The New Nation - Internet Edition

M.T. Hussain

Fasting in day time from dawn to dusk for one lunar month, Ramadan, is one of the five basic rituals Muslims are required to observe as a must provided one is adult, not ill, not in travel, not infirm due to old age, not pregnant or young woman carrying baby in her womb. The compulsory fasting though somewhat physically painful for body to bear, the ritual is rather a popular one among all of the nearly 13 billion Muslims living throughout the world marked by a sort of festivity. I lived in London in my late youth for over seven years and enjoyed fasting there with many. Not only this. I had occasions to say the Ramadan specific Tarabih prayer usually done after following the 'Isha (early night) prayer for few terms in the London Central (Regents' Park) Mosque in 1980s. The festivities for Iftar, Dinner and Tarabih at the Central Mosque had been an enjoying matter for me for years, despite the fact that I had occasions to attend another Rabita mosque at the Goodge Street in Central London as that location was within my walking distance from residence and the Peckham Mosque in the south east of London, and a few times in the East London mosques of Brick Lane and White Chapel street. There in almost all cases Muslim devotees used to fast almost without exception even if many would not say the daily compulsory five times salat or prayer. This is what we see elsewhere including among Bangladesh Muslims. The motivation for fasting is huge for all as we see our young kids do fast in many cases even if parents would discourage them for their young age or not being adult. Possibly because the fasting is physically painful to bear, there are many sayings both in the holy Al-Quran and in the sayings of the Prophet for deep spiritual motivation for the act.

Fasting is enjoined upon the Muslims, baring few exceptions mentioned above, according to the Quran for building up human character and personality of TAQWA or self- restrain. Muslims must attain self restrain in all physical postures and dealings with other human beings. In fact, Muslims' belief in Islam based on the Tawheed or pure monotheism is for building human personality of TAQWA or self-restrain by surrendering and making one subservient to the will and demand of the Almighty Allah. In other words, it may be said that Muslims must surrender to the will of Allah and the surrender must be unconditional to Him to turn into 'good and righteous' one. That is how TAQWA could be created in one's character and personality. Rituals like Salat, Zakat, Hajj and Iman or belief in the lone creator though made compulsory depending on one's own position, the core issue remains that Taqwa or self-restrain is the ultimate goal for human being to attain through performing rituals, not only the mandatory ones but also even the optional ones. In Allama Iqbal's term Muslims must aim to turn into INSAN E KAMEL through observing the set rituals and so overpowering all animal passions that is instinctively present in each and every human being. Mere observance of rituals without attaining self-restrain (LA ALLAKUM TATTAQUN) is meaningless exercise.

Food and drink for life survival is the first need for any living creature and for all human being. Sexuality is another natural instinct for adult male and female. Fasting is meant abstinence from food and drink as from any sexual act, as well. Such abstinence means suppression and control of all physical demand and passion, an exercise against natural need and demand of life. But why is the tortuous and rigorous exercise for adults for continuous thirty long days in a lunar year of 354 days? Is the exercise enough and worth for attaining self-restrain in one's character, attitude and outlook of life?

The goal of self-restrain of late is being misunderstood and misused by many fasting persons as the well off among them take to more food and drink as a sort of festivity. The poor having little means behave though differently in humbleness, not for self-restrain but for poor affordability. Thus the self-restrain goal is defeated by almost all.

In fact self-restrain in food and drink or in other words, avoiding the notion of 'eat, drink and be merry' is what self-restrain should come in for inculcation in one's character and attitude for dealings with all others around. In Bangladesh the issue is very much missing as for one example is that every Ramadan comes with price spiral of essential food items, particularly, for those food items used for Iftar or evening break fasting. Those who take to such market manipulation and price rise are almost without exception themselves making the fasting as ritual possibly with no less devotion than any fasting Muslim! Profit motive of free market is all that the Muslim and fasting guys operate wonderfully and manipulate the market most effectively and quite cleverly without any concern for self-restrain.

Self-restrain is Muslims all time behavior and attitude not only in eating, drinking and sexual acts but also in all other behavioral attitudes in all day to day transactions with all other beings around including I would take, natural and physical environment, as well. That is what the Muslims were taught to stick to by the Prophet of Islam that we may term as 'plain living' or living and passing life in simplicity in food, drink, clothing, housing etc. avoiding all wastefulness or not being consumption spree, particularly in midst of wide spread poverty of ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed millions all around.

It is only true that self-restrained human beings can make civilized society having nucleus in family bondage and keeping up therein basic family values. That is what could be pre-requisite for constructing democratic society. In this sense Muslims practicing self-restrain or Taqwa in its true meaning can make democracy sustainable in all Muslim countries for self-restrained individuals can easily make tolerant democratic culture. Let the 13 billion members of the UMMAH think afresh in building self-restrain in the psyche of the members beginning from this Ramadan of 1429 A.H. or 2008 A.D. that the Muslims had in the initial period thus rising to the peak of advancement but lost the quality in subsequent ages that brought the obvious downfall and all humiliations.

Free market implies making eye-catching advertisement for promotion of sale; but so far as costly elite Iftar is concerned, it goes against self-restrain that Ramadan aims at; it is, as such, incumbent on the government to stop all advertising in media about costly elite Iftar in all Muslim countries including Bangladesh during the Ramadan.