KARACHI: The cart vendors selling traditional things for Muslim worshippers such as prayer caps, mats, tasbeeh, etc, are parked at the same spot outside most mosques here the year round, yet they make most sales during Ramazan.

“We don’t just sell prayer caps, mats and beads, or tasbeeh; there is a whole lot of other stuff here as well, but yes, it seems to generate more interest during Ramazan,” says Mohammad Ali, one such vendor outside Makki Masjid on Aga Khan III Road, better known as Garden Road.

There are dark green and maroon prayers caps, which look more like little fruit baskets, strung on one side of the cart that sway in the air. One wonders who would want to wear a plastic cap. Mohammad Ali smiles as he explains it: “That’s exactly the point. At Rs10 each and funny as they may appear, no one would want to own them. They are bought by mosques to keep for anyone who turns up there to pray without a cap. Earlier, they used to offer the nice woven ones or those with embroidery. But after realising that people don’t usually return those caps, they started keeping these plastic ones instead, which fixed the problem almost instantly as all promptly return them on their way out,” he says.

“Besides, they can be easily rinsed or washed. A common complaint with the caps that people borrowed was that they would pass dandruff or lice. The plastic ones can be easily disinfected.”

Other stuff on offer include itr, or natural oil-based perfumes in assorted fragrances, surma, miswak, flexible shoes and belts for Umrah or Haj, small combs, mirrors, backpacks made of parachute material, mosquito nets and books.

The twig, or stick, known as miswak has medicinal qualities. It contains fluorine, chloride, Vitamin C, potassium, sodium and antibiotics among other things that help fight plaque and kill bacteria in the mouth. In short, miswak is a natural toothbrush. All that one has to do is chew a bit on one end until the twig forms bristles. There is no need to apply toothpaste to it. And when you feel you have worn out the bristles, just cut off that end and chew on it again to form new bristles.

There are miswak on sale that are open and those which are sealed or packaged. “The sealed ones people buy from us in bulk to take abroad with them,” says Nabi Bakhsh, who sells them with the other things mentioned on the footpath there.

The tasbeeh, meanwhile, is made from different kinds of beads and is available in many sizes though the 99- to 100-bead tasbeeh happens to be the most popular. “We also have the 33-bead tasbeeh, which is easy to carry around in your pocket or purse. We also make 500- and 1,000-bead tasbeeh on order,” says Ijazul Haque, who comes here from Orangi Town every day to park his cart outside a mosque. “For those who are into modern gadgetry, we also have the electronic tasbeeh, which can be worn on a finger.”

The prayers mats selling from Rs150 to Rs400 are as beautiful and colourful as the prayer beads. The books, stacked up on one cart, have interesting titles such as Ibratangez Bayanaat or Moat ka Manzar.

There is also a row of chequered rumaal, or shoulder cloth, hanging from a string. “These are multipurpose,” says a bargaining customer, trying to bring those priced at Rs100 to Rs80 and those priced Rs120 to Rs100. “You can spread them on the floor and use them as prayer mats or cover yourself with them to protect yourself from the harsh sun. You can even use them for drying up after ablution.”

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2016