Hyderabad Clerics: Pray, not shop during Ramzan

Hyderabad: With Ramzan beginning from June 19, believers are being urged not to waste their time shopping and feasting during the holy month.

Clerics and social activists are conducting group meetings, sending messages during Friday prayers and also having one-to-one meetings with families, asking them to refrain from these activities and instead spend time in prayers and practice simple living during Ramzan.

A week long programme is going to be held from June 7 to 14 in the old city, sensitising people on the “real” reasons for fasting and the habits that must be followed in the month of Ramzan.

Maulana Ahsan, who is organising a series of meetings with his team, says, “Believers have wrongly begun to associate Ramzan with consumption of rich foods and also with spending time shopping. These concepts have become wrongly ingrained. New clothes are a part of Id-ul-Fitra happiness, but more important are prayer, simplicity and charity during the holy month. These concepts have taken a backseat and other commercial prospects have taken an upper hand.”

Families are being asked to shop and indulge in food etc. before the holy month begins. Social activist Ali Baqiri said, “Doing preparations before the month would mean planning the expenses in advance. As most people collect money or plan their expenses accordingly, they will need to make only certain modifications to prepare in advance.”

With a lot of wrong concepts being ingrained due to changed lifestyle and also commercial pressures, elders of the community have been working since the last four years to bring about a change. While some families have made it a thumb rule, many more are yet to understand and accept the pattern.