Islamabad - Thousands of dedicated faithful would start observing ‘Aitekaf’ from Sunday afternoon (20th of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak) at specified and secluded corners of mosques for seeking forgiveness of Almighty Allah by abandoning their routine business for entire ten days.
Aitekaf sitting is a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), in which a faithful must confine himself at a secluded corner of a mosque or home, till sighting of the moon of Eid-ul-Fitr. The sole purpose should be to worship Allah and seek pardons of sins.
Aitekaf carries a multitude of blessings of the Allah Almighty. Men observe Aitkaf in small cubicles, set up by hanging large cloth sheets inside mosques, whereas women observe it at any corner or quiet place in the house which is not frequently visited by others. Hundreds of worshippers would remain stationed at mosques for 10 consecutive days in connection with performing this religious duty called ‘Aitekaf.’ Mosques in the Federal Capital and adjacent Rawalpindi used to allocate places to the worshippers on the first-come-first-serve basis because of an ever-increasing number of those willing to observe Aitekaf.
The registration process has already been completed the mosques of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Philanthropists and common citizens send food items for Sehr and Iftar to the mosque during Ramzan ul Mubarak.
This year, management of Faisal Mosque has registered over 800 faithful for observing Aitekaf at its premises. Dawah Academy has already finalized special arrangements for imparting education about ‘Fiqhai’ problems.
Special lectures of religious scholars have also been arranged for the Motakafeen (Aitekaf observers) at Faisal Mosque. The worshippers will be provided food at Sehr and Iftar.
Meanwhile, the minimum amount of Sadqa-e-Fitr has been fixed at Rs 100 per head this year, said Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman.
Talking to APP, he said according to the market price of 2.25 kilograms of flour, the amount for Fitrana is calculated as Rs 100 per head. The faithful who want to pay Fitrana equal to the price of barley, dates and raisins should pay Rs 320, Rs 1,680 and Rs 1,600 per head respectively.
A Muslim, who possesses food in excess of his needs, must pay Sadqa-e-Fitr before the Eid prayers. If the person is a breadwinner, he should also pay Sadqa-e-Fitr for his dependants, such as wife, children, dependent relatives or servants. Mufti Muneeb also advised the people to pay the amount to the poor before Eid-ul-Fitr so that they could also celebrate the festival.
The most deserving people for Sadqa-e-Fitr are close relatives followed by neighbours and the poor.
Mufti Munibur Rehman said real spirit of Fitr and Fidya is two-time meal of a destitute person, so it is better these are paid the meal cost of a hotel. However, those who are wealthier, they should try to pay more to extend assistance to the poor in this time of high inflation.
If anyone had been unable to keep fast for the whole month of Ramadan, he or she should pay Fidya as compensation worth Rs 3,000 in proportionate to flour price, Rs 19,200 for barley, Rs 96,000 for date and Rs 96,000 for raisin. Kufara (compensation) for leaving 30 fasts in wheat would be Rs 6000, barley Rs 14,400, dates Rs 76,800, raisin Rs 153,600. Kufara in wheat would be Rs1,000, barley Rs 3,200, dates Rs 16,000 and raisin and Rs 16,000.
Meanwhile, the minimum amount of Sadqa-e-Fitr or Fitrana for Faqh-i-Jafria has been fixed at Rs 170 per person, said Maulana Muhammad Aun Naqvi. Talking to APP, he said Sadqa-e-Fitr is obligatory for every sane member of a family. People must not forget the needy and deserving in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, he added. He said Fitrah is to be calculated according to the price of 3kg of staple food. “That is, if your staple food is rice then the price of 3kg of rice is to be given to the poor”, he added.