UAE | Heritage and Culture
'Greatest peril' of Ramadan is overindulgence'
The "greatest peril" in Ramadan is losing sight of what the month of fasting is really about through overindulgence in food and material consumption, a leading religious figure warned.
- By Fuad Ali, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:17 September 21, 2007
- Shaikh Hassan Ali Abu Al Einein is a preacher and advocate for the Fujairah Islamic Affairs and Awqaf Office.
- Image Credit: Supplied Picture
Fujairah: The "greatest peril" in Ramadan is losing sight of what the month of fasting is really about through overindulgence in food and material consumption, a leading religious figure warned.
Shaikh Hassan Ali Abu Al Einein is a preacher and advocate for the Fujairah Islamic Affairs and Awqaf Office.
He said there is no harm in using Ramadan as a time to enhance investments and business opportunities for Muslims; in fact, the Prophet (PBUH) said Ramadan is a time in which a believer's bounty would be increased.
The risk, however, as he sees it, lies in over attending to material consumption during Ramadan while forgetting to foster the spiritual essence of the month.
"We must have good faith in people - even when they over purchase food or such things, because over the month they will feed more than just their immediate families" Shaikh Hassan said.
He added: "But it has to be said, the greatest peril is when people take Ramadan to be just a set of customs and habits and not the great spiritual window of opportunity that it is.
"When the human body is weighed down with food and material objects the soul will likewise be tied down and empty, but when the body is bare and light so will the soul be, and that's how people should approach Ramadan."
Shaikh Hassan was on the other hand, eager to emphasise that many people do find such a spiritual plane in Ramadan and he points to the considerable increase in the number of worshippers at mosques and the immense charitable activities during the month.
Cost and profit
While profits are impressive, costs are not modest in an increasingly competitive Ramadan tent scene, say tent operators.
Dima Ayed, Food and Beverage Marketing Manager for Madinat Jumeirah, said the cost of setting up an average luxurious tent in a five-star hotel could go up to Dh2 million for the month, all inclusive.
An employee at a major tent company said the setting up of an average 20 to 30 square metre tent could cost up to Dh60,000 depending on lighting, tent material and the amount of luxury tent operators want to offer their guests.
"Some people pay as much as Dh120,000 over the month and the price could be higher," he said.
But despite the high costs, most major tents cover up to half of their costs through sponsorship, say operators.
Have your say
Has Ramadan become commercialised? What aspect of it has changed the most? How do you preserve tradition, personally? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the comments form below.
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