This statement might be loud for many but nobody among us can deny this statement. Ramadan is near and all the TV channels are approaching with programs which will have their own Religious Scholars in Sehar and Iftar time to get highest ratings.
The people, who will watch TV during the time of sehari and iftari, will miss out their prayer times. Some will recite their prayers while some won’t due to their engrossment in TV programs. Many among us will also be dialing numbers for registration to participate in live transmission. Ramadan is the month for Muslims all around the world to fast and ask forgiveness from Allah for their sins committed, it is the fourth pillar of Islam and it is obligatory on all Muslims.
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil.” (The Holy Quran, 2:183)
While fasting we should refrain ourselves from drinking, eating and swearing. In other words we should not commit sins that will injure our fasts or make us a sinner. Here we Pakistanis are Ajoobas in the world conducting grand transmissions and setting records in competition to other channels. This makes me think that all is done for ratings, I may be wrong but the way news is circulating on social media and by the word of mouth about known Religious scholar for conducting grand transmission makes me think like this.
Is religion for sale?
Last year I traveled abroad and over my stay everyone asked me “DO YOU PAKISTANI’S DO ANYTHING ELSE BESIDES WATCHING TV IN SEHAR AND IFTAR TIME?”
I asked what do you mean, she said “the coverage shown on your channels proves you are greedy for gifts and sit hours in the show, miss out prayers and the ibaddat which are mandatory for this month.” She also added that “in the last 10 days of Ramzan you all feel great listening to Naat and Bayyan by the scholars and isn’t that wasting time. You all should be reading Quran and nafils, and most of all Kaza Namaz. These Ibadats will save you when we all will die, our Ibadats will be useful not the transmission. On the other hand if you are at home also you all are glued to the TV.”
Then I realized that whatever she said is not wrong.
In the past at my house after Sheri and Iftari my children would say their prayers and help me clear the table and then we would watch TV for a while. But since last year everything has changed, my children after sehri and iftari would say their prayers hurriedly and would open the TV to watch the show where gifts would be distributed. I would scold them for not helping me in clearing the table and they would reply “after watching the show we will” and which they never do. It was a complete disappointment for me.
We are coming closer to the time where religion is getting common but believers and its followers are descending. It came as a shock to me when my son came to me saying that his friend has entry passes for the show and he wants to go and I am glad that my husband said a straight NO.
My son was angry but we did not change our decision, and went to his room. Before Iftari he came down and he was scrolling different channels and then he stopped, he was listening to Bayyan about Rozaki Fazeelat. After listening to it and he came to me in the kitchen and apologized.
I told him Ramadan comes once in 12 months we should make the most out of it. The ratio of Sawab is multiplied and all the blessings are increased beyond our imaginations. Later I realized that when my son can understand the importance of Ramadan then why this fact is not acknowledged by our so called religious hosts who for their purpose are minting money plus spoiling other people’s ibadat.
We as a nation are nowhere and as I read. “The People who forget their roots lose their identity too. That is the dilemma of our country; we have forgotten that we are living in “Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
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