Last night was one which almost all Muslims (until recently) regarded as one of the holiest nights in the year. It was the night of the full moon in the month of Sha'aban. Some Muslims are fasting today (15 Sha'aban), perhaps to prepare for the month of fasting which begins in two weeks.
I've often wondered why this particular night is always regarded with great reverence by Muslims who belong to the Barelvi sub-sect. Not long ago, all Memons were Barelvis, but now it appears that many of them have gone over to the other side (the Deobandi sub-sect).
One year (I must've been about ten years old), I spent this entire holy night praying. My major concern in those days was not money, it was to get the highest marks in every exam. As a teenager, I used to wonder why people wasted so much time going to graveyards and throw rose petals on the graves of their relatives. Nowadays of course it's impossible to go to most cemeteries, and with petrol being so expensive, Memons at least have stopped going. But for those who don't live far from the graveyards, it's still a religious duty.
I once read somewhere about an ancient tribe who used to celebrate this night (or maybe every full moon night) with singing and dancing. Perhaps later on they started praying and visiting graves on this night and this custom was adopted by Muslims. I know there is a day when Catholics visit graveyards (I once heard my Grade 5 school teacher telling her Catholic wards to behave themselves when they were there).
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