13 Aug 2010

Ramadan

Sometimes I cannot believe how time flies.I feel that it was only yesterday that we had our Idil Fitr and now its already one year and Ramadan is here again. Since 2006 I've had a menses free Ramadan which is great for me because it means that I could fast and pray without stopping for the whole month. Its quite liberating actually. No more worries about how many days I have to replace and when I can replace them. Since 2006 also I've had time to go for the Tarawih prayers as well as do the optional 6 days of fasting during the month of Syawal. I guess for those of you who aren't Muslims all this sounds a bit strange. But Ramadan is the month when Muslims all over the world fast from sun -up to sun down. Fasting during Ramadan is not just a physical action but should involve the spiritual too. By this I mean that we should not just fast physically but also spiritually - no losing of tempers, stop ourselves from hurting others in word or deed, no lying, cheating or anything bad. It also means that we should discipline ourselves from all kinds of temptations - whether it is delicious food, expensive clothes or anything that smacks of extravagance. It is a month of prayers and giving charity, helping the poor and generally being kind to those who are weaker than us.

Thus Ramadan is actually a good month for Muslims - if we follow the teachings faithfully that is. However, many Malaysian Muslims I notice indulge themselves even more during this time. There are Ramadan bazaars all over the city - selling food of every kind, all you need is to buy them. For many Malaysians too, this is the time for the other races to taste some great Malaysian food. So just pop into the nearest Ramadan bazaar and you can see Malays mingling with Chinese and Indians - all indulging in the typical Malaysian pastime - buying food.

3 comments:

The Chair Speaks said...

Usually I watch people thronging at the stalls buying food and not buy any myself.
I also feel that 'spiritual fasting' should be life long and not confined only to the month of Ramadan.

Selamat Berpuasa to you. :)

The Bookworm said...

A good friend of mine is Muslim and fasts during Ramadan also.
And once the month is over, and she celebrates Eid, there is such delicious food.

Its nice to practice customs. The closest I can think of relating to Ramadan in my religion is Lent.

http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

Kat said...

Thanks to both Naida and the Chair for the comments.