Ramadan 2020 and reminiscences from the past

Nobody knew that a time will come upon this generation which will force the people to quit all the things they were once addicted to.  The advent of Ramadan 2020 fetched concerns, anxieties and reminiscences from the past.  Ramadan in Muslim countries is like the biggest festival time which is full of colors, cuisines, rituals and joys.

It has a different sense and significance for people of different age groups. The old fellows find this holy month an opportunity to seek clemency and salvation with a series of sacraments.  The month of Ramadan literally lure people towards the mosques for daily prayers, they keep fasts throughout the month, offer congregational Quranic recitations and sit in the Aitkaf (people sit in isolation for 10 days and pray).

The children, on the other hand, perceive this as the month of festivities.  As they hear that Ramadan is here, they start compelling their parents for shopping and toys and obviously the scrumptious cuisines are a perfect delight for them throughout this pristine month.  The females would throng the markets for henna and bangles, which adds unique colors in Ramadan.

Then there are the shopkeepers selling bangles, clothes, the fruit-sellers, vendors, small kiosks selling deep fried edibles, which, for most us, are the real treats of Ramadan. They can be seen everywhere in the city. You will find one of these items around every corner of the city.

Alas! The walk down the memory lane nurtures many concerns, as this year is dissimilar. The wicked coronavirus has brought the humans to the brink of psychological apocalypse. There was a time when Ramadan was larger than life and brought joys for the people but this year I can see pale petrified faces hidden behind walls yearning and moaning for past merriments.  A Ramadan in which people are unwilling to shake hands, offer hugs and organize a meet and greet sessions, families are secluded and in quarantine with sheer painful silence.

I found this very peculiar when I saw my 4-year-old son not so thrilled for shopping as he politely said, “Dad! Don’t go outside, virus is killing everybody.” That very moment I felt the world is cursed; we all are cursed, as we have lost the hues around us. The joys aren’t joys anymore. The feel will also be different for the old fellows who are being told to stay at homes as they are more vulnerable. Rafiq uncle was horrified seeing no mosque, no Taraveeh and Aitkaf for him during this Ramadan. He sighed, “I think God doesn’t want us to be there, he threw us out of his house owing to our misdeeds.” I have no answers, no arguments because all I want is to see the humanity survive this pandemic and nothing else. People are frightened and frustrated.

There is an ongoing rift between the clerics for opening the mosques. They got 20-point precautionary agenda which they will observe throughout the month with a fear that if the number of cases swells after congregational prayers, the axe will fall on them. The shopkeepers are fighting for their businesses which are being forcibly closed by the government under lock down. They are desperate and prying for their share in Ramadan 2020.

The government on the other hand has got no incentive for the people. They officials along with the security forces are being thrashed for keeping the people at home. The daily-wagers are in danger. No one doubts the sincerity of provincial and federal government as far as the measures against coronavirus are concerned. It’s the chaos and frustration which is putting throbbing pressure on the nerves. Let’s hope this ends well and the humans get to see festivities again; streets full of joyful children, the bazaars resonating with the voices of vendors selling Pakoras, bangles and sweets.

Let’s pray that world sees fresh days where the air isn’t filled with the smell of death. I pray that God help us and we get to cherish the holy Ramadan with its true spirit. I wish happy and safe Ramadan to everyone from my quarantine.

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