This Ramadan do something more
Even before the moon for the month of Shaban is sighted, rising prices announce that Ramadan is close. Tomatoes are Rs. 60-70 per kilo, a wilting bunch of corriander is Rs. 8-10. Pulses, rice, milk, sugar and every other kitchen necessity is now wrestling its way out of a poor man's weakening grip.
More fathers will be hanging themselves when they can no longer look at their hungry and deprived children. The white collar class will sink deeper and deeper into depression. And the blessed will scan the Sunday papers to see which Iftar deals they just can't afford to miss.
So how many of you are feeling sad, guilty or shaking your heads right now. All of us must feel something or we wouldn't be human. But what are we planning to do to alleviate the suffering of atleast one person this Ramadan.
I need advice from all my friends as to what we can do to truly celebrate and understand the meaning of Ramadan.
My suggestions;
- Like my family has done for years, not have any elaborate arrangements for Iftar. One dish everyday and then dinner. And the money saved will be used to buy Eid clothes and shoes for atleast one family.
- Arrange atleast 1 iftar everyday - Max Rs. 40 (less than the price of a 1 1/2 litre Soda bottle)
- Buy rations for one family - Rs 1500 approx (cost of a meal at Pizza Hut)
posted by Checkmate at 10:00 PM
8 Comments:
forgive me for saying this….but ramadaan sends us on this guilt trip every year:(
your suggestions are good...but since you asked…i would suggest:
*- volunteer time for Citizen’s Foundation, Edhi, and other such institiutions…
*- instead of buying food support a child in a poor family through yearly schooling….that would not only include tuition, books etc , but also acting as ‘big brother’ or ‘big sister’ of that child…(“big brother” here is an institution where volunteers spend time once every two, three, four weeks with a child from a poor or single family…taking the child out to events, museum, outings..thus bonding)
11:24 AM
InshAllah I will do my bit this..
12:32 PM
Temporal, you are so right. The guilt is always there when Ramazan is here.
I appreciate the suggestion and it is a very good one. I am sure alot of us can afford to put one child through school and of not then give our time.
Ramazan, is a month when Allah wants us to try understand the difficulties others face everyday. But unfortunately we have lost all comprehension of why we fast.
Thanks ones again.
Suga: Dearest, I know you will!
11:18 PM
Priceless sarcasm! Why would you want to 'elevate' the suffering of people?
4:34 AM
Honey, it was a mistake on my end. But I am sure people have understood what I meant.
I am not sure what you mean by priceless sacarsm. I am not being sarcastic. It was a genuine mistake. I hope people can over look this and see what I am trying to convey.
4:44 AM
Honey said...
Priceless sarcasm! Why would you want to 'elevate' the suffering of people?
;)
now this was un-necessary sarcasm!
checkmate
just go back and ‘edit’ that typo elevate with eradicate or alleviate
6:26 AM
i have another suggestion.. instead of sending iftari's around to neighbours n all, (which i hear a lot of familes do), send them to a the poor..
checkmate, we also have a minimal iftari, followed with dinner. This year might be different, so dont know.
Also, we sent out iftari's to the guards around our neighbourhood, instead of to other families. (Ofcourse, we needed to have an understanding with those families first :p)
5:27 AM
this ramadhan, im planning to do something i havent done before - on my part - from my own money...inshah-Allah. amd hope to do my bit in all eids as well.
im against these silly iftar parties. i believe in the bonding at iftar at the family table over something simple...most of the time we skip dinner.
bless my dad...i feel so proud when i see him distributing bags of sugar, besan, aata and daal...itsn ot much - but it does make a difference to those who are at the receiving end.
gawwd...i'd feel so super guilty next time i dig into a pizza hut pizza:S
4:27 AM
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