In The Ring > The beautiful month

Muslims await the holy month of Ramadan with great anticipation. But for me, no matter how many years of practice, Ramadan always brings great anxiety.

The mere thought of having to go through a working day without my daily intake of coffee and trusted nicorette chewing gum is, at the very least, daunting. Admittedly, it was worse when I averaged two packets of cigarettes a day. Those days, my friends would only call me on social matters after 6 pm.

From my observation, in the first two weeks, most of us crave for home cooked food and breaking fast with close family members. Maybe for the very same reason, most working people in the Klang Valley find it increasingly impossible to beat the treacherous traffic jams to achieve this. If I recall correctly, when I lived in Putrajaya, I managed to break fast at home twice in the first two weeks. The other times were spent in my car on the Seremban-Malacca highway.

One thing for sure, Ramadan is not like any other month. Somehow, we manage to ignore deadlines and outstanding tasks to find time to buka or sahur with friends. Alumni and old friends networks thrive during this month. Maybe its because everyone has dinner at the same time; regardless the reason, the bottom line is that it brings people together.

But it means more than this to so many people. Usually, it is when I go to the mosque to pay the obligatory zakat that the initial anxiety transforms. There are no words that can express the feeling I get at witnessing believers wholeheartedly increasing their efforts to obtain mercy, forgiveness and protection from God. It is a time when Muslims collectively commit to purify themselves.

This is evidenced by the abundance of Malaysians making the trip to Mecca to perform their umrah during this month. I was fortunate to have gone there a few Ramadans ago and the sights that awaited me were nothing short of amazing. The mosques were filled to the rafters. There was a common purpose, a sense that there is a force greater than any on this planet. This commitment can also seen here, where roads next to mosques are filled with cars of Muslims performing the Tarawikh prayers.

To me, the real beauty of Ramadan extends beyond personal sacrifices such as hunger and the commitment to do more to bring us closer to God. It reminds us that there are those who are less fortunate.

In a political scenario where populism is bandied about as a tool to win votes and to show that the government is not doing enough for the unfortunate, Ramadan illustrates there is another avenue that is still under-utilised for alleviating the problems faced by this segment. During Ramadan, welfare institutions like orphanages receive a spike in attention and assistance from Muslim individuals and companies because Ramadan provides clarity and definition to their every day suffering. Empathising and actually living it gives rise to different reactions. If only we can emulate this awareness on a more sustainable basis.

Ramadan is also beautiful because in a small way, it reveals the character of unity that embraces the differences of each individual. Personally, there have been many instances when non-Muslim superiors forced me to go back home in time for buka puasa. I still find it amusing (at the same time uplifting) that some friends refuse to eat or drink in front of me. This shows an understanding of the culture of Ramadan.

Hari Raya, which marks the end of Ramadan, is also a day celebrated by all Malaysians. It is a period where we can ask for forgiveness and strengthen the bond through the many open houses.

For me, at least on this day, it is an escape from the turbulent world of politics, and allows me to seek forgiveness from family and friends, leaving political differences safely at the gate.

The true spirit of Ramadan might still elude me, but for now the magic beauty is already there for anyone who chooses to see.