THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN
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Sameena and her brother Anwar were excited about Ramadan. Their mother had told them that Ramadan was the time to express gratitude and to help others who were not so fortunate. They had both been saving their money. Sameena, who was six-year-old, sat on her bed and broke her piggy bank. “This is a lot of money. Mom says we are supposed to help someone,” said Sameena, gathering the money into a pile. “Show me your money, Anwar,“she instructed. The coins spilled out of his piggy bank onto the bed. “Wow! We can do a lot for someone with this money,” Anwar said, smiling. “But we have to do it secretly, Anwar. Whom should we help?” asked Sameena. “We should help our neighbours, Aqib and Abida. I noticed that they have holes in their shoes,” Anwar said. “We should buy new shoes for them,” added Sameena. Both of them ran to their mom and told her about their plan. Mom’s chest swelled with pride. “Would you like me to take you to the store to buy the shoes?” she asked. They went to the shoe store and bought shoes for Aqib and Abida. Then, they went home and wrapped the shoe boxes in bright coloured wrapping paper and waited anxiously for night.
As soon as it got dark, they quietly walked over to Aqib and Abida’s house. Mom whispered, ‘Anwar, you knock on the door and then run over here, to this bush, where Sameena and I will be hiding. We’ll watch as they come and find their gifts.” Sameena and Anwar giggled with delight. Anwar put the boxes down on the porch, and knocked hard. Then he ran as fast as he could, to where Sameena and Mom were. “Shhh,” Mom whispered. “Someone is opening the door.”
They watched as Aqib and Abida came out. “Look! These are presents for us,” Aqib cried out with excitement. He and Abida looked around. It was very dark and they couldn’t see anyone. They picked up the boxes and took them inside. Mom, Anwar, and Sameena sneaked quietly back to their house, feeling happy.
My dear readers, although this seems to be a children’s story, it lays emphasis on giving alms to the less-privileged. Charity and sharing with the less-privileged is central to Islam. It is included in the five pillars of Islam, which are the basic tenets of the religion. In this holy month of Ramadan, regardless of your religion or belief system, you should give alms to the needy and extend a benevolent hand to your friends or neighbours. Always remember that you shall leave behind all the material things in this world, but carry with you the reward of charity and benevolence. T his week, you might have got yourself into a difficult situation. You might be abusing your power or been blinded by using excessive logic to get into your current problem. Anger, aggression, haste and excessive force will only make your situation worse.
Try to analyse the reasons why you got into this situation. With that new and perfect vision, you should be able to see the way out of every problem that you encounter.
In case of an argument or opposition, it is best to remain calm and peaceful. Use tact and diplomacy and come out of your entrapment.
Lucky number: 8 Lucky colour: Navy blue T his week, you might meet a strong and opinionated person. He might be an authority figure or a love interest. He is totally intolerant of those who break his laws and his retribution is swift and severe. He has no empathy for others, and he does not care for their wellbeing. He leads them not because he wants to, but simply because he can. It is best to be wary of this person as his intentions might not be favourable. If you are faced with problems this week, try to clear your mind to see things from a different perspective. You shall soon see your problems disappear.
Lucky number: 3 Lucky colour: Sunshine yellow