The holy month of Ramadan (I assure you, Ramzan or Ramazan will suffice as well, I have opted to use Ramadan, though) has arrived once again. According to Muslims, it is supposed to be a time where the ummah (however much of it one believes to exist) comes together in fasting, prayers and communion. In the West, Muslims often go about promoting their belief in God to non-Muslims, along with tolerance and unity that exists within their faith, over the course of this month.
Unfortunately, before the month of Ramadan even begins, Muslims seem to be at each other’s throats, year after year. Therefore, as another year passes by, along comes another edict, issued by over 50 muftis, against Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of the Qasim Ali Mosque in Peshawar. Only this time, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has likened Popalzai to the Taliban, and also stated that having a dialogue with him “is a waste of time.” This of course, is nothing new, and protests against the Qasim Ali Mosque, in this regard, have consistently taken place for years. However, it does raise the question of why Muslims are not realising that such trivial matters are holding them back from coming closer together, and improving as a community of people.
Similarly, there are more inconsequential issues that often result in explosive barrages by Muslims, especially Pakistani Muslims, and tend to put them at loggerheads with each other. The most prevalent of these, is of course, the ever famous and often ridiculed, Ramadan versus Ramzan argument. This has to be one of the most absurd topics to argue about, anywhere in the world, yet unsurprisingly, it is a common argument in Pakistan. Nonetheless, people who do not understand it will more often than not be baffled by the existence of such a pointless debate.
In fact, a recent satirical video by Pakistani comedian, Junaid Akram, takes a dig at this nonsensical argument in hilarious fashion and perfectly explains this unnecessary conundrum that we have created for ourselves. However, if the argument that Ramadan is the only pronunciation of the word is pushed forth, several Pakistanis, including myself, will have to start pronouncing our names differently, because they happen to be words with Arabic roots, which cannot be “correctly” pronounced in Pakistani languages. Maybe, we can start using our minds for more important matters, such as eradicating such obstinate views from thought processes of our society.
Nevertheless, this miniscule example does help shed some light on why Muslims and Pakistan as a nation have fallen so far behind in pretty much every form of progress, be it through science, the arts or even sport. The fact that we are unwilling to accept positions of others on topics we ourselves do not seem to aptly understand is hypocrisy at its very finest. And this only leads us on a dangerous path towards bigotry, ignorance and intolerance. All of which disallows us from progressing as human beings. After all, interpretations, diverging views and differences in opinion, are an inherent part of human nature. And the history of Islamic faith has also served as an example in explaining this very aspect of
human thought.
Since the passing away of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), which took place over 1,400 years ago, there has been one consistency amongst Muslims, much like the aforementioned examples, and that is consistent arguments or differences (as mentioned, it is also the case with any other movement, faith or belief system). Only in the case of the Sunni-Shia divide it has expanded significantly, often through political manipulation, and has, unsurprisingly, resulted in violence, takfiri (a Sunni Muslim who accuses another Muslim or an adherent of another Abrahamic faith of apostasy)
and killings.
However, this is simply another example of how Muslims have become highly intolerant today, especially when it comes to divergence of opinion, amongst several other things, and the differences that will always manifest between people, no matter what situation is put in front of them. Rather than arguing over issues long past, would it be wrong to consider these differences in opinion, as the very essence of Islam, much like the diverse set of principles, values and ideals that Muslims across the world hold onto and believe in?
Maybe so, but until we do not stop worrying over who has sighted the Ramadan moon correctly, and whether saying Ramadan is better than Ramzan, and vice versa, it is difficult to see us breaking away from differences that have been justified as means to kill, shame and call others kafirs (infidels). Alas, another Ramzan will pass by, and we will be hiding our bigotry under so-called unity and communion, for several years to come.
The writer is a research coordinator at the South Asia Study Group