Dr. Sofi Rafiq
Eid-ul-Fitr & Eid-ul-Azha are two main festivals celebrated by the Muslim community across the globe with religious fervour & gaiety. Any festival without the participation of friends & relatives loses its fascination & sheen that is why the people of every community & religion during festivals invite their relatives to add charm to their festive times. Jammu & Kashmir has a rich and unique cultural ethos. Among various local traditions and Customs “Eid Saal” is of paramount importance. Cutting across the religious, language, and color affiliations our society accords great respect to women folk be they Daughters, Sisters, and Mothers, etc.
After the Eid festival is over the married daughters in the Muslim community are invited to Eid saal along with their families. It is a blissful custom of our society that not only helps us to discharge our religious obligation towards our women folk but also helps to strengthen our interpersonal relationships required for maintaining our social fabric. Eid Saal not only allows us to strengthen our relationships but also provides a chance to spend good & Productive time with our relatives, especially with our younger generation.
On the occasion of Eid, our married sisters/Daughters are keenly waiting for any of the members from the parental house especially brother/s to visit their house and invite their family for Eid saal. This invitation not only depicts the status of women in our society but also represents the love, care & respect we offer to our sisters, and daughters in our Society. “Eid saal” used to be an event of great importance having plentiful social benefits, it is usually enjoyed by one and all, especially by children who get an opportunity to do something different out of routine work and it fills them with joy and energy.
This event offers unlimited benefits that are vital for the survival of our rich culture & social values. Therefore, it should not be limited to mere preparation & eating of sweet dishes. If planned effectively it can be a marvellous get-together that too in a society which has become almost digitized and members of which are almost stressed. To derive the best from this event following are suggested:
It should be taken as an opportunity to mend the relations if some cracks are developed in them due to one or the other reasons.
It can be used as a medium to share joy & enhance love, care, and respect for our daughters/sisters and their families.
It must help us to strengthen the thread of the web of relations we are connected with and must help us to get socially acquainted to understand one another.
On the eve of “Eid Saal” discussions on diverse issues are obvious, these discussions help us to know and understand the point of view of others. Hence not only does our knowledge increase but also broadens our outlook related to issues under discussion.
Eid saal should serve as a golden opportunity to discuss issues thread bear faced by families, to bring forth the positives as well as challenges faced by our kiths and kins, and search for the ways and means that needs to be adopted to overcome those challenges.
These saals should be utilized as a platform to discuss and plan the future career goals of our children and should help us to search for the course of action to be taken to achieve such goals.
In present times, when people are full of anxieties, mental stresses & pressures. When depression cases are on the rise these functions have the potential to act as soothing and means for mental relief.
Over the years our society has become digital which has affected our mutual relations badly. Misuse of technology and excessive use of social media platforms have derailed us from the very essence of life. It is killing our time in unproductive chores and has affected us badly in every sphere of life. The same has happened to our social functions of vital importance where one is expected to spend a good time with his relatives and friends but instead, we witness everybody is stuck to his mobile phone without showing any concern and respect for the people around him nor having any guilt in throwing to the dustbin the moral and social code of conduct attached to such functions. Our “Eid saals” are reduced to mere formality and have lost their true spirit and value.
Unnecessary spending on dishes to be served has made it a mere economic and financial issue instead of creating a strong bond of relationship among relatives & reaping benefits attached to this function.
It is an opportunity to develop mutual understanding and trust that is indispensable for a strong relationship. It is not about spending lavishly on preparing, serving, and eating sweet multiple dishes/Wazwan but it is all about spending productive time, showing respect, love, and concern for relationships. Unfortunate are those who ignore their sisters/daughters on this special occasion as they miss a sweet memory of life. Let us take the pledge to work for the revival of this rich custom and restore its true spirit by making productive use of this social gathering and by sharing love, respect, happiness, and giving true meaning to the relations.
Dr. Sofi Rafiq can be reached at rafeeqgbl@gmail.com