Facebooking Your Ramadan: By Pakistani Kuri

August 16, 2011 By 3 Comments

Pakistani Kuri

While growing up in Pakistan, we were taught that there are 11 months in a year and then there’s Ramadan: the holiest month for us Muslims. When I was five, I was captivated and wondered astonishingly why “Roza Kholna (Open your fast) and Sehri Karna (Close your fast)” was a significant part of my parents’ routine during this month. I remember distinctively my parents being utterly calm, absolutely devout to the Jah Namaz (Prayer Mat) and not yelling at us for 30 days even when three of us siblings fought the hell out of each other.  With time, I was able to understand they were respecting the Fifth Pillar of Islam and soon enough I’d be doing the same.

In his first post for Patheos, Wajahat Ali pointed that there are many types of Muslims one gets the opportunity to see during Ramadan.

There are people  like me who take every advantage to learn/study Islam profoundly and then try my best to implement the learned principles throughout my daily routine for rest of the year. I am a human so I slip here and there.

Then there are ones who recite – recite – pray – recite – pray for their forgiveness and prosperity and yet manage to throw gaudy Iftars.

However, lately, I have come across a third kind: Social Media Ramadan-ers. People that  fervently use Social Media (Facebook – Twitter – Google+) to impose and enlighten their beliefs and new learnings on every one of their friends’ list.  Yes, the U.S Constitution gives you the right of freedom of speech, and yes these social platforms are doing nothing but abiding by the first amendment diligently.

Conversely, everyone please – take a moment and think before updating your status or posting a link. Try getting some validity on it. It is advised to use the Quran itself.  I completely acknowledge that Social Media Ramadan-ers  are enthusiastic about getting their prayers answered and at the same time showing the world how much more Muslim-y you are than rest of them.

But, I do firmly believe that God will listen more carefully on a Jah Namaz than through a Facebook status. Please read: I am not judging anyone particular, but politely asking everyone to reflect within themselves first and then preach to the world via social media.

To all my dear, avid Facebook users: yes, Islam appreciates spreading the knowledge but it moreover agrees on spreading the REAL knowledge. So, next time try dropping in some references to Tirmizi, Bukhari, Huzaifa, Sahihs and most importantly the Holy Quran.

Alas, I also strongly believe that if Allah gave humans His absolute power for one day, the entire humankind would probably not notice because we’d be too busy updating our Facebook statuses.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized 3 Comments
  • Anonymous

    I live in a location where Ramadan at the masjid is full of all the people that don’t attend the gaudy iftars. These pious folks push, jostle and cut in line for dates, iftars, dinner servings, prayer spots, parking spots, etc. Lectures regularly are given not about the blessings of this month but about how mothers are supposed to keep their kids with them and quiet and how everyone should be parking. There is no childcare at the masjid during any prayer time. The powers that be feel that food should be served in the least earth friendly method of Styrofoam containers for each individual meal serving along with bottled water. I do not demand a completely fulfilling, spiritual journey every time I visit the masjid but I don’t feel that that this experience comes anywhere close. This in my mind makes the masjid environment kind of gaudy.

    Even though Ramadan is meant to be a time for personal reflection and improvement, I really do long for some semblance of community. If the people at the masjid are not able to do that for my own personal wants, I turn to my circle of friends and prominent members of the religious community that do post their nuggets of wisdom on Facebook on a regular basis during Ramadan. Their thoughts, musings, jokes and tips actually offer me more warmth and depth during Ramadan. Were it not for them, I would be left to experiencing and reflecting on Ramadan in a much more isolating state. Keep the Facebook postings coming as I for one, want them.

  • Ak

    Thank you :)

  • Pak-Am

    Salaams. Of course, you have a point, and once people get used to social media and learn to use them appropriately, I don’t think most mature individuals will abuse it, especially not in Ramadan. The fact is, though, that Ramadan is partly an individual experience, and partly a social one, and so will always enter into the social realm, whether it be iftars or Facebook or something else. What is necessary is to limit oneself — to be brief, appropriate and relevant.
    And Allah knows best.