A Rainbow of Innocent Memories of Ramadan
ROZA KUSHAI: FIRST FAST OBSERVING CELEBRATION
RAIS SIDDIQUI
In the month of sacred Ramadan, I often remember my childhood spent in my home town, Lucknow. The rainbow of innocent caravan of sweet memories passes before my eyes. I wish to share my first fast keeping celebration because every one’s childhood is full of priceless treasure of loving memories of innocent activities, a lot of wonderful and happy moments.
At that time, I was around eight-nine years old when pious month of Ramadan came out. It was really hot, just like it is now across the country.
I used to wake up every morning at dawn without an effort by mother. As a matter of fact, the delicious smell of potato parathas fried in desi ghee and milk with pheni made me wake up early daily.
Besides, those days, at the time of suhoor, some dedicated individuals used to pass through the streets to wake up people every day by reciting Sehri-songs in their full voice. They chanted the suhoorNaghme (Lyrics ) with their Duffle saying: “wake up sleepers, wake up from the sleep of negligence, it is time for suhoor, Shaitan will seduce you, beware of his temptations and seductions. This is a blessed month, you may not get lucky again, gone time will not help you, etc.”
Those people used to show their skill of playing the duffle, chanting in devotional and melodic tunes with a loud voice a beautiful and heart touching Manqbat, Naat and Hamad. It is so loud reminder of holy hour that we were made to get up for suhoor without fail.
I tried to sleep early every day after doing suhoor, but my mother insisted to offer Namaz with her and then I was allowed to go to sleep.
In those days, it was a common practice, for some extent, a custom to deliver iftar at the mosque in the evening. It was my duty to deliver iftar in the mosque every day. I used to Stay there, participate community breaking fast and offer MaghribNamaz in the mosque.
One day, my mother said that when you do Suhoor, eat iftar and pray in mosque , then you should keep your fast.
I also wanted to do the same, but most of parents do not insist on their children to observe fast at a childhood age, especially in the summer; so I also needed the consent of my parents. I was happy and exitedfor permission for the same. However, the fourteenth day of month of the Ramadan was fixed for the RozaKushai, first fast observing day ceremony in childhood, to begin fasting in a proper way.
My favorite things were made in Suhoor. There were many things in this Suhoor, especially many type of dishes and sharbat.
After Noon, iftar and dinner cooking began to be organized. Relatives and many people of the neighborhood were invited for iftar as well as dear relatives were invited for dinner too. I was also assigned the duty for invitation. The advantage of which was that a lot of my time was spent in this good work, sometime was also spent in prayer and recitation of the Qur’an.
As time passed by, thirst and hunger were getting intense, mother was feeling all this, so she would call me from time to time and tell me the virtues of fasting in sacred Ramadan. I remember she advised me:
“Son, many poor people get sick and even die from hunger and thirst. We should help them. Always carry water and some food with you and help people on the way, at school or at your doorstep.”
Then she looks at my face and advised me to take some rest.
I would go to the room and rest for a while on the bed, changed side some time left, sometime right but there was no rest. Then I get up and read an Islamic book but where is the rest? I felt restlessness and came out of my room. Mom would smile and make me sit by her and tell me the virtue and importance of the pious month of Ramadan. In fact, the most important lesson of real life in mortal world I found that day in my childhood:
“Son, this month trains us how to control our hunger, thirst, anger, greed and how to overcome backbiting, waste of time and all evils, so that we can do good to our home, our society and our country like a good person in the days to come.”
At six o’clock I was asked to get ready and was given a new pair of nice clothes to wear which my khaala, aunt ,had brought for me; a white churidaarpajama, a white Lucknowi chicken kurta and a beautiful Lucknawi head cap and colorful handkerchiefs and also some flowers. After that, I was dressed in a white sherwani of cotton cloth due to the summer. My mother put on me a very nice perfume. Thus, I was adorned like a prince by my mother and aunt.
Among the relatives, some people brought fruits and some dried fruits and other nice food items in a large plate (seni) covered it with a golden and red silk Khwan, a large piece of cover with the edge of golden lace. Someone was hugging me with love and affection, then someone was patting me with a loving hand on my head as Shafqat ,as if I was the center of the event and I was the only one as a prince of family.
Father also came from the office, very lovingly held me to his chest for a long time and offered many blessings.
At about past six, we all gathered and sat down at the dastar-khwan (ground food sitting cloth) for the iftar. Various types of veg, non-veg, grain and fried dishes, many type of green fruits and sharbat were served, like, False Kasharbat, RoohAfza, Shikanji, tukhm-e-malanga, Salty lassi, Fried chilies, onion fritters, pieces of fried aloos, kabuli gram, dahi-bade, yogurt, watermelons, oranges, pears, babugosha, grapes, bananas and dates etc.
Seeing them, my mouth was watering to have them. Abu Jan (father) felt my feeling and said:
“Beta,Pray to Allah that He accept our fast and allow us to have fast for the rest of month.”
Then everyone started praying, meanwhile, a gunshot was fired, which was the signal that it was time to break the fast, and then the call for prayer, Adaan, was sounded from the mosque.
First of all, I broke my fast with dates and sharbat. Thirst and hunger got a little relief, after that, I quickly started eating fried onion flakes in the basin. My mom made me realizes with a watchful gaze that I should eat slowly, especially in the presence of invitees.
After breaking the fast, we prayed in congregation, offered Namaazba- jam’at, at home because many members of my family and neighborhood had joined us in the RozaKushai.
Then the a lots of yummyfood and dishes, various type of delicious food dishes started to appear on the table for the dinner, like, YakhniPulao, Zarda, Rumali Roti, Sheer-maal, ShaamiKabab, Seekh-kabaab, Korma do piaza , Shahi-tukra and only kheeretc
Again it was my duty to deliver dinner food to the imam of the mosque. It was morally obligatory to deliver lunch and dinner to the imam of the mosque on those days. Each house had a fixed day and time for this good practice.
In pious days of Ramadan ,I observed the rest of all fast of the month of Ramadan, then this cycle continued, but it was also observed and experienced that the person, who is only allowed by Allah, can have fast’ -ALLAH JISE TAUFQ DE !!!
(Author is ex IBS officer in AIR/DD and SahityaAkademy National Award & Delhi Urdu Academy Award winner Urdu Laureate and can be reached at [email protected] , 9810141528 )
Kashmir Images is an English language daily newspaper published from Srinagar (J&K), India. The newspaper is one of the largest circulated English dailies of Kashmir and its hard copies reach every nook and corner of Kashmir Valley besides Jammu and Ladakh region.
