PM Modi invokes the Prophet ahead of Ramzan, asks people to help poor

NEW DELHI: Invoking the teachings of Prophet Muhammad before the beginning of Ramzan, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday asked people to help the poor and feed the needy. he also spoke about Buddha Purnima and said Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood.

During his monthly radio address Mann ki Baat, Modi said the Prophet was an inspiration for all and his teaching of equality and brotherhood should be followed by all. He said Prophet Muhammad believed in the concept of charity, which was important during Ramzan. The holy month of fasting starts from May 15.

Modi said people had the responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from the Prophet's life, who believed in the twin principles of knowledge and compassion. He added that the Prophet believed that if you possessed anything more than your requirement, then you should donate it to the needy, and thus giving alms was important during Ramzan.

"The sociological and collective aspect of fasting is that when a person experiences hunger himself, he comes to realise the hunger of others. When he is thirsty, he realises the thirst of others. This is an opportunity to remember the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and his message... Once a person asked the Prophet, ‘which is the best thing in Islam?' The Prophet saab said, ‘feeding a poor and needy and meeting everyone cordially, whether you know him or not',” the PM said.

Quoting Bhimrao Ambedkar that Lord Buddha was a great inspiration in his social philosophy, Modi said, "My social philosophy may be said to be enshrined in three words; liberty, equality and fraternity. My philosophy has roots in religion and not in political science. I have derived them from the teachings of my master, the Buddha.”