NDOLA, Zambia:-As Ramadhan closes nearer, Muslims all over the world are preparing to receive the dearest month. This is not an exception to the Muslims of Ndola Zambia.
The muslim community in Ndeke area of Ndola, as a way of preparing for this month, Set up a fund where the financially abled make contributions to this fund. They use this money to buy rice, sugar and other necessities which the community around the area use to break their fast as one ummah at the mosque.
To make sure that the funds are well managed, they will choose someone as incharge of the funds who will make sure that the funds are being utilized as intended.
During this period, the mosque, is almost to full capacity, because even those who do not attend prayers regularly, they attend as one way of renewing their faith. To them, this is the time to strengthen their iman. They do so by purifying their deeds and leaving all evil things (haram and makuruhu alike). Though, according to our prophet Muhammad (SAW), if one starts attending prayers regularly just because it is a month of Ramadhan,then that person is committing shirik (associating Allah with the month).
Contrary to the Ndeke community, the Chifubu muslim community do not make monetary contributions, but just those who can manage do take the food they prepare at their homes to the mosque so that they can share with their fellow brothers in Islam.
The differences in these two communities arise due to the difference in the way the two communities organize themselves.
Islamic organizations in Zambia are mostly active within the capital city-Lusaka where one is likely to find a lot of them, where they even compete with each other in their projects. Out of Lusaka is a different story. Muslims don’t really have proper organizations worth of being called muslim organizations/Islamic organizations. If they exist, then they just exist on the books. Because, most mosques in the Copperbelt are constructed by the community themselves i.e those who are financially sound pool their resources together and construct a mosque in their area. This is the case with the Farah Mosque at Ndeke turn off. These people have constructed a mosque with air conditioners all by themselves. But when one visits the Chifubu mosque, the outlook changes, here is a mosque which has stood there for many years without being completed. When one asks the community why the mosque is like that, the reply is that, there are no funds to complete and fully put carpets in the mosque.
Whatever the differences, whatever the hardships the muslim communities are facing ,the good news is that the muslim society in these areas welcome this Year’s Ramadhan with their open and happy hearts. Because this is a month in which the Holy Qur’an which is the last and final revelation of the Almighty Allah was released/revealed as a guidance for mankind.
This is a practice that muslims world over will continue observing because that is what Allah commands us to do. Allah says”o you who bealive,it has been prescribed for you to fast as it was prescribed to those before you so that you may fear Allah”.
