To be true to Ramadan's spirit

With the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan tomorrow, the Muslims of Bangladesh join the followers of Islam the world over in observing a highly introspective religious obligation as ordained by the sacred book. Outwardly, the observance is fasting for the month but deep down the ritual is the realisation and practice of abnegation and unselfishness. Through self-denial, human beings try to understand how it feels not to be blessed with the numerous gifts the supreme being has bestowed on them for their material comfort and physical and mental well-being. They surrender to Almighty Allah and express their gratitude for all that He has granted for them. Thus they get connected to the creator spiritually and at the same time discover their inalienable relations to the fellow beings, particularly those who are not fortunate enough to enjoy the many worldly rewards that make life worth living. 

Unfortunately, not many adherents of Islam today follow the spirit of siam that teaches one to voluntarily withdraw from all forms of self-indulgence. The affluent class of society in particular turn it into a month-long of opulent feast. When some iftari items (with which devotees break fast) are named like 'Borobaperpolaikhai' (meaning only the affluent fathers' sons consume), it smacks of profanity from the religious point of view. But who cares, the sellers of the item also take pride, while they announce their special dish, in becoming a part of trade in this exclusive item! But prophet Muhammad (Sm) used to break his fast with just three dates before his prayer. Even people of modest means try to include food items they usually would not think of buying unless a special occasion demands of them the incumbency. But this also is a special occasion on the reverse side where the optimal restraint is the ultimate virtue.

So, the prophet's teaching has fallen on deaf ears of many of his modern-day disciples in more ways than one. They may maintain the ritual but not the due process of cleansing their soul. The businesspeople of this country in particular, in total contrast to their counterparts in the Middle-east countries and even in the Western countries, who have offered extensive discounts on various commodities ahead of the holy month, are known for their rapacious profiteering. The soaring prices of commodities, particularly some of the edibles following the Ukraine war, have now started galloping further. This has been happening every year. Where is the value and spirit of self-denial and feeling for the fellow followers of the tenet that prides in equal standing of each individual? 

There is nothing wrong with the tenet of Islam, it is the distortion and violation of its ideals and doctrines by the privileged and affluent. Even from the ethical and legal point of view, they are breaching norms and laws of the land. Thus they stand accused in the court of this world and the court of the world after. Millions of fasting people will suffer more than they were supposed to if the market were not manipulated to be as volatile as it is now. If Ramadan's fundamental teaching fails to awaken the self-purifying energy and spirit within, the holy month is not to blame -- only the pretending practitioners become all the more loser.