A Ramadhan of jihad

The holy month of Ramadhan is upon us. It is a time that Muslims across the world look forward to. A time of self- purification and introspection. A test of the faithful's commitment to divine teachings.

Ramadhan is concluded with Idul Fitri. A joyous celebration of the achievement of physical, moral and spiritual discipline including fasting from dawn until nightfall.

At the time on Saturday when Bali was struck by bombs, the Balinese were also looking forward to one of their important religious holidays, Galungan, which promotes righteousness over evil.

The bombs were a rude shock to the world, to Indonesians and the Balinese in particular. Some came to their own conclusions as to why Bali had again become the victim of a terrorism tragedy -- "Because we're Hindu", and it was days before Galungan.

But it would be even narrower of us to simplify the attacks by naming the culprits as Muslims and the targets as Hindus. It would be more appropriate to identify the attackers as "animals and cowards", while the victim Indonesia as a whole.

There is not one sane Muslim (or any other God-fearing person for that matter) who would condone such an attack. Nor is the anguish of the victims felt by Hindus alone. Indonesians across the archipelago feel with equal pain what has happened, and share common disgust over the tragedy that occurred.

Religious convictions aside, we are all citizens of Indonesia, and human beings who stand equal before the Almighty.

The Koran clearly urges us to refrain from being part of "those who divide their religion into sects and become separate groups, with each sect obsessed with its own view of it".

The coming of Ramadhan should be used as a time for jihad. Not a jihad of reckless destruction of property or the needless taking of lives, but one which truly conforms to the ideals of Islam: A struggle against material gluttony and other needless excesses with the aim of instilling greater compassion among society.

The Prophet Muhammad warned that the greatest battle Muslims would undertake would not be a physical war against infidels, but one that involved restraining the tempestuousness of the human heart.

There is much to engage in during this coming Ramadhan, not least the hardship faced by people as a consequence of the massive fuel price increases. The fight against the spread of avian influenza and polio and the reconstruction of Aceh are some other targets of jihad to which Muslims (and non-Muslims) should contribute.

While isolating ourselves in prayer for extended periods during Ramadhan may help us get closer to God, we believe that the Almighty's presence will be doubly felt if we also spend equal time contributing our time and energy to relieving suffering in our respective communities. Prayer and fasting may point us in the right direction, but it is our compassion for others that will bring us knocking on heaven's door.

Nevertheless, in those quiet moments of prayer during Ramadhan it may also be meaningful for Muslims to reflect upon themselves as a religious community that comprises some 88 percent of this nation's population.

Have Muslims in their superiority of numbers conducted themselves fairly and equally with minority groups?

Have Muslims, in coveting righteousness, inadvertently roused extremism which has defiled the true nature of Islam? Or perhaps in apolitical passivity, have Indonesia's mainstream Muslims allowed radical elements to hijack the representation of Islam?

We believe it is time for the majority of Muslims in this country to peacefully remove the parapets around those who incite violence and intolerance.

This is the jihad that we advocate for Muslims in this month of Ramadhan. One that propagates tolerance, compassion and virtue among both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Our respect and best wishes to those fasting during Ramadhan. May peace be upon this nation.