Ramzan: Litmus Test for Muslims and Muslim Society

Ramzans Restrictions are irksome to your free nature

You tell us: is this the appropriate rule of fidelityDr. Iqbal (r.a)
I am a Muslim, OH! Sorry Kashmiri Muslim and obviously will be residing in a Muslim society.
But how much practicing Muslim I am and how much practicing the surrounding is I dont
know. Neither did I try to question and answer about it, nor did I know any technique or tool
to measure how much practicing a particular Muslim or Muslim society is. But this Ramzan
something was quite different that made me to think about it. Rather something that shook
my inner conscious and is still bothering me.
The Holy month of Ramzan, we all knows is one among the five principle pillars of Islam. And
like other principle pillars, one can find a full description of ruling regarding Ramzan and
Fasting in Quran and Sunnah. End no verses in Quran are in grandeur, significance and
usefulness of fasting in Ramzan. Besides this multitude of sayings of Prophet Mohammad
(SAW) are found in all 9 books of Hadith. Simplifying and clarifying theses rulings for a
common believer, Ulemas of all ages have pen down Countless no of Books and Pamphlets.
Here I am not translating what Allah says in all those verses regarding Ramzan and Fasting.
Neither will I put the references of all those sayings of Prophet Mohammad (saw), nor will I
mention the huge collection of books authored by the scholars of time. Also ahead I have not
put something in grandeur and significance of fasting and Ramzan, even if wish will not have
done justice to it.
Ramzan 2015 for me was somewhat different as I sensed something odd. So I thought why I
should not I use Ramzan as a tool/technique (Litmus Test) to judge myself and surrounding, as
it is in Ramzan only when every Muslim and Muslim society displays such character as was
supposed to be displayed round the year and life. And it is in Ramzan only when a Muslim and
Muslim society can be better studied as said by one of the well known Scholar Syed Abu Ala
Maududi (r.a). He Says,
If you want to know whether a dying patient is still alive or not, the final examination is
done by putting a glass below his nostrils. If the glass gets blur, it is said the patient is still
alive otherwise the last hope of being alive gets severed. Similarly if you have to examine
whether a Muslim and Muslim society is still alive or not, examine it in the month of
Ramzan. If in this Holy month you find in people God Consciousness and a jut of Goodness
then think that the society is still alive. But if you find remains of apparent evildoing,
obscenity and people not abstaining from Haram/unlawful things then recite INA LILLAHI WA
INNA ILAYHI RAAJIOON.
Something little what all might be knowing and have heard about Ramzan and fasting is that
Fasting in Ramzan is prescribed for us as it was prescribed for those before us, so that we may
become among Al-Mutaqun (The Pious) and may attain Taqwa (God Consciousness). But
unfortunately we as Muslims know nothing about those whom we called Aslaaf (forefathers)

and the civilizations that subsist before us. Then how come we know how they welcome and
spend this holy Month of Ramzan and whether they displayed the same remssly character and
wisdom like we display while fasting. Taqwa, the way they had understood and practiced it,
did we understand and practice Taqwa in the same manner. The way they did justice with
every single ruling of fasting, did we do justice with those rulings. Applied the test and
compared the result, the results are shocking bummer. As mentioned above Ramzan has been
prescribed on us like it was prescribed on those before us, but when I take a look of our
surrounding, it seems that it has been prescribed to handful of believers as majority in society
has abandoned themselves from fasting and when enquired found illogical excuses. Earlier
when the month of Ramzan used to knock, I have seen people irrespective of age, were
among the welcomers and fulfill every aspect of fasting with full devotion. But this Ramzan
the picture was really different. Earlier mosques were thronged with devotees with the
sighting of Ramzan moon. People who by the whole year did not turn to prayers, whom we
called Ramzan Nimazs, could be seen submitting with full devotion. But this Ramzan I am in
no position to complaint of those Ramzan Nimazs as I have found even the regulars ones
absent from the rows. I have seen earlier even before the Muaddin would call for the prayers,
people getting prepare for the Salah, but this Ramzan as what odd happened even after the
call for payers, believers did not turn up. I dont know Allah knows better. But what i feel is
that as a society there is decreasing segol towards salah, fasting and other Islamic principles
particularly among young generation. Cynicism isnt in me as by Allah there are still those
(True Believers) irrespective of age group in our surrounding who have hold the rope of Allah
strongly. They are the true Ummati/followers of Prophet Mohammad (saw) as unlike majority
they did not confess and submit only by their tongue, but by their character they display the
true submission.
Sometimes I become disconsolate as what will happen of this society and generation if their
attitude towards this Deen and its principles persists as is now. Iqbal (r.a) has rightly said
No warmth is in the heart, no feeling is in the soul
There is no respect for the Message of Mohammad (saw) in you.
Now take a heed towards this sentence of Maulana Maududi (r.a), if in the Holy month of
Ramzan you find in people God Consciousness and a jut of Goodness then think that the
society is still alive. But if you find remains of apparent evildoing, obscenity and people
not abstaining from Harman/unlawful things then recite INA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI
RAAJIOON. For me this sentence in some consideration interprets the Ayat (2:183) of Quran,
towards the end of which Allah says the purpose of fasting is that you may attain Taqwa (God
Consciousness) and become pious. Now let me not take you through Gair Ramzan, at least in
Ramzan signs of Taqwa could be find in our society and surroundings. People could be seen
abstaining from quarrelsome behavior, young lads refraining from abusiveness and listening
music, hotel communitarians have been seen respecting by putting curtains on the entry. In
commercial vehicles one might have observed replacement of musicales with sermons of
admirable scholars and Ulemas. At home where all the year round, un-Islamic channels hinge
the televisions, but with the arrival of Ramzan locking of these un-Islamic channels and airing

of Islamic ones was providing signs that this nation and society is still alive. But this Ramzan I
have seen evidences of apparent evildoing, obscenity and breaking of Holy rules. Believers at
every nook and corner, at market places, without any respect for Ramzan involved in tussle.
That very tongue which affirms of fasting was scoffing and vulgarized. Young lads though
seems fasting didnt give up listening to music. Listening in desolation was far away, every
passing car, every passing shop, and every passing home displayed picture of musical dens.
Traveling in commercial vehicles was different experience this Ramzan, as instead of Sermons
of Ulemas, musical composers have taken place. The height of embarrassment is that people
have lost that dignity and honor of being good Muslims as none of them bothered to ask that
look its Ramzan, we are fasting, please switch off the music, it is Haram. But dear society
why to complaint as we have lost the ability to distinguish what is Haram/unlawful and what
is Halal/Lawful. This Ramzan that very respect from the hotel communitarians was out of
picture as in broad day light they were fully operational. Did I tell you who the customers
were, the so called believer. This was the small trance of our society outside the four walls,
and then I wonder what will be the picture inside those four walls that we called home. Dear
society this is the justice we did with the basic purpose of Ramzan and Fasting. Then what if
this society is put on test regarding the other rulings of Ramzan like Zakat, Sadqa-e-fitr,
Lailat-al-Qadr and what if tested of the other aspects of this Deen, then I think this sentence
is applicable on us. INA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAAJIOON.

Shaeeb Mohammad Khanday

Follow me on g+shaeeb.mohd@gmail.com
Blog: shaeebkhanday.blogspot.in(Turn to Allah)