Halfway through Ramadan, people begin to make preparations for Eid. Women especially, like to shop at the many Ramadan bazaars that cater to shoppers looking for Eid food goodies like baked sweets, cakes and cookies, exotic home decorations and new clothes in all hues of color.Even with the economic downturn in most countries, and with inflation rampant, the crowd of Ramadan shoppers have not reduced. Yes, shopping at these Ramadan bazaars is fun. There is the excitement and anticipation of Eid in the air, as shoppers pick and choose their purchases.
But one of the less enticing sights one would see as we attend these bazaars is the poor Muslim beggars.
Inevitably, as we reach out to buy some food, or new clothes, our eyes will wander to the Muslim beggar standing by the corner looking weakly out towards the throng of shoppers.
These beggars are usually the eldery, or the handicapped. They serve as our timely reminders.
At these moments, we should remember the true purpose of Ramadan. It is a time to be thankful that we can afford to buy food to break fast with, we should be thankful that we have a roof our our heads, and we should be thankful that we are able to shop at the Ramadan bazaars.
Clearly there are so many others who are not as fortunate. And when we are confronted with this other reality, we should take action to remdy it.
Give to others, and help out as much as you can.
Maybe you have your eye on a t-shirt, that is just a few dollars and on sale. It would be a great buy. But is another t-shirt in your wardrobe really essential? Could not your few dollars be better used if given to a Muslim who needs the money to buy food for his iftar?
This may sound idealistic (or lofty), but imagine if we all did that. Wouldn't the world be a better place?
"If you seek happiness for yourself you'll never find it,
Only when you seek happiness for others will it come to you"
