The holy month of Ramadan is mid-way. This is the month in which Allah, the Almighty, opens His doors of mercy, forgiveness and blessings upon Muslims. Every year, this month is eagerly awaited by Muslims across the world.
Even before the month of Ramadan starts, we see women stocking their kitchen with groceries, meats and dry fruits. Women appear much more worried about cooking and try to find new recipes.The Internet is a new source of methods for the special month of Ramadan. Vast tips and tricks are available to make more delicious and different recipes during this holy month. It seems as if ladies are preparing themselves to participate in a cookery competition.
Sadly, during this month when people are supposed to spend less time eating and sleeping, women spend much of their time in the kitchen cooking verities of dishes and planning for the next day. A typical Ramadan picture is that of mothers and sisters busy cooking till the time of sunset while the rest of the family awaits for the siren, tired and hungry. Perhaps people ignore the fact that women too fast all day.
The justification behind this is that cooking and taking care of the family and children is equally rewarding. Of course, any act done with the pure intent to please Allah, the Most High, is rewarding.
However, why should there be extra stress on cooking? If the month is about reduced consumption of food and to control our cravings, and if we truly care about the spiritual opportunities of the month, then we must expect less cooking and more worship but for women it is the other way round.
Women also need time for worship and contemplation during this special period which is supposed to be different from daily life in other months. Instead of reducing housework, duties of women are doubled in this month.
It’s very common to notice that while female members in the house toil in the kitchen along with other household chores, males are seen either sleeping or relaxing. This the norm, particularly in the Arab world.
