Ramzan, a month that fosters the spirit of giving

Even as the streets of many parts of Hyderabad, especially Old City, Yusuf Tekri, and Paramount Colony, are abuzz with those sampling street food and haleem hopping, Ramzan also fosters a spirit of giving to those who find themselves in a less privileged position.

The holy month sees lakhs of people engaged in acts of charity – both obligatory and voluntary – donating to individuals, including those from their family, and institutions.

According to Saleema Syed, a mother of two and an architect by qualification, Ramzan presents an opportunity to help relatives who are in need. A few, she says, do not seek help because they feel embarrassed to do so.

“Every year, some from within the family pool zakaat funds and give them to our relatives,” she says. “Also, it is greatly encouraged to give zakaat to one’s own relatives who find themselves in need. My parents do the same.” Zakaat is an obligatory charity that is calculated at 2.5% of one’s annual savings.

Given that fasting is also obligatory, except for those who suffer from serious ailments, others prepare ration kits. These kits comprise up to 25 kg of rice, a few kilos of sugar, edible oil, gram flour, tamarind, and the signature Ramzan refresher, Rooh Afza. Once handed to the beneficiary, the kits last them the remainder of the month.

“The idea is to ensure that those from less privileged families do not face hardship while preparing the iftar and sehri meals. In general, a feeling of not leaving anyone behind pervades because Ramzan is for all,” says Parveen Ahmed, an educator.

Others, like Abdul Haseeb, a management professional working in a conglomerate operating out of Hi-Tec City, identify families who have been abandoned by fathers. He, along with his friends, then takes care of the family’s financial needs. “Largely, charity goes to single mothers or widows with nobody to take care of their families. A group of like-minded people got together and decided to fund the education and household expenses of such families,” he says.

Islamic scholar Mufti Omar Abidin Madani Qasmi explains the essence of giving in Ramzan. There are largely two modes of bringing oneself closer to God, he says. One is by means of ritualistic worship. The other is the service of humanity through charity.

“While zakaat can be given throughout the year, we see that a larger number of people do it in Ramzan. This is because the reward in Ramzan is manifold. Charity can be given to educate people. Here, education means both religious and contemporary education. There has been a great trend of spending zakaat funds on education as a means of poverty alleviation.”