Fasting won't affect work, top ulema says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ramadhan fasting month, which begins this
\nWednesday, should not slow down the daily activity of Moslems
\neven though they will be going without food and drink for the
\nentire day, says the chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council.<\/p>\n
\"If Moslems truly live up to the spirit of the fasting, I'm
\nconfident that their work won't be affected,\" Hasan Basri told
\nthe Antara news agency on Saturday. \"Basically, they're still
\neating. They're just rearranging their eating schedule.\"<\/p>\n
The fasting month will begin on Feb. 1, and for the next 29 or
\n30 days (depending on when the new moon is sighted), Moslems may
\nnot eat or drink between dawn and dusk. For most, this also means
\ngetting up before dawn for their last meal before starting the
\nday.<\/p>\n
Although ulemas have repeatedly said that fasting should not
\naffect people's daily activities, in practice the pace of work
\nhas tended to slow down, especially during the first few days of
\nthe fasting month, as people struggle to adjust to the new
\nschedule.<\/p>\n
Hasan Basri also reminded Indonesian Moslems that fasting is
\nnot simply about not eating and drinking during the day time.
\nFasting is a time for self-control and greater discipline.<\/p>\n
\"Fasting is about refraining from doing things forbidden by
\nAllah, such as lying, slandering, getting angry, or being lazy or
\ncorrupt. Fasting also trains people to work hard and encourages
\nintrospection,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hasan Basri said that the biggest challenge in fasting is in
\nfighting off one's desires. He called this jihad akbar (the great
\nholy war).<\/p>\n
Responding to a question, he said that although there is
\nnothing to prevent Moslems from watching television during the
\nday, they must not get worked up over the programs. \"They should
\nswitch off the television set if they have to.\"<\/p>\n
The chief ulema called on television stations in the country
\nto respect Indonesian Moslems and refrain from airing programs
\nthat could disturb their fast.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, two experts have said that most people with
\ngastroenteritis and diabetes should be able to fast. The two
\nillnesses are the most commonly cited reasons for not fasting.<\/p>\n
Good<\/p>\n
Ismail Ali, a digestion and liver diseases specialist, said
\nthat fasting is good for people with gastroenteritis.<\/p>\n
\"Some people have even been cured after fasting,\" Ismail, a
\nstaff lecturer at the University of Indonesia, told Antara.<\/p>\n
Ismail said most of the gastroenteritis cases in Indonesia
\nwere psychosomatic, resulting largely from stress, irregular
\nblood pressure and disorderly eating habits.<\/p>\n
\"But, given that most people have got gastroenteritis as a
\nresult of disorderly eating habit, fasting will do them a lot of
\ngood because they will be eating more regularly,\" he said. It is
\nnot surprising therefore that some people have been cured of the
\ndisease after fasting the whole month, he added.<\/p>\n
He also warned against excessive eating during the break of
\nthe fast which would, he said, upset the digestive system: \"Any
\npart of our body gets upset if it is forced to work suddenly
\nwithout a warming up period.\"<\/p>\n
Pradana Soewondo, a diabetes specialist at the Cipto
\nMangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta, said that a diabetes
\nsufferer whose insulin and glucose content are in order can fast
\nthe entire Ramadhan month.<\/p>\n
\"Fasting can in fact improve the glucose content in some
\npatients and lead to weight reduction, provided they follow the
\nguidelines laid down by their doctor,\" Pradana said. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fasting-wont-affect-work-top-ulema-says-1447893297",
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