amazan in Pakistan can be challenging. Homes are scramble for electricity as loadshedding, or a breakdown can go on for hours on end. Gas shortage is no secret. Political and economic oscillation doesn’t seem to be helping anyone, yet they are a reality. Dismissing these truths is impossible.

In this holy month, behaving in a tolerant manner, abstaining from inexcusable unkindness towards another person, beating the heat and avoiding gluttony that begins from iftar and lasts till sehri is also the norm. So, what do you do? After a great deal of thought, here is how you can spend your time in building your inner self up.

The Reader

The option of watching television and binge-watching is a go-to for people on average. But Ramazan calls for tolerance and you might not find it in a Netflix series. So, how do you go about being more tolerant while spending your time doing what is not ordinary? One answer is reading and when we say reading, we don’t mean just any novel. The real answer is in embracing a spiritual quest. While books on Sufism are plenty, here are some of the books we have cherry-picked over the years.

One recommendation is is Me & Rumi: The autobiography of Shams – i Tabrizi by William C. Chittick. And here’s a good reason. Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Rumi, is considered one of the most popular Sufi poets and mystics around the world. People quote his sayings in the East and the West; from Facebook statuses to Bollywood film dialogs. While Rumi is the popular Sufi till today, not many have researched the man and understood the role Shams Tabrizi played in his education. The 13th century mystic was a disciple of Shams Tabrizi, but the relationship as described in the book was a complicated one.

However, it was Tabrizi’s absence that allowed Rumi to translate Persian language to what it is today. The book is about the Beloved but also offers lessons about life that are applicable even today. Yes, there are some contradictory notes but if you spent some time with this book without procrastinating, it does offer some answers and paints a remarkable picture between the disciple (Rumi) and teacher (Tabrizi). Because this book is not a display of shoddy writing, reading it won’t feel like homework. The poems by Rumi, some of his most famous ones, for instance, were written when Tabrizi was not around and while they may offer wisdom, they came from a place of longing.

Companion Ideas

Books on Sufism as subject and Sufi poets are not restricted to one or two names. But if you’re going to invest time in reading books pertaining to Sufism, a great choice is the non-fictional book called A True Story: Song of the Dervish: Nizamuddin Auliya: The Saint of Hope and Tolerance by Meher Murshed. Apart from the fact that it quotes Ali Hamza with reference to Coke Studio’s ‘Aik Alif’ and mentions former producer of Coke Studio, Rohail Hyatt, it tells you about the saint as well as stories of those who have gone to his shrine when they had no hope left and what transpired. The book also quotes other experts on the subject and explains how you can follow a Sufi existence without giving up on everything else in life. The variety of interviews from professors to artists such as Ali Hamza makes it even more compelling and close to home.

Look no further as Pakistan is home to the most beautiful qawwalis that are about the Beloved. And the variety in qawwali is enormous.

From Coke Studio to independent artists to film soundtracks to live events, it is a form of devotion that is as inviting and beautiful as it is respectful and evokes a feeling of divinity. The only trick is turning your mind off and focusing purely on the verses. Time will pass but you will be engrossed enough to wait out the hunger that helps you empathize with millions. It will also make you grateful for what you have rather than what you don’t.