Ramadan Then and Now What Sects and Groups have Contributed to Society

When I was young and the month of Ramadan begins, people used to enter into a period of discipline and worship: fasting during the day, and praying throughout the day and night, mutual understanding, respect for each other, harmony, love, peace and brotherhood was observable every side of society. Today people do fast, worship during the day, and pray throughout the day and night but, respect for elders, love, peace harmony and modesty is missing. Everybody assumes to be intellectual, EDUCATED, PHILOSPOHER, and what not especially those who are suffering from “education syndrome”. ( These are the people who have attended schools and have gone through few booklets or pamphlets of Hadith and consider themselves all in all).these days before the onset of the Holy month of Ramadan people turn ungoverned, get divided into sects, fight on pity issues. This often led division of people on the bases of sects, even division or lock to Allah’s houses (Masjid’s). The basic and central to this phenomenon is debate and discussion on tarweeha. The number of rakaat’s is often becoming fuel for this rift and division in Masjids. Recently I returned from Delhi to have a peaceful and harmonious Ramadan at home. But my calculations and assumption proved false entirely. My soul and body is deeply hurt by experiencing dissonance in the society. A new breed of young generation seems totally arrogant, who are fully unable to distinguish between venerable and young. The only answer and argument they come up with is “ Aes Shine Anpad, Aes Shie Parmeit’. ( we are not illiterate , we are educated). Seeing unruly behavior of these people, it has now become intolerable and painful to bear the arrogance of this lot. Though I am not having special qualification on Islam and expertise on Hadith and Quran but Allah Subhanuataalah has bestowed me with that much common sense that I can understand difference between right and wrong, and find analogy between things. I don’ t understand which Islam this breed is following by entering into the Masjid’s where 20 rakhaat of Taraweeha are being performed and create, tumult, confusion, disorder and indiscipline in rows by offering 8 rakaat, despite, it has been unanimously accepted that when praying the Taraweeha in congregation one should start and end with Imam, according to the number that he performs. I do not want to indulge in the debate whether Taraweeha is 20,13,23 or 8. There has been a lot of material already produced on the issue. Not only four Imams, but a galaxy of later Islamic scholars has disagreed on 8 rakaat of Taraweeha. Any way my issue here is not to discuss the issue on number of rakaat, I only want what new sects and group has contributed to our society. This “Pirmiet” attitude of this new breed reminds me ,
 “ Khush to Tha mai Bachay Pad Rahy Hai Angreezi- Kya Pata Eilhaad Be Aayee Ga Saath”.

Published by Okhla Times Delhi