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| Sunday, 1 December 2002 |
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Ramazan customs of Lankan Muslims by ASIFF HUSSEIN Fasting during the month of Ramazan is an obligatory duty on every
Muslim male and female who has reached the age of puberty and is mentally
and physically fit to do so. The Qur'an which Muslims believe Local customs - A number of interesting customs centred around the fast of Ramazan have evolved among local Muslims and though not necessarily religious in character, they seem to have become an integral part of the local tradition. The Prophet declared that when one sees the crescent moon of the month of Ramazan he should begin the fast and what usually happens in Sri Lanka is that when a believer sights the new moon he conveys it to the people of the area who in turn inform the Grand ulama in Colombo. The ulama would then make an official announcement through radio and other media that the month of Ramazan has commenced and the fast is on. The Muslim fast involves the partaking of a pre-dawn meal known as sahur in Arabic. The Prophet is said to have warned against neglecting it since God and his angels invoke blessings upon those who partake of it. This meal may be taken at any time between the middle of the night and dawn. It is however considered best to delay it as much as possible on the basis of a saying of the Prophet to delay it. This meal is known as savar among local Muslims and is usually taken shortly before sunrise in obedience to the command of the Prophet. The meal consumed is usually a substantial one and may include rice and curry or an invigorating gruel known as kanji made of rice, garlic, ginger and some meat such as beef, mutton or chicken. The niyyat or intention to fast is also essential for its validity, for the Prophet is reported to have said that whoever did not intend his fast during the night, then there is no fast for him. There is however no evidence to show that the Prophet ever made a verbal declaration of his intention to fast or advised his followers to do so. In fact, orthodox Islamic opinion is of the view that the place of intention is the heart and that declaring it with the tongue is an act of innovation that ought to be disregarded. Many folk given to the old ways however persist in declaring their intention to fast orally together in a family gathering. The declaration of such intention usually takes the form of the formula 'Nawaytu sawmadin annadahi farli ramalani hadissanadi lillahi ta'ala' (I intend to fast tomorrow the obligatory fasting of the month of Ramazan for God). This practice is however been gradually abandoned especially by the younger generation who are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of conforming to the prophetic tradition rather than social custom. Dates and water - Muslims break their fast at sunset at the time the call is made for the maghrib or evening prayer. The Prophet prescribed that haste be observed in breaking the fast and this command is strictly observed by local Muslims. The Prophet laid down that the fast should be broken with dates, and if dates are not available with water. Thus it is the practice among the Muslims of Sri Lanka to break their fast with dates usually imported from Iraq or Saudi Arabia. The fast may be broken either at home or at some scenic spot such as Galle Face Green which is fast becoming a popular destination for families looking out for a bit more excitement. The fast being broken, one is free to indulge in food and drink until dawn and it is here that the culinary skills of the Muslim woman are displayed in all its variety. A variety of wholesome dishes may be consumed shortly after breaking the fast or some time afterwards. Among the main meals rice and curry, buriyani and kanji may be included. Other commonly consumed articles of food include samosa(a triangular pastry filled with minced beef), kunafa(a savoury cake comprising of several layers of shredded pancakes between which are placed minced beef filling) and adukku rotti( a delectable baked dish made of several layers of pancakes interspersed with minced beef filling). Popular beverages include faluda ( a refreshing drink made with milk and rose syrup and often embelished with agar agar and kasa kasa), sarvat (a sherbet made of rose syrup and water) and nannari (sarsaparilla juice made with or without milk). A special kind of white kasa kasa known as ispagol may also be added to drink. It is said to have cooling properties and is especially used during the month of Ramazan. Friends and relatives often invite one another to break fast at their homes, it being considered a meritorious act to feed a fasting person. Islamic tradition has it that the reward for performing meritorious deeds during the fast is multiplied ten times, prompting those men and women keen on acquiring greater merit to engage in a number of meritorious acts during this period, ranging from reciting the Qur'an and praying more often to giving alms to the poor or spending on some other worthy cause. Ramazan festival - The Ramazan fast culminates in the Eid-ul-fitr or Ramazan festival which is known among local Muslims as Nombuperunal or 'Festival of the Fast'. Muslims rise early in the morning of the festival, take a bath and don their best attire before departing for festival prayers which is held at around 8.00 am in a mosque or in an open area. It is however necessary that before doing so, they make an obligatory payment to the needy known as Zakat-ul-fitr. This payment is obligatory on every Muslim, whether male or female, minor or adult, as long as he or she has the means to do so. The head of the household may however make the payment on behalf of the rest of the family members, especially minors who may not be in a position to do so. The Prophet is said to have ordered as the payment of zakat-ul-fitr on every Muslim one sa (about three kilogrammes) of dates or barley which was to be paid before the people went out to offer the festival prayer. Local Muslims however usually substitute rice in stead of barley or dates. The grain is personally handed over to needy persons by the head of the house or the family members, either on the night of the last fast or on the morning of the eid. The Salah-al-eid or the festival prayer which is offered in the morning of the Ramazan festival is another important obligation of Muslims. The Sunnah or prophetic tradition requires that both men and women participate in this prayer in an open space and not in a mosque. It is said that the Prophet used to perform eid prayers in the outskirts of Madinah and never prayed in the mosque unless it was raining. He also made it clear that both men and women were to participate in the good deeds and in the religious gatherings of the believers on that day. Umm Atiyya, a lady companion of the Prophet has reported that the Prophet ordered the womenfolk including the maidens staying in seclusion to come out of their homes so that they might stand behind the men and say their prayers and invoke God along with them. In Sri Lanka, however, it is only in a few localities such as Galle Face Green, Nomads Grounds or the Moors Sports Club that this practice is followed. In most other cases, the prayer is performed at the mosque with rigid wooden partitions or curtains segregating the men from the women. The festival prayer is invariably followed by a fairly lenghty bayan or sermon. Once the sermon is over, salams or salutations involving clasping the hands and uttering a benediction are exchanged between friends and relatives. Frequent visits to the homes of loved ones also take place during the course of the day. Tables are laid out with a variety of sweetmeats such as halwa(soft milk toffee), sanja(seaweed jelly) and gulab jamun(small,rounded honey-dipped cakes) especially to be enjoyed by the children. Presentations of money known as perunal salli or 'festival money' are also liberally given to children by elders to do with it as they please. Festivals after all are a time for feasting and merriment. |
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to be the
word of God prescribes fasting as a means of achieving taqwa or piety.
Besides helping one to cultivate discipline by way of self-denial, fasting
could be said to arouse empathy and sympathy with the poor. Fasting also
exemplifies the principle of unity of the Ummah or Islamic nation, for it
is a time when all true believers, male and female, young and old, rich
and poor fast together.
