Once a year there is piety all around, obviously not literally though. With the start of the holy month of Ramazan out goes enlightened moderation and in comes the spirit of Islam. Most of us try to be regular in our prayers and see to it that we visit the mosque as much as we can. In essence, the spirit of Ramazan is bringing out the best in a human being; it is about developing tolerance, patience, and endurance. However, despite all the show of devotion and humbleness that goes around, most people one encounters in this holy month are ticking time bombs. It is my inherent right to be angry, irritated and annoyed on the slightest of happenings around me, why? Because I am fasting.

The amount of irritation and anger varies from area to area. A couple of weeks ago, a friend saw a guy with his slipper in his hand trying to smack someone with it. This was obviously in Islamabad. Another event that I personally witnessed was a few Ramazans ago on my way to Peshawar; a man trying to cut another man’s face with a razor blade (I believe it didn’t lead to  injury as nearby people intervened). Generalizations aside, I am sure most of us have seen a rise in such incidents during Ramazan.

Despite all this, Ramazan brings with itself a sense of religiousness. TV anchors are mostly seen with the dupatta managing somehow to cover heads; fashion takes a backseat. The radio and television start spilling religious programs. The ‘better ones’ among recite the Quran daily in an attempt to finish it as many times as possible, and music is generally kept at a low if not completely thrown out of the window. Even suicide bombers hold back from ‘pushing the button’. This feeling reaches its peak around the 27th day of Ramazan.

The sudden shift from the whole ‘Ramazan ambiance’ in less than a week is dramatic to say the least. I cannot much say about other cities, but Islamabad is flooded by the residents of Rawalpindi. ChaandRaat, the last night before Eid, is a night of celebration. The festivities that follow are obviously relative to everyone’s own lifestyle. There is music, there is party, there is shopping, and if I may add, there is a lot of other stuff that was shunned just a few days ago.

While fasting is prescribed by Islam so that people become pious, this whole spiritual journey falls apart with the closing of Ramazan. It is as if “life gets back to normal”, the cloak of devotion is taken off, Quran finds its place back in the upper drawers, and mosques are for Friday prayers only. Headscarves come off as far as most TV anchors are concerned, radios get back to playing what they do all year around, and religious programs and activity goes down the priority list for media, as well as the population.

So out goes the spirit of Islam and in come enlightened moderation again. But obviously, there is a lighter aspect to it. When we are not fasting, at least we are not at each other’s throats. With food in our stomach and water cooling our insides, we are not half as irritated and annoyed as we are in Ramazan. However, such is not the spirit of this holy month. It is about patience, peace and perseverance.

Where we may recite, pray and fast in hopes of fulfilling a religious obligation, we must not forget that the real essence lies in a high moral character than merely an empty stomach. That while religious fervor should continue even after Eid, we must also not let go our morality and temper if we are to achieve the quintessence of Ramazan.