Friday, August 6, 2010

Ushering in Ramadhan


Ramadhan has come around again - the month of soul-cleansing and enrichment for the true believers, through an intensified month-long dedication to Allah's injunctions as prescribed in the al-Quran and Hadith. For some, even among the good Muslims, it's month of challenge to withstand the pain of hunger and thirst in the daytime, not to mention the fight against the urge to smoke and other minor sins in life. (What more if they have turned major!).

I don't want to preempt the rights of the ulamas and gurus to talk about the full meaning of Fasting and Ramadhan to the Muslims. I have been reading and listening to talks about them even before the birth of some of the young ustazs and imams, but that does not qualify me to talk about religion. I can only talk about Fasting and Ramadhan from a secular point of view since I don't wear a Jubah or a Turban and I haven't been to Jordon, Morocco, etc ( everyone can and in deed must go to Mecca to do the Haj at least once) to study the Islamic Syariah.

Many Muslim young men and women today, don't like to fast unless it is for dieting in order to get a beautiful figure. Fasting a whole day from dawn to dusk impairs their efficiency in doing their work, prevents them from carrying out their normal day-to-day chores, and stands in the way of doing many things that they usually do. They can quote endless reasons for not fasting or doing so intermittently. All I want to say to them is. try fasting with the five daily prayers, the 'tarawih' and the 'tadarus' with a feeling of complete submission to Allah. It will make you feel like a new man. closer to Him and the mystical power of this mundane world.

Eating and drinking after fasting a full day will make the food and drinks taste so heavenly wonderful, no eating house and restaurant can serve you such a meal. Abstaining from cigarette a whole day when successfully repeated for a few days will make kicking away the habit entirely much easier. More importantly, the clearness of breath and thoughts without the drowsy effect of narcotine, will become a new experience worth exploring further.

Hey, I just love fasting because it makes me feel different from those who don't. I remember being scolded by a teacher for not completing my homework before. When I said I was fasting, he piped down and went away. Later I discovered that he was not fasting that day. I learned later that he became a staunch adherent to the fasting rule of Ramadhan. In life we try to be different from other people in many expensive ways. Try fasting. Your special response to hunger and thirst makes you a very special person in the eye of onlookers. I know a friend who won a girl's heart because of his very special character- humble, thoughtful and considerate - during a Ramadhan month. It reveals the qualities that often remain hidden in a man.

I cannot of course leave off the subject without repeating the ulamas' reminder that Ramadhan is a very special month when everything you do if done in Allah's name will secure a lot of marks when you are evaluated for admission to Heaven or Hell
after death. If you don't care about those marks, that you just want to enjoy life on earth and let the hereafter take care of itself, then Ramadhan means nothing to you. There will be the Pasar Ramadhan to help you in your gluttony, When you join others to buy a lot of foodstuff, no one knows that you're not fasting. Except Allah.

Selamat Berpuasa to those who Believe.

9 comments:

Al-Manar said...

Dear Norzah
It is not just the Pasar Ramadhan to help you in your gluttony. There five-star hotels where you can spend a fortune to show that you can afford what I cannot and would not. Mine is prabably some bubur lambuk from a surau in the vicinity where some cannot even afford to spend a few ringgits on zakat.

norzah said...

Everything depends on the ' niat' in Islam, Akhi Pakcik, not on the quantity of things imbibed or paid out. So what is spent in the 5 star hotel and luxury restaurants no matter how expensive, goes to the same tummy to satiate the same feeling of hunger. No difference from eating bubur lambuk, buah tamar and nasi sambal giling. In fact if you went to the expensive places to show off your wealth, riak sets in and the full stomach you experience can be full of "dosa; as well.
Lets set the right niat for everything we do during this Ramadhan and pray for Allah's blessings. Salamualaikum,

Si Yoyop Bah... said...

Happy Ramadhan Norzah...

norzah said...

Gitu juga kepada u, Yy. Kenapa tak banyak komen lagi
mengenai blog, sudah sikit-sikit bangat. Apakah kerana sudah terlalu sibuk dengan Prince Taman Rianya atau aktivitas paragliding? Bgaimana persediaan untuk fergi Mekah al-Mukarramah? Ana doakan selamat terlaksan hajat yang suci murni baik untuk menunaikan Haji maupun melangkah ke alam matrimoni.

kaykuala said...

Akhi Norzah,
There are many who would rejoice to no end with the coming of Ramadhan and cry incessantly on its ending with the hope they’ll be around again for Ramadhan next year.

They are the ones who make the most of Ramadhan knowing its goodness and blessings and appreciating its presence , complete with the fasting, terawih and sedekah.

To your goodself Akhi, Pak Cik, Hal, Zam and All, Selamat Berpuasa!

norzah said...

Thank you for the comment and well wishes, Akhi Kaykuala. For those who rejoice with the coming of Ramadhan and feel sad when it ends, they know full well Allah's bounties for the month, they're the true almu'minun.
The problem is with the 'yang yang yuk- siang-siang buka periuk.' They often give the Muslims a bad image.Selamat berpuasa to you and family.

abdulhalimshah said...

Ya Akhi,
I agree with you fully that what is more significant is the "Niat", because that is the most basic in all our actions. If the "Niat" is not there, our prayer is not valid, what more with life. What is our "Niat" in life. The answer is in the Al-Quraan, so read it this Ramadhan and try to understand the meaning. Salam Ramdhan Al-Mubarak to you and Family.

norzah said...

Thanks, Akhi Halim. Let's do what we can with the health given us by Allah to do his bidding this month, as best we can. By the way someone in Seremban admires you very much for you look like the Yam Tuan. I said that you came from the same root, Pagar Ruyong ( Hope Dalu-dalu is somewhere in the area).
Selamat berpuasa to you and family.

norzah said...

Akhi Halim, Akhi Kaykuala, Akhi Pakcik Hassan,
can any of you make out what the above comment says? Any advice on where I should send it for a translation? Thank you and thank you to Anonymous for caring to comment.