The 35-year-old, who has been living in the US for the past 16 years, feels that living far away from home has increased his faith in traditions. “And in special moments like this, spending time with your family is more valued,” he shares. [break]
Like Jahid, the festivity holds an equal significance for other young Nepali Muslims as well, despite it being termed as an arduous time as it involves a month-long fasting.
According to one of the Imams of the Kashmiri Masjid near Ghanta Ghar, the participation of young people in the prayers and special reading of the Koran is encouraging.
Ramadan, the month-long festivity, began last Thursday, and is being observed by Muslims worldwide. The day marks the beginning of the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which, according to Islamic belief, is the month when the first verses of the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed.
Apart from reciting Quran and performing Namaz and offering prayers to Prophet Muhammad, Ramadan has several other aspects involved in it. Spending time with friends and family is one of them.
For Akbar Shah, a businessman, sitting together with his family to break the fast in the evenings is what he cherishes the most. Nevertheless, for him, understanding of Ramadan comes along with the age. The 35-year-old, who visits the mosque throughout the month to read from the Quran, feels that he is just in his learning phase.
While for Jahid and Akbar, the celebration is about family time, Sajid Shah, a business graduate, emphasizes on the giving and sharing part of the festival.
During this month, Muslims abstain themselves from food, water and other physical needs from sunrise to sunset.
“And the fasting and abstinence are beneficial to the community,” opines Shah. He feels that fasting gives him an opportunity to step into a less fortunate person’s shoes and know how it feels to go without food for several days.
Afsar Shah, 25, echoes a similar view. “The month is a time for reflection and becoming serious about life through self-control and self-restraint,” he says.
However, for most of them initially, the festival was more of a compulsion. But “eventually, after I started understanding the reasons for and steps behind observing the different elements of the festival, I’ve realized that the festival actually benefits the community,” adds Sajid.
When asked whether the dawn-to-dusk fast becomes a challenge to him due to his work, Sajid replies, “The initial two days of fasting is difficult, but one gets used to it.” He says that if one skips a single day of the fast, then one has to make it up with 70 days; so it is better to stick with the routine.
Usually, the festival holds priority over one’s work.
“But if we happen to miss the prayer or Namaz during the day, we compensate it by reading it in the evening after getting home,” Aashiya Sheikh, who works with the Nepal Muslim Mahila Kalyan Samaj, says.
Like previous celebrations, this year, too, Sajid plans to make donations to the poor and the Madrasa (Muslim school).
Explaining other aspects of the festival, he continues, “Along with donating a certain amount of money on Eid al-Fitr, the last day of Ramadan, we also donate 2.5 % of our income. It helps the poor celebrate Eid like the privileged ones.”
Delving further, a common belief regarding the celebration also prevails amongst the community, which seems to have a hold amongst the younger lot, too.
“One good deed in this month equals ten in others,” states one Imam. And so do feel Aashiya and Jahid. Celebrating the festival is getting one step closer to the heaven, opines Jahid.
The reasons may vary, but Ramadan does hold many charms for Nepal’s Muslim youth.
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Month-long Ramadan being observed
