Why a Plethora of Soap Operas in Ramadan?

Alas! When Ramadan begins, then those who take delight in watching television dramas get more excited because in Ramadan alone there are dozens of soap operas. 

It’s not that people neglect the reverence of Ramadan or discard fasting. But, besides fasting in Ramadan, they stay tuned, with punctuality, to watch soap operas and special shows that are broadcasted on different channels.

O, how well people partition day and night! A portion goes well for the sanctity of Ramadan, with timely pre-dawn meals, quick prayers, brief recitations from Qur’an, a little now-and-then good talks and acts, a hurried preparation toward breaking the fast. That’s it! 

After breaking the fast, a whole new world bubbles up. It’s time for entertainment—it’s time for soap operas. One finds plethora of dramas and shows on different channels, ranging from full comedy, light comedy, family drama, funny and humorous show etc.

What a brisk way of making money in the month of Ramadan! Keen viewers want entertainment at the end of the day, and production companies follow viewers’ lavish taste, and they come up with more dramas, soap operas and shows in Ramadan. 

TV-addicts spare few minutes to themselves for prayers, and long hours they sprawl on sofas watching television shows. What a paradox! When it comes to Islamic acts of worship, they are just lethargic—they scantily do good deeds, half-heartedly worship and they observe religion either at leisure or on a part-time basis.

If the media attracts viewers with countless soap operas, then definitely viewers have more stuff for deviations. It seems that Ramadan means a ‘big business’ for drama production companies and advertisers. 

In fact, TV-addicts spend their days and nights in a parallel way: day-time, with just fasting, least reflections and lukewarm worship; and nights, with entertaining comedy, talk-shows and episodes of family story dramas. 

O, this little idiot-box, cornered like an anchor in a drawing room, turns up one and whole family members into couch potatoes. It’s utter mess up of worship where you find people breaking fast, and hurriedly praying so that they can watch scheduled shows, from start to finish.

The month of Ramadan comes, with its blessings, mercy and bounties. It’s time to practice patience, tolerance, perform good deeds, and to supplicate unto Almighty Lord for forgiveness. Why in Ramadan alone scores of new soap operas pop up? It’s so surprising, isn’t it? Moreover, viewing these shows during Ramadan in no way enhances one’s faith or piety. On the contrary, these shows steal viewers’ attention, and meddle with their moods for worship.

It’s wondrous why people celebrate Ramadan according to their whims, desires, or by following diverse melodramatic culture? Shouldn’t we celebrate the month of Ramadan according to true teachings of Islam?

Let’s understand this: Ramadan is about experiencing one’s abstinence, sincerely practicing perseverance, submitting oneself unto Almighty Lord for attaining mercy, blessings and true repentance, and putting trust in Him. The month of Ramadan is not just gluttony, outward pride and pomp, extravagance through shopping obsession or a season of television dramas, episodes, series, game shows or popular soap operas.