Out of the eight billion people on earth, Muslims number nearly two billion. Within this vast global community, there are many sects, the major ones being Sunnis and Shias. Yet there are rituals, obligations and festivities that unite them and bring them on the same page. The observance of fasts is one such obligation that binds them together like no other. Muslims fast during the entire month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. From before the break of dawn till sunset, they abstain from food, drink and evil practices. This holy month strengthens spiritual discipline, cultivates gratitude and fosters empathy for the less fortunate.
Life in metropolises is marked by great hustle and bustle. Some people sleep during the day and others at night, yet life never quite pauses. This is particularly true of Lahore, widely regarded as a city that never sleeps.
Like elsewhere in the Muslim world, the advent of the holy month brings tangible changes in its wake. Activities quieten down in the daytime, and people avoid strolling unnecessarily under the harsh sun. Similar changes occur in the environs of Lahore, though to a lesser degree. All Lahori universities, with both morning and evening shifts, and the bazaars remain open. As long as these two spaces continue to function, the ronak of the city stays intact.
Generosity overtakes miserliness, and dastarkhwans for sehri and iftari mushroom across the city for all and sundry
As iftar time approaches, eateries, fruit shops, roads and public transport witness a sudden swell of people. Samosa stalls pop up with makeshift arrangements across the city and draw eager crowds. A samosa is a deep fried, triangular snack filled with mashed potatoes and spices. It is usually served with flavorful channa and meethi chutney. Altogether, it is heavy on both the taste buds and the tummy. Benazir Samosa in Lakshmi Chowk and Sheikh G Samosa in Township are known for their taste and quality. If you happen to be around Benazir Samosa near iftar time, it is better not to attempt buying one to break your fast. Given the crowd gathered around the eatery, there is every chance that you may end up breaking your fast with water instead.
Similar scenes unfold elsewhere as well. The mixed fruit chaat of Hafiz G in Old Anarkali pulls a considerable crowd of shoppers. Being a flaneur, my restless soul does not let me stay within four walls for long. I remember once standing near Neela Gumbad after visiting the mausoleum of Sheikh Abdul Razzak Maki. A glance at my watch told me that only a few minutes were left before iftar. Without much thought, I picked up a bottle of mineral water and hurried towards Old Anarkali, only to find Zahid, the proprietor, almost swallowed by the crowd. Though he obliged me as soon as he could, it was quite a sight to see people going bananas for his salubrious chaat.
On another evening, after classes, I called my friend Nauman and asked him to join me for a walk towards the Badshahi Mosque. We were in the vicinity of Lower Mall and both fasting. Within twenty minutes we were seated inside the mosque, marveling at its grandeur. My attempts to reserve a table at nearby restaurants for iftar proved futile. Consequently, I had my first iftari at my favourite historic landmark of Lahore.
The few hours I spent in its compound during Ramadan felt profoundly purifying. The towering minarets and vast domes of the Badshahi Mosque, along with its expansive courtyard, invariably remind me of the greatness of God. Even on ordinary days, I sit there and imagine how majestic it must have appeared when it was built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1673.
During the one and a half years I worked at a corporate office, my colleagues and I would leave after iftar to offer our maghrib prayers at the mosque. The stillness of the roads, with hardly a vehicle in sight, looked like a frozen frame from real life. Only the muezzin’s call to prayer filled the air.
It is perhaps the privilege of this month alone that mosque rows remain filled during all five obligatory prayers. Two hours before the end of sehri time, mosques in Lahore come alive with community members reciting naats over loudspeakers and occasionally announcing time reminders. In some neighbourhoods, mendicants with drums slung across their shoulders walk through the streets, beating them to awaken people from slumber. Even in the wee hours, activity is palpable. Men gather outside yogurt shops and, as is their wont, drift into discussions on politics.
Lahore is a city where every month finds a reason to be celebrated, and Ramadan is observed with great gusto and reverence. Generosity overtakes miserliness, and dastar khawans for sehri and iftari mushroom across the city for all and sundry. Life feels richer and more meaningful when one is in Lahore during this holy month.