THE MESAHARATI

THE MESAHARATI

Most Malays and Moors who have lived in densely Muslim populated areas in Colombo like Kartel, Maradana, and Hultsdorp would fondly remember the Fakir bawa (Masaharati) or childishly nicknamed 'Otto otto Bawa' who went around the streets and lanes to wake the Muslim populace to observe their Sahar. In bygone era where mobile phone alarms, radio wake-up programs and a multitude of electronic and digital devices were never heard of, the services of a fakir bawa became an essential Ramadhan tradition. His scintillating Baiyths and stanzas from the Holy Koran and Arabic rhymes would resonate between the brick walls on either side of the city streets in the wee hours of the morning even to wake up a tired dweller of the city to prepare for Sahar and Subuh.

A glimpse of this personality to a prying child would describe him to be an elderly Muslim with a godly countenance and an unkempt beard. Clad in sarong and kurta, shrouded with a shawl over his shoulders, a skull cap and knapsack on his back, he wielded a walking stick on his strong hand and the tasbeh (rosary) and lantern (torches came later) on the other. The stick which is a 'sunnah' for the over forties had many uses like the Asaa of Nabi Moosa (AS). It not only helped him to drive away the aroused stray dogs which congested the night streets but also to tap at the gates and doors of the slumbering Muslim locality.

On the night of Lailatul Qadr the Fakir Bawa would go around the houses he roamed to collect his Sadaqa.

The Wikipedia descibes the ''Otto otto Bawa' as follows:

"The mesaharati (public waker) is a public waker for suhur and dawn prayer during Ramadan. According to the history books, Bilal Ibn Rabah was the first Mesaharati in Islamic history as he used to roam the streets and roads throughout the night to wake people up.

The occupation is summed up by Abu Rabah, a mesaharati in his neighbourhood in the old city of Damascus: "My duty during the holy month of Ramadhan is to wake people up in the old city of Damascus for prayers and Sahur meal."

According to Abbas Qatish, who is considered Sidon’s best mesaharati, the attributes every mesaharati should possess are physical fitness and good health, "because he is required to walk long distances every day. He should also have a loud voice and good lungs, as well as an ability to read poems. A mesaharati should supplicate God throughout the night to wake the sleepers."

The tradition is practiced in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Palestine. However, there has been a gradual disappearance of the mesaharati due to several factors, including: Muslims staying up later; using technology such as alarms clocks to awake for suhur; and louder and larger homes and cities that make the voice of the mesaharati harder to hear."

With the demography of the city changing, the once dotted Non- Muslim communities in these areas becoming more dominant, and many Muslims having to move out to sub urban dwelling as a result of the growing urbanisation the Ramazan tradition of Public Waker has faded away or now defunct.

Many other reasons like public disapproval on grounds of Nuisance, Insurgencies, civil strifes, curfews and the security concerns during the ethnic war have forced a full stop on this age old tradition and community service practice.We have also heard of an incident where a Fakir was shot at by sentries for allegedly not obeying a security check.

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