Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Ramadan and Social Obligations

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Ramadan and Social Obligations

The month of Ramadan is going on and the Muslims around the world are observing fast. Fasting in month of Ramadan is basically abstaining from any sort of food or drinks from the Chanting of the clergyman in mosque in the morning to the other one in the evening. Though mostly fasting has been considered as a way of earning virtue and guaranteeing and earning better record to be able to secure a better place in the world hereafter, it has many social implications as well.

Fasting is not just keeping oneself away food and water for the entire day; it has an opportunity for its observers to bring about positive changes in their social life. One of the most dominant teachings of Ramadan is tolerance. Tolerance is not only advisable for a person in his individual life but also for his social undertakings. It helps a person in managing better social interactions and at the same time invigorating social relations. Tolerance is one of the highest qualities to have as it helps build the society, which largely depends on cooperation and trust. Unfortunately, today the bearers of religion are considered as the most intolerant people around the world. Nonetheless, Islam has always emphasized on the quality of tolerance.

Tolerance for others is necessary in today's multicultural world. Muslims are all around the world and there are many Muslim countries that have different religious groups living in them; therefore, Muslims need to show great tolerance and respect for them and fasting is one of the ways of learning tolerance. Remaining without food and water throughout the day and at the same time keeping oneself normal and pleasant requires a great deal of tolerance. Moreover, it is one of the requirements of fasting that a person must not get too much rough in his social dealings and must not lose his temper. Being angry and abusive easily are the factors that spoil a person's fast and are not at all allowed.

Another important quality that may be learned through fasting is the self control, which can play an important role in changing the society and bringing about positive changes. The people who are able to control themselves are able to change the society, while fasting is one of the ways of practicing the self control. As there are certain things that a person has to abstain from during the month of Ramadan, this teaches him to control his self. This self control can afterwards be used in changing the society for better.

It can be observed easily within our society that mostly people go with the tide of the time and changes in the society. They go wherever the social changes take them and they do not have any control over themselves and the society. They seem like puppets that have their strings in the hand of time and the society. However, this is not the concept of the responsible being in Islam. Islam wants a Muslim to be responsible and socially active. If he is not able to understand and control himself and the society, he is not the best of the creatures and does not deserve to justify his own existence.

Realizing the vices and evils in the society and abstaining himself from them is the first step that a person can take in the way to virtue and betterment of society. Being in fast, people are not allowed to be part of the vices and crimes in the society and must play a positive and assertive role to shun those vices and crimes, otherwise he does not deserve to observe fast.

Another important social aspect of Ramadan is to feel the hunger and realize that there are many people who have to remain hungry in our society not just for one month but for the entire year or may be their entire lives. Therefore, fasting must not only make them realize this fact but also take steps to reduce their sufferings.

Fasting must make the people realize the disparities that exist between the ways of living of the poor and the rich. It must make them feel how the poor spend their lives without having enough to eat and to feed their children, while the rich have all the luxuries of life – much more than human beings require.

Unfortunately, the above said qualities are not seen frequently during the month of Ramadan. It can be observed in Muslim societies during the month of Ramadan that people are less tolerant in their social interactions. They get angry on pity matters and even become abusive on minor incidents. They seem to lack self control and do not learn what fasting has to teach them. They are not able to abstain from the evil and vices and in fact become a part of them and strengthen them.

A simple example of trying to earn extra profit from the business dealings can be cited in this regard. The businessmen and shopkeeper, though observe fast, are not able to avoid the attempts of earning more and more money in every possible way. They increase the prices of the items they sell without taking into consideration the regulations of the state law or the negative impacts this increase may have on the lives of other people, especially those who suffer from destitution.

In addition, during the month of Ramadan, instead of feeling that the class disparity is negative and evil, it is further strengthened. The poor can hardly get food to break their eternal fast, while the rich have different types of dishes on their tables while breaking their fast. Even the thirst and hunger of Ramadan are not able to make the people realize how painful the starvation may be for those who suffer from it and how insensitively the rich keep on their luxurious life without even caring what is going in their immediate neighborhood.

In short, fasting is not just to earn virtues; it has certain social aspects as well, which should be learned through the process of fasting. If it is not able to make its observer an active and responsible member of society, there is no need of keeping oneself hungry and thirsty the whole day.          

Dilawar Sherzai is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at Outlookafghanistan@gmail.com 

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