Ramadan should be one time of year when food is cheapest

Sir Frank Peters.

Sir Frank Peters

As Ramadan rapidly approaches one cannot help but wonder if Ramadan 2025 is going to be any different for the poor, decent, honest, hard-working, Allah-fearing, Allah-loving Muslims to that witnessed over the past 15 years.

Unbelievably, instead of bringing out the best in everyone, as Islamic principles demand, the opposite manifests. The price of essential food items skyrocket, making it near to impossible for the poor and low-income earners to buy cheap nourishing food.

If the price hikes were to occur at another time in the year and were justified one might grumble, find sympathy, and accept... but never during Ramadan… the month of plenty – the holy month! That’s preposterous!

Ramadan is sacred. It’s the holy month when all like-thinking Muslims allegedly aspire to do what’s right as one big happy holy family.

Brotherly love

It’s the Islamic season of goodwill, purification, and empathy with the poor and low-paid brethren among us. It’s a foregone conclusion the price of essential food items would be at their lowest this time of year to help compliment the wishes of Allah.

Low food prices permit His entire beloved – not just those with cash – to participate in the beautiful, joyful annual event and share the rich bounty He lovingly provided.

The giving of food to others – symbolic of giving life – is one of the founding principles on which the religion was built and one of its golden rules. It’s a demonstration of pure love, life, and family values that help to set Islam apart from other religions.

The Prophet (saw) encouraged his followers to provide Iftar to Muslims during Ramadan and commanded them to give Zakat al-Fitr to feed the poor on Eid al-Fitr. He said sharing food is a way of taking care of the vulnerable and bringing the community together, embracing all in oneness.

Many people this year in Bangladesh, however, face the embarrassment of not being able to give food, as Allah would wish. With the recent outrageous escalation in food costs, low-income earners and poor people especially are suffering badly. They cannot share what they don’t have. They’re struggling to put food on their own tables.

If those in control of the food chain cannot show compassion and extend a helping hand to their downtrodden brothers and sisters during the month of Ramadan – the holiest of the holy – what hope is there for Bangladesh? What examples are we setting for our children? Read what the Qur’an says, but do what you like as long as it makes money? 

Hypocrites

There are hypocrites in all religions worldwide who are prepared to get involved in heated arguments defending their religion... engage in physical fights for it... even die for it. But all that Allah asks in the Qur’an (His spiritual manual to righteous living) is to LIVE the Islamic religion, show kindness, compassion and let others live likewise.

Ramadan is a time when the heavenly spirit of the Almighty permeates the air and acts of compassion, kindness, peace and goodwill to all, should be forefront in everyone’s thoughts and actions. Every effort should be made and no stone should be left unturned to behave righteously and act in accordance with the Islamic doctrine.

One would think those privileged to control the food chain would welcome the opportunity of putting Islamic principles into practice during Ramadan and show they’re deserving of Allah’s all-year round blessings.

Doing good is an offering of love and respect to Allah and a visual silent prayer in hope He would respond with blessings.

Everyone asks how can the price hikes be justified? It’s not as if petrol/transportation/manpower costs have spiraled uncontrollably. Most likely, the vegetables that were plucked this week came from the same patch of ground that sold for considerably less last week. Similarly, the chickens and their eggs came from the same chicken farms.

                                    Price hikes are man-made         

The price hikes are man-made, therefore, man controlled. They’re seemingly a blatant attempt to extract the highest prices possible to feed an insatiable thirst for greed.

Because Ramadan is the holiest month on the Islamic calendar, dedicated to serving Allah, and offering the opportunity to all to reflect and right their wrongs, the price hikes are even more abhorrent and intolerable. Ramadan, especially, should be a NO price hike zone.

It doesn’t help to keep prices down, however, when organized criminal gangs stop the trucks loaded with farm produce en route – not once, but several times – and extract toll payments to pass. These unscrupulous characters don’t even wear masks – there’s no need. They’re protected (if not organized) by local authority figures and some have been known to wear police uniforms.  

It’s incomprehensible to think that those responsible for the price hikes will actually bow down at the mosques and beg Allah to shower blessings upon them, when the same people are depriving food from hungry mouths.

I once read a report about a trader in Bangladesh who was selling essential items at the cost to him plus a taka profit. (God love him). That’s the spirit of Ramadan that should be encouraged. The charity Bidyanondo is doing similar (https://www.bidyanondo.org/). (God love them, too!)

Surely that is the right, most honourable, and wholesome spirit to display throughout the holy month of Ramadan. It’s time for those responsible for the price hikes to act with Allah in their heart and a conscience in their soul, to help those who are struggling and live under the poverty line.

Over to you Professor Yunus and the Interim Government.

(Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, humanitarian, human rights activist Honorary Member of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters and a foreign friend of Bangladesh. <SirFrankPeters@gmail.com>