Little things matter most at Ramadhan

Little things matter most at Ramadhan

Breaking the fast, like all things connected to Ramadhan,
becomes a major topic for discussion for Muslims during the
fasting month, as well as a grand business opportunity for
restaurants and hotels.

Last week a bookstore in Jakarta organized a buka puasa
(breaking of the fast) event in conjunction with a book
discussion, kind of a clever ploy to sell the newly released book
during a month when it's better to do some reading and less
talking. We had a discussion on the meaning of buka puasa,
literally opening the fast, and batal puasa, which literally
means to "break" the fast.

A Malaysian compatriot, like some Indonesians, believes batal
means to eat, drink or commit one of the other prohibited acts
before dusk, when the fast ends.

An Indonesian friend said he used the second term to refer to
breaking the fast with something to drink and a little sweet
food, before eating the main meal after maghrib (early evening)
prayers. For him, it is a good thing because it tests one's
patience and one does not forget to pray before eating the main
meal, instead of gorging as soon as the fasting time ends.

For some hungry and tired people, however, when they are
breaking the fast at a restaurant or hotel, with their big
buffets laden with tempting delights, it might be hard to think
about praying, even if there is a prayer room on the premises.

"In Malaysia, people would go home to break the fast 10 years
ago, but not now. Most office workers in cities gather to break
the fast at hotels, restaurants and food stalls," said another
Malaysian friend.

"All hotels and restaurants run advertisements for breaking of
the fast with Malay and Middle Eastern dishes, all you can eat
from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Can you imagine? So business is really
good for these hotels and restaurants, and even non-Muslims go
out and enjoy the feast during the fasting month, as the food is
better compared to other months."

With all that food available, perhaps we Muslims, living in
major cities like Jakarta, forget the real meaning of fasting and
breaking the fast.

Some of the objectives of the fasting month are to help
Muslims appreciate the hardships of the less fortunate, to give
the stomach a rest after working so hard for 11 months, to keep
the body healthy (and perhaps lose a bit of weight) as well as to
test one's resistance to bad temptations. According to a hadith,
one of Prophet Muhammad's sayings, he only ate a couple of dates
and a glass of water to break the fast.

Now, of course, the way we live has changed how we break the
fast. Many of us do not have the luxury of getting home in time
to break the fast and pray with our families, but have to find a
place to eat on the street.

An Indonesian colleague told me that he has to break the fast
in his car since he lives in a suburb of Jakarta. "I have some
hot water and a sweet drink and have a proper meal when I arrive
home."

Don't get me wrong. I believe it's OK to break the fast at a
hotel or restaurant and I sometimes like to do that myself. The
wealthy choose to break the fast in cafes and hotels, the well-
off youths at cafes and the not-so-rich at sidewalk stalls. But
the really lucky ones, I think, are those who get to break the
fast at home.

When I was a young boy, I was always so excited if I was
invited to someone's house to break the fast, just as long as I
did not have to break the fast with my parents. Now, far from
home, getting the chance to break the fast with my family would
be a cherished luxury.

-- Zulkifli Bin-Haji Mohamad