Ramadan Reflections from India

By: Shuriah Niazi*

With the sighting of the moon, a minority of 161 million Indian Muslims welcomed the holiest of Islam’s months—Ramadan. Although Ramadan is not without its challenges for this enormous minority, Muslims in India also enjoy a range of religious rights including the freedom to opt for shorter working hours in both the government and private sectors, in lieu of foregoing the lunch hour and iftar at sunset during the month of Ramadan. India’s 161 million Muslims are anything but homogenous. While only Islam binds them together, each state, village and locality boasts its own customs and traditions.

Iftar diplomacy

The hosting of iftar parties by political parties is a feature unique to India. Hosted by most of the influential political parties during Ramadan, guests at these iftar parties include Muslims and others from all walks of life. In a country rocked by ethnic violence and inter-communal mistrust for decades, the justification for these events is not too hard to find. These feasts, which are held at the expense of the state exchequer, often do more to appease the Muslim vote bank (who play an important role during elections) than the purpose it is publicly intended to serve. It is not wholly uncommon to find politicians using these state-paid events to showcase their secular credentials and for making political maneuverings ostentatiously.

Although these events are dismissed by some as political gimmick, for others it has grown to form a part of the Indian culture. Some Muslim scholars have also vocalized that iftar is spiritual, thus personal matters, and therefore politics, should not be brought into it. The country's largest Islamic seminary Darool Uloom, Deoband had issued a fatwa against iftars hosted by political parties and party leaders, calling it “un-Islamic” and discouraging Muslims from attending such events.

With Assembly elections due early next year, politicians in Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest Muslim population, are engaged in efforts to woo the Muslim voters with Iftar parties.

Iftar feasts of two other distinct kinds are also common in India. Private events hosted by common people for their relatives and friends are popular and at times lavish feasts. The other type of Iftar is the one hosted for the needy and poor in markets and in mosques, by the more affluent Muslims as a charitable initiative.

Zakat and the Madarassas

In India, where a majority of Muslims live in poverty, the compulsory charity associated with Ramadan, Zakat is awaited eagerly by those at the receiving end. Interestingly, a majority of the zakat in India is donated to madrassas (traditional Islamic schools). Most of these Madrasas provide free education and lodging facilities to the poor Muslim children, many of whom are sent there in order to obtain an otherwise unaffordable education.

A research paper presented by Dr. Rahmatullah, Head of the Department of Business Economics at Mumbai University (2005), in a national seminar on zakat revealed that 52 percent of a madrassa’s budget is funded through zakat money. According to his research “there are 300 districts of India, where 84 percent of Muslims live. Assuming small and big Madrasas to be 1,000, the total number of Madrasas may be estimated to 300,000.” On this basis, the report further calculates that the amount of zakat collected by madrassas totals approximately Indian Rs. 70,471,500,000 (US$1,601,625,000).

An age-old tradition survives

A tradition, nearly 200 years old, is still being followed unabatedly by Muslims in Raisen district of Central India. The beginning and the end of Ramadan is observed with the blasting of a canon. Here, people wake up to the sound of drumbeats to observe sehri, the pre-dawn meal. Drum beats continue for nearly two-hour till the commencement of the feast at dawn. The boom of the canon is intended to inform people that sehri time has ended. The sound of the canon is next heard at sunset to signify the breaking of the fast.

The tradition of cannon fire was started by erstwhile rulers—the begums of Bhopal—in the early 18th century. Historically, military canons were used and the head priest or the Shehr Qazi decided on the time it was to be fired. While the tradition faded away in other areas, the people in Raisen district have carried it forward. From the year 1956 after the transfer of power to the national government, it is now the responsibility of the district administration.

Now a smaller sonic model of cannon is used. Nearly 25 kilograms of ammunition is required, and once the blessed month of Ramadan is over, the cannon is deposited at the state treasury.

*Shuriah Niazi is an Indian freelance writer.

Source: www.islamonline.net