Editorial
An auspicious night
Pray for collective wellbeing
Lailatul Baraat, the night of prayers and penance is before us. Muslims throughout the world will tonight spend hours on the prayer mat seeking divine blessings for the future and forgiveness of the Almighty for any wrong done, wittingly or unwittingly, in the year gone by. For, we believe, there is a divine value judgement of what we did in the preceding year and how our destiny is going to be shaped for the next year. It's also a night when we pray for personal and collective wellbeing, better guidance for our mundane lives and salvation of the souls of the dead. Allah's doors to benevolence and mercy are open tonight to the supplicants. Lailatul Baraat, popularly known as Shab-e-Barat, also marks the prelude to the holy month of Ramadan. It's a preparatory 15-day interlude between Lailatul Baraat and the month of self-abnegation. So, in a way, it heralds the triumph of the spirit over matter. The essence of the occasion will be lost on us if we should confine our observance to lighting candles, displaying fireworks or distributing halwa and roti in a merry-making extravaganza of rituals. In fact, bursting crackers could mean physical hazards and should therefore be avoided. Only prayers bereft of righteous action cannot lead to mankind's salvation. In keeping with the spirit tonight, we must resolve to cultivate consideration for others, swathed in a spirit of fellow feeling and camaraderie; be prepared to share not just wealth but also poverty with others; and work for common good through peace and rejection of violence in all forms. The Muslim world is going through a challenging time. There are concerns for Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kashmir -- the list can grow longer. On the other hand, there is a fanatical view of religion being fed on misrepresentation of Islam which is raring to erupt in violent forms. One of its ramifications is the political use of Islam. At the other extreme, while armed militancy is preached and practiced by a minuscule minority, it is through this keyhole that Islam is seen by many in the West. Which is why it often gets misunderstood, profiled and stereotyped. All this has to go.
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