As Ramazan nears the end, a number of Muslims aspire to retreat in solitude — Aitekaf — to make the most of its last days. It is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but is also dependent upon elasticity of one’s financial conditions and professional duties. Islam wants us to be wise enough to prioritise our duties and obligations; collective good over individual’s benefit.
It is a grave fallacy on our part that we do not consider it a religious obligation to pay our professional duties with the same zeal and commitment as is the case with our religious pursuits. We seem to have compartmentalised our duties and obligations into worldly and religious domains.
Given the poor plight of our education system, teachers should reconsider their priorities if they opt for spiritual retreat as they are already doing a noble cause. Teaching the students of a nation that faces educational emergency all the time seems to be quite a noble deed and should be prioritised over one’s own betterment. It is a case of collective interest over an individual’s.
When doctors, lawyers and teachers stay away from their duties, it undoubtedly creates discomfort and problems for those at the other end of the equation. Instead of exerting themselves into their professions doing research and develop-ment, and solving people’s problems, these professionals prefer to go on leave of absence, which, to me, sounds less than an ideal thing to do. Writer Wasif Ali Wasif once said that physical prayers can make one an angel, “but not necessarily a human being”. Only painstaking empathy for the ailing humanity transforms a man into a genuine human being. Serving the people is a sacred religious duty as well. As Hazrat Ali said, doing one’s duty well is the best of prayers.
M NADEEM NADIR
KOT ALI GARH
