It's more than 3 weeks now since we began fasting in Ramadan. For the uninitiated, Ramadan is not a place but a month in the Islamic Calendar. A few more days and it’s AidilFitri. It is a big day for us Muslims, celebrating the arrival of Syawal - again a month not a person - and of our successful completion of fasting in Ramadan, one of the pillars of Islam - for those who fast, of course. Though the ones who do not fast are known to be shamelessly partaking in the festivities - all set with their traditional garb, songkok, piercings and tattoos not withstanding.
In all honesty, fasting is not such a difficult task to do. I personally feel that fasting is easier as compared to the 5 times daily prayers we Muslims are required to perform. This is because, fasting lasts the whole day and you are only required to stop eating and drinking for roughly 14 hours, from 5.30am to 7 pm or thereabouts. It's darn easy once you get used to it. If you can't take it, due to illness or back-breaking work or serving your NS, you are permitted to quit. It's not something that you have to force yourself to the detriment of your health; of course you have to redo it at a later time. Of course, if a lady is having her period, she is exempt, but that is the only exception, other than being crazy or dead.
Prayers, on the other hand are a must and no one has an excuse to skip even one, even if you are sick. There are of course contingencies and ways to pray to adapt to the predicament one is faced with. The only times a Muslim is excused is when either he is mentally-disabled or he is dead. Add to that the requirement of praying at certain times, it makes it a bit more complicated to stick to schedule, knowing you have to work, still it is no excuse. It makes it more perplexing that people would willfully skip a day or even the whole month, since it's not that hard to fast.
Years ago, OK, decades ago, while still in my childhood, the sight or knowledge of anyone who'd knowingly ponteng or skip a day of fasting would be greeted with unabashed teasing and continuous ribbing at his/her failure to complete a day. As we grow older, the youths would tease their friends who'd complete the day by questioning the need to fast. They'd even question the need to pray and the need to believe in God. Strangely enough, most of those who do such questioning are born-Muslims, some has had some form of reigious instruction at an early age.
No doubt about it, where religion stands, there will be those who questions its veracity. I find it appalling that those Muslims who willfully neither fast nor pray actually have the cheek to celebrate a day for which they have no accomplishment of note to celebrate. While Islam maintains a policy of mutual inclusion with other religions, where we celebrate AidilFitri by inviting non-Muslims to join in the festivities, I personally think that it is a good idea to be forcibly exclusive towards those who declare themselves to be Muslims but neither practice nor learn the religion. At least, until such a time they realise their follies.
My religious teacher said once, there are those who declare themselves to be Muslims only on several occasions in their lives - namely, the 2 Hari Rayas, AidilFitri and AidilAdha, their wedding and their death. Honestly, I do not despise them, but feel sorry for them, for they'd only be Muslims in name not in spirit. Still, I honestly say to all Muslims around the world, Selamat Hari Raya, ku pohon maaf zahir & batin.
Now, where did I put my new clothes........
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