New Delhi: A Hafiz and a techy, Mohammed Asif easily handles his firm while giving complete attention to the holy month of Ramadan.
The 31-year-old techie hailing from Ballimaran in old Delhi is a Hafiz one who memorizes the Holy of Quran by heart, TOI reported.
Asif and hundreds of other Hafiz like him are in huge demand in the month of Ramadan to lead the Ramadan prayers and the Taraweeh prayers offered after Isha salah.
Mohammad Asif appears fresh showing no signs of changes to his sleeping hours, well that is how all Muslims during Ramadan look.
Asif who worked for Swiss IT Firm for six years called it quits and went on to run his own business as a web developer and social media optimizer.
“I have several people working under me and this helps when I am not in office during Ramzan,” says Asif who runs his office in Connaught Place sitting for the wadhu, or ablutions, at the Ek Burj masjid in Ballimaran.
The holy month is a complete departure from a normal day at office dealing with clients and employees. “These days, I remain awake till 6am after having my Sehri meal and read a chapter and a half of the Quran that I will be reciting at the Taraweeh prayers,” he says taking break from his office work and dedicating himself to the holy month.
His clients are quite accommodative to excuse Asif during the month of Ramadan. With no time for work, his clients surely make work easy for Asif to manage during this month.
After staying awake until 6 am in Fajr, he takes a nap and wakes up at 11 to practice the portions of the scriptures that he has to recite at night. Around 3 in the afternoon he then goes out to meet an elder to recite his revised scriptures to check if he needs any corrections in his recital. “It is after such rehearsals that I go to the evening prayers,” he says.
Taking inspiration from his cousins who had the perfect pronunciation of Arabic letters, a student of Fatehpuri School in Chandni Chowk, Asif enrolled himself in an Arabic elementary school, under the Madarsa Noor-ul Quran of Old Delhi as soon as passed his Class X Board exams. “I learned how to be perfect with pronunciation while reciting the Quran and I have been a hafiz for 19 years now,” said Asif.
Enrolled in maktab, Arabic elementary school, Asif also continued his graduate studies in Delhi University. His love for computers drove him towards the IT field he says.
Happy at managing both the DEEN(religion) as well the DUNYA( worldly responsibilities) Asif is just more than happy for achieving both.
“After six years of working for a Swiss IT firm, I decided to form my own company. Today I am a computer expert and a hafiz at the same time,” says Asif.
The young father to a baby daughter also hopes to learn Arabic Language. “My elder brother has a master’s degree in Arabic from Delhi University. He often sits with me when I read the Quran,” he said. “I want to learn the language so that I can understand our holy book more intimately.”