As festival Eid-ul-Fitr is inching closer, several Muslims across the country are likely to make it a low-key affair in bid to show solidarity with those who have been badly hit by the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic.
A video has surfaced on social media where a man can be seen appealing shoppers at Pathergatti and Charminar in Old city of Hyderabad, for not to buy new clothes for Eid-ul-Fitr this year, instead, give away whatever one can to the needy battling the economic crisis due to lockdown or at least save it for their own future.
"If the mosques and Eidgahs are closed what is the point in getting ready for Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations,” the man can be heard saying in the viral video. In these difficult times, this mood of the Muslims community can be seen across the country.
During Ramzan, Muslims practice Zakhat, one of the five pillars of Islam and can be understood as a form of religious duty that involves parting with 2.5 per cent of money saved in a year to help the poor and the needy. This religious duty helps in empowering those who fails to meet the basic needs to celebrate Eid.
In the new lockdown guidelines, the Telangana government has allowed the reopening of shops on the odd-even basis after being closed for 56 consecutive days. However, the market streets of Pathergatti and Charminar have continued to worn a deserted look. People from entire Telangana and adjacent districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra used to throng to these markets during the festive times, but a lot have been changed now.
Despite getting some relaxations in lockdown norms, several Muslims have decided not to celebrate the festival in a usual way.
Moreover, Ulemas from Bengaluru and Hyderabad have also appealed people to abstain themselves from visiting markets for Ramzan shopping.
Khaleeq-ur-Rahman, an activist and politician from Hyderabad, feels that this is time when Muslims can show that they stand in solidarity with those whose lives have been badly hit by the Covid-19 lockdown. “It is the time to rise to the occasion and extend help to needy by helping them in buying clothes, food and other items so that they too can celebrate the festival, Eid, as the month of Ramzan is called as month of empathy,” he appealed.
On the similar lines, Naseer Giyas, a young journalist, who has also volunteered for an NGO which distributed over one lakh food packets to the needy, feels that this is the time when one can find happiness of celebrating Eid by experiencing the “joy of giving”.
Comments
0 comment