a shopkeeper Ayan Shahid said.
Hamid Khan, another shop owner at the Melody Market, said that Ramazan brings a windfall for them.
“I sell caps imported from China, Turkey, and Malaysia and perfume (attars) from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran and even India,” he said adding, “Ours is an exclusive inventory for which people pay good money.”
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Miswak, a root used for cleaning teeth, has been sold outside mosques and on sidewalks for ages. However, a new trend has emerged of selling disinfected and packed miswaks.
Hamid said people eagerly buy the packed miswaks with the olive root a top favourite for its herbal benefits.
“We are at the shop around the year. However, it is only during Ramazan that we record bumper sales as people purchase and use more things related to prayers,” he said.
Shopkeeper Muhammad Feroz said that a number of items imported from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries are in high demand and also yield better profits. People buy prayer beads and perfumes as gifts during the holy month.
Jalil Ahmed, a rosary maker who sits outside the Lal Masjid sewing wooden beads in threads, says he looks forward to celebrating Eidul Fitr after enjoying a month of good business. Detailing the beads he threads, Ahmed said that his sandalwood prayer beads are quite popular and he received larger than usual orders.
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“It gives a different feeling to the fingers, nothing special,” Ahmed said.
Apart from sandalwood, he said rosaries come in plastic and semi-precious stones as well. Ahmed’s spread of prayer beads looks more like fashion accessories.
Mohsin Ali, another stall owner, said his sales had been quite impressive.
Rosaries have are particular appeal during Ramazan, he said, adding that they also make for popular gifts.
Ahmed Ali, a customer at one of the stalls, said that he was there to buy new prayer mats.
“It is customary for us to purchase prayer mats and holy books from stalls outside the mosque every year in Ramazan,” Ali said, adding that he prefers thick prayer mats for the long Taraveeh sessions.
The Melody Market near Lal Masjid becomes a hub for sales of prayer related accessories. Many customers said they travel to the market from nearby towns to buy prayer caps and mats in bulk.
“Some people buy carpet-runners used in prayer halls of the mosques. They gift these to mosques before the start of Ramazan,” shopkeeper Sajjad Khan said. “Sales go up by 40 to 70 per cent during Ramazan,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2017.
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