ramadan nimazees

As the faithful glue themselves to the PTV/ARY on the last (29th) evening of Sha’aban, the 8th month of the Islamic calendar, the Ramzan nimazee is all ears to get to know about the sighting of the new crescent of Ramzan by the Rouiat-e-hilal committee of Pakistan. It is not many minutes before the announcement is made and the atmosphere suddenly grows electric. The loud speakers in the local Masjids blare out the stentorian Azaan for Isha, the last salah of the day. Unlike other days, tonight Ramzan zealots tumble out in droves to fill up the Masjids to overflowing. From now on the typical Ramzan nimazee is charged up, at least for the month of Ramadan. By attempting to be pious and devoting himself to Allah, the Almighty, he thinks he would be able to sweep the dust of his sin and inward corruptions that have seemingly defiled him.

For most of the time in the holy month of Ramzan the prayer congregations (in the Masjids) overflow into the streets. From the day one itself the Ramzan nimazee is with his hackles up, his mindset fanatically ultra-religious and God fearing. In fact he was ecstatic about the Ramzan far before it actually commenced, when he would conjure visions of observing fasts and attending Masjid five times for nimaaz in Jamaat and reading the qyamat say qyamat long Quran taravieh. He would be amongst the first to report to the Masjid to offer nimaaz in the first saff (line). Emotionally high, the ubiquitous Ramadan nimazee is seen everywhere in the Masjid pushing in the process the regular original nimazees to virtual oblivion.

While waiting in the wings for his turn outside the bathroom to make ablution, the Ramzan nimazee would indulge in making noise therewith the talking on his tongue things heavenly or things earthly or things scriptural; things sacred or things profane; things past or things to come; things more essential or things circumstantial. The keen eyed criticaster amongst the seasonal (Ramzan)visitors pour scorn on the performance of the ‘masjid-e-intizamia committee’ and seek explanation as to why advices given by them last Ramadan were not implemented (during the period of one year of their absence).

Bevy of these self appointed nuisances would retire after jamaat nimaaz to soofa to snuggle in the warmth of hamam to indulge in political and other worldly discussions to invariably end up in squabbles. The upshot of this all is that the majority of the intizamia committee members invariably resign at the end of the month of Ramadan or immediately after it. As it happened somewhere in the Masjid somewhere around Ali Jan road the situation could end up in two different prayer congregations (nimaaz in jamaat) being simultaneously held on each of the five times in the Masjid on two different floors.

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