19 Sep 2009 |
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Ramadan Flakes and Other Stories Abayomi Waheed Ramadan, also known in the local parlance as aawe, haazimi, lamulana is unique in several ways. The ninth month in the Muslim calendar, it is the month in which the holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Mohammad [saw], it is the fourth pillar of Islam, and it is the first among equals of the holy months in Islam. The end of the month Ramadan is here again and as Muslims from Kansas to Kazakhstan, Albania to Albuquerque, and Laos to Lagos join their 1.5 billion brethren in last lap of dutiful observation of the sawm, and the break of the fasting, the word is: congratulations to all Muslims for witnessing yet another Ramadan and Eid. Barka da sallah! In Nigeria, everything, including the commencement of fasting which is largely a lunar event, has a political hue. Except for some pockets of fixated laity, this year’s Ramadan and Eid all but appear to be uniform all over the country because the politics of ‘sighting the moon’ was shunned this once. Many a Nigerian Muslim family would be inwardly happy that Ramadan of 1430A.H finally came, partly because for this group the fasting may rather be more out of exigency than religious deference. Or rather put succinctly, it is because aawe ba aawe ni ile which roughly translates as fasting on a hungry stomach. There is hunger, want and deprivation in the land, and the coming of Ramadan is an added relieving incentive for many people to ‘fast’; even some artful dodger Christians, nominal moslems and animists have been known to temporarily shift their belief while Ramadan lasts to ‘observe’ the fast. And while fasting is not considered compulsory in children, many families encourage their children to complete as many fasts as possible as ‘practice for later life’. Some smart thinking coinciding with the school resumption! In its religious function, the month is similar to the Catholic Lent and the Jewish Yom Kippur inasmuch as all constitute a period of atonement and special moments to seek divine presence, renew faith, renounce vice and imbibe virtues. Prophet Mohammad’s seclusion and experience in the cave of Hera in the month of Ramadan is exemplar of the essence of fasting. The Muslim ordinance prescribes abstention from lewd evil thoughts and deeds as well as from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn till dusk throughout the month. Nursing mothers, pregnant or menstruating women, travelers, the chronically ill and the very old and mentally sick people are exempted from fasting; all but the last two have to make up the days they miss at a later date. The palpable wane in the wheeling and dealing in brothels, beer parlours, pools and betting houses; the reduction of brawls of agberos at motor parks and bus stops, the relative peace on the streets, the lowering of the deafening decibels of lewd fuji lyrics from rooftops everywhere, the noticeable drop in night marauding, the ceasefire between husband and wife in homes, and the lull in the orgies and owambe parties etc, that are usually witnessed during Ramadan may well point to the fact that the Muslims entrepreneurial spirit and patronage in these trades is intimidating; and that the month’s halo of holiness is real for all after all. . According to various traditional interpretations, the fast introduces physical and spiritual discipline, serves to remind the rich of the misfortunes of the poor of all creed and colour, and fosters, through this rigorous act of worship, a sense of solidarity and mutual care among Muslims of all social backgrounds. Thus Muslims usually engage in further acts of worship beyond the ordinary during Ramadan, such as voluntary night prayer called tahajud, reading sections from the Qur’an, and paying voluntary charity to the poor, attending special fellowship programs called tafsir devoted to the exegesis of the holy Qur’an and traditions of the Prophet Mohammad; and going into seclusion or itikaaf in the last ten days of the month to eagerly search for an odd numbered day called the ‘night of majesty’ or the laylatul quadri. This is a most cherished night for all Muslims because the revelation of the Quran actually started on the day, and because of the belief that the night is better than a thousand months, and that prayers offered on this night are answered without fail. Due to the importance attached to laylatul quadri, some wealthy Muslims perform the lesser pilgrimage called umrah to Mecca for this activity. The end of the fasting is celebrated with the lesser festival of eid-el-fitri. The above is the ideal and pristine practice, but then the Nigerian has a way of doing his own things! Anecdotes abound of lazy men gobbling mouthfuls of morsels in the artificial darkness of 7a.m because they cannot ‘differentiate white and black threads’. Some even feign illness particularly of peptic ulcer to escape the fasting. The period of iftar or breaking of the fast is hurried up according to the Sunnah but on fundamental matters like usury, the stringent requirements for polygamy, the necessity of education, and the control of the libido, the same Sunnah that was strictly obeyed is conveniently waived because it not practicable! Not to forget that many marriages are hurriedly contracted because it is unlawful to eat from the girlfriend or mistress’ pot. Some rich Muslims use the opportunity afforded by the voluntary charity to flaunt wealth and by so doing ridicule the essence of zakat. It was the practice of one prominent Yoruba Muslim, before the bubble, burst to announce his zakat with some pomposity on the radio. And the laylatul quadri or night of majesty that many devotees eagerly await is celebrated away with songs and dance, launching of four-wheel drive for the imam, and other oddities by some Muslims. In the run up to Ramadan, and contrary to the teachings of Islam, there is a wave of hoarding, profiteering, and racketeering etc and this bite even harder during the period thus ironically making Ramadan the most expensive time of the year for the practicing Muslim family who wants to observe the fast according to the strict guidelines. The prices of essential commodities like sugar, flour, fruits and foodstuffs skyrocket noticeably. And just like the dog going back to its vomitus, for some people the ending of the fasting signals the beginning of another round of reckless abandoned life. The beer parlours are filled to the brim on the day of eid; some smart businessmen even promote musical fiestas complete with all the works to celebrate the end of fasting. Baba Ijebu’s kiosks start to brim with activities, and the illicit alcohol (called shepe) seller at the corner starts ordering refills. Suddenly the streets are awakened from the sweet peaceful slumber, the touts take over, and the loving husband starts returning home late in drunken stupor or avoiding his lawful bed and dining table for his mistress’, the office romance, and well forgery and pen robbery, is reignited with a vengeance, the police openly start to demand and receive bribes, the aristos take over the campuses, etc and virtually everything goes back to status quo ante. Then where is the essence of the fasting if under 24 hours, vice can overtake virtue so violently? Where is the altruism, the uprightness, the honesty, the fear of God, and the other virtues Ramadan is supposed to inculcate in the mind? Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s life, death and exequies in a blaze of glory are a good sermon to the wise. He was a model Muslim even if he did not wear a goatee and a heavy turban. For any Muslim who was lucky enough to witness the month, and actually fasted, it will be the height of loss to be counted on the side of the dogs that go back to their vomitus. The snatching and stuffing of ballot boxes, the ‘capturing’ of states already synonymous with our brand of politics, the bastardized rotten polity, the suffering in the land, the want, the abject poverty, the hoarding and profiteering, the poor patients, the pen robbery, the bad loans and debts, in fact everything that needs some fixing, and is anti-progress and forbidden during the month of Ramadan, should be put in the place where they rightly belong. It is a religious and social duty for all to be his brother’s keeper and live an upright honest life. Finally an Italian proverb says: he who fasts but does no other good (during and after) saves his bread but goes to hell. Barka da Sallah.
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