Chowrangi

Our society is status conscious, no doubt about that. But even in this regard, we show hypocrisy. When it comes to schooling for our children, we select the schools on the basis of our staus. If we can afford it, we opt for Froebels, City School, or Beaconhouse, if not, we go to Educators, and if that is not we go to run-of-the-mill private English Schools. And majority of Pakistanis, who wanted to educate their children go to the government schools. When it comes to keeping a mobile phone, one always makes a selection with respect to its status. Same is the case when it comes to buying a car or house for that matter.

But when it comes to paying Fitrana, we always opt for the lowest. Its a common misconception that Fitrana is always paid according to the wheat. Such is not the case, Fitrana can also be paid with respect to dates and currants. This year according to the Wheat, Fitrana is Rs. 45, and with respect to dates, it is Rs. 320, and according to currants it is Rs. 800. So you can pay the Fitrana according to your status.

The trend in Pakistan is that we always try to spend more even above our capacity, just to show our artificially enhanced status. Just look at the middle class, who always try to copy the upper class, and look even more pathetic, when they are exposed. Such dual standards have become the norm in the crowd like Pakistani nation, who focuses more on surface than the core.

Ramadan is the month of compassion, help, generosity, altruism and sacrifice. By remaining hungry and thirsty, one feels the pain of hunger and thirst, and one realizes the sufferings of life. Islam enables trains a human through fasting and evokes the feelings of sympathy and compassion for the poor. Ramadan is the month of training, practice, and sacrifice for the faithful. Arranging Iftari for poor and needy is considered a very noble deed.

It is also ordered to Muslims to pay Fitrana to poor and needy before the ‘Eid Namaz’, so that they could also enjoy the joys of Eid. It is also very necessary to give away Fitrana, by not humiliating the poor. You may pay Fitrana to them by saying,” please take the Eidi of Children.” or something like that. It is not prudent and appropriate to mention that you are giving away the Fitrana.

And dont just confine yourself to the lowest Fitrana w.r.t wheat, but try to also enhance the status in this regard. In this dire times of immense price hike and poverty, when even the lower middle class is unable to purchase anything, importance of Fitrana and Zakat has increased more, and in this Rs. 45 are simply not enough for the poor to celebrate Eid. So let’s increase the Fitrana status.

Other posts by Commoner

• Rare Chink in FATA - August 28th, 2008
• Presidential Campaigns Pick Momentum - August 28th, 2008
• Just Brought About Change - August 27th, 2008
• Speck of Hope - August 27th, 2008
• Daggers Drawn - August 27th, 2008
• More Load Shedding - August 27th, 2008
• Whose Writ is This - August 26th, 2008
• So They Parted - August 26th, 2008
• New Alignments - August 24th, 2008
• Vindicated Operartion in Swat - August 24th, 2008