Daily Times

A religious ritual or rite is an established ceremony prescribed by a religion. Every religion consists of a number of rituals that are repeatedly observed by the followers of the religion. These rituals serve a sacred purpose of making a communication with the divine power responsible for creation. The majority of religious rituals are public and few are private. However, these rituals are symbols of some real historical event, entity or a construct. There is undoubtedly a deep relation between the religion and the rituals it sets down.

But very often I observe that these rites and rituals become the only concern of the followers. Mostly, the so-called religious persons forget that these rituals, although important, are just symbols of something deeper. People engross themselves so much in the practice that they become oblivious of the true spirit of religion. As a result, religion is just seen as a set of certain rituals and the values, meaning and true spirit is often badly ignored. For most of us, religious rituals thus become a practice like the practice of jumping, a game or a performance. We forget that these symbols are symbols that cannot substitute the reality responsible for salvation. The ritual of fasting is observed in many religions. In Ramzan people keep fast by abstaining from eating for a prescribed period of time. The message behind it is to strengthen one’s relationship with God and denying physical pleasures and needs to attain a deeper connection with God. This is done for spiritual reasons but nowadays it seems as if it is followed for physical reasons. Those who keep fasts make it an excuse for not working, for not serving others, for becoming lethargic. Ramzan ends with the Eid festival but nowadays the whole month is celebrated like a festival. Days are spent lazily as if fasts are kept for human beings rather than God. Evenings are spent in Iftar parties. Women prepare special dresses for the parties in the whole month. Institutions are closed far before the time of Iftari and during the short working hours the common excuse for not working is fasting. A large majority has forgotten that this symbolism serves a greater purpose and these ritual enactments stand for real things that would bring us closer to God.

This tendency of engaging in rituals and ignorance of the true spirit is noticed in all segments of society. I notice many businessmen rushing towards mosques at the time of prayers, coming back to their offices with the same callous hearts to grab as much money as possible, making false statements for their products and some of them using the same abusive language they were using before performing the ritual. The same holds true for some women working at home to earn their livelihood, very particular about five-time prayers and keeping fasts but never trying to be honest in their dealings with human beings.

Not to speak of different segments, people from other religions are also noticed considering rituals as just window-dressing for the core beliefs of a religious tradition. People who regularly go to church seldom follow the principles and values laid down by the religion. Those who anxiously wait for Christmas and Easter festivals and celebrate the events with pomp and show are unmindful of the teachings.

It seems as if religious ideas, beliefs, teachings, all are hidden under the cover of practices. I do not at all mean that these rituals should not be practised but they should be practised taking into account the realities and the values they represent. Otherwise the so-called religious people are just ignorant dummies. Practices of rites and rituals without changing lives confine the religion to the precincts of a mosque, a church, a temple or holy place. Religion is practical that changes one inside out, not only a set of actions performed daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. It is our choice to become either an ignorant dummy or one seeking the will of God.

The writer can be reached at dilnawazqamar@fccollege.edu.pk