Ramadan: A month of reflection

“You are crazy! You don’t eat and drink all day long for the whole month?!” This is normally the response I get, before I get chance to explain the meaning behind the fasting in the month of Ramadan. Although most Americans now know that their Muslim friends and neighbors fast from dawn to sunset in the month of Ramadan, yet many still don’t know that fasting is just one aspect of Ramadan.

God says in the Qur’an (2:183), “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint.”

Fasting has always been an important part of religious life. Every faith has it in some form or the other. For Muslims, fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory. Every able Muslim who has attained puberty should fast, with exception being granted for the mentally and physically ill, the pregnant and nursing mothers, and for travelers. The goal during this month is to attain self-restraint and to achieve God-consciousness in every aspect of life.

Fasting is a personal and intimate act of devotion. During the fast, an individual can quietly eat or drink and no one would know about it. Except, of course, God, who knows all actions and intentions. This is precisely the God consciousness that fasting is supposed to bring in all spheres of life.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Because of the lunar calendar, Ramadan falls in different seasons, as it moves up about 11 days every solar year. This year it started on the 1st August. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other four being belief in one God, performing the five daily prayers, obligatory charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca once in a life-time (if physically and financially able to do so).

Ramadan is comprised of three ingredients: fasting, prayers, and charity. Fasting teaches self-restraint, prayers bring the devotee closer to God, and charity expresses thanks to God for His bounties. In this month, one performs extra acts of worship toward God, and acts of charity including service toward His creations. Upon breaking the fast, the night is spent in acts of devotion and necessary sleep, not feasting and partying.

By fasting (not eating by choice) in this month, Muslims are reminded that although they might live in material luxury, there are millions of fellow human beings who cannot afford a meal everyday.

In addition, fasting is not a mere abstention from food, drink, and sex. It also entails an abstention from seeing or hearing evil, speaking ill or gossiping or back-biting, or doing any act that is contrary to God’s pleasure and command. By suppressing animalistic instincts, the devotee is able to focus on nourishing the soul.

The end of Ramadan, Eid- ul-Fitr, is celebrated by a day of feasting, socializing, kindness to all and especially to children and elders, and acts of both obligatory and voluntary charity.

Getting REAL

visit to Michigan Minority Procurment confenrece

Our company, WIT Inc. is a MMBDC (Michigan Minority Business Development Council) member for last 10-12 years. Last Thursday I got chance to attend the MMPC fair organized by MMBDC at Cobo hall. This must be my 5th or so time attending the fair since we became the member of the council.

For many years, I have gone to different booths of large companies and have been told to fill out different forms at their web-site and have been assured that diversity person will forward the information to the "right" person in the organization. Guess what, I have never heard from that "right" person ever.

This year my attitude was different, I told them exactly what we do and asked them if they can connect me to the "right" person in IT who might be interested in learning more about our offering and then I will fill out the forms. The jury is still out if I will be able to make connection with the "right" person this time, but chances look better than ever. Just because I was very clear in what I wanted and was able to tell the person at the booth that I have been in the business long enough and am for "Let's get REAL or let's not PLAY"(Mahan Khalsa).

I think the best thing these diversity managers can do for an MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) is to unlock the door of the organization. It is MBEs job to open the door, enter through the door, walk on the Runway (without stumbling) and eventually get chance to compete for the business.

That's all I ask, and I am sure that's what majority of the minority vendors want. Nobody is or should be looking for hand out.

I am grateful to an organization like MMBDC, which is helping minority business knock on the door.

What's the value of living in a great city?

Last Saturday I realized the value of a vibrant, balanced, artistic and active community when we invited a young man for an interview with our company WIT Inc. We invited this young man from Milwaukee, WI and paid more than $1200.00 to come over the weekend for few hours to meet us in person. After meeting for an hour so at our office conference room, my colleagues and I realized that we would definitely like this person to be part of our team. We started telling him more and more about our company and started selling him on living in Michigan. We even joked that we have this kind of weather (65-70 and Sunny) 8-9 months during the year.

Seriously, we were all telling him about different cities nearby where he can settle in. We told him about Royal Oak & Rochester area. We even wanted him to see one of the cities for himself before he took off. So we took him to Kruse and Muer in Downtown Rochester. We had a great meal there and eventually said goodbye to him.

Thinking back later in the day, I realized how sublimely, we were selling this young man on two of the best known areas (Royal Oak and Greater Rochester). How important it is for all of us to be part of a community which has downtown (local bike shops, flower shops, bakeries, restaurant, cafes, ice cream parlor etc.), Library, Hiking and biking trails, Art centers, Theaters, Parks, clean streets etc.

Though I have been in living Rochester Hills for more than 13 years now, last Saturday was the first time I had fully realized the value of where I live and how lucky I am to be a part of a great community.

Thinking further if Detroit regains its former glory then all the cities surrounding it and the state as whole would benefit from it. We no longer have to sell a specific town or two to a prospective newcomer.