People becoming stronger during Ramadhan

People becoming stronger during Ramadhan

JAKARTA (JP): Fasting is more than just a religious obligation
for every healthy, grown Moslem. Many see Ramadhan as a chance to
build a better family relationship. Most see it as an opportunity
to exercise self-control. The Jakarta Post asked several people
what Ramadhan means to them and how they observe the holy month.
The following are excerpts from the interviews.

Titik Puspa, a veteran singer said she always looks forward to
the Ramadhan fasting month every year.

"Only God knows whether we can live long enough to go through
yet another holy month. It is the most important month for all
Moslems," Titik said.

During the fasting month, she feels that the relationship
among family members becomes closer. "We always dine together at
least at every sahur dawn breakfast. This opportunity is very
rare in my family because we are all busy people," she said.

But, during Ramadhan, they spend more time at home, Titik
said. She said she always asks her children to perform the
Tarawih prayer, the additional evening prayer held during
Ramadhan, in her house or at nearby mosques. "I really enjoy
every moment with my children and grandchildren, especially
during the fasting month," said Titik, whose singing career spans
over 40 years.

Ramadhan, she said, is the right time to look back on the past
and try to improve the quality of our lives. Titik also said she
always tries to reform her religious activities during the
fasting month.

"An artist usually has no regular schedules. Sometime we have
to work all day without any break. On other days, we just stay at
home," said Titik, who just received a Diamond Achievement Award
from the government for her dedication to the Indonesian music
industry.

She admitted that she sometimes misses one of the five daily
obligatory prayers. "I feel guilty each time I miss my prayers.
Nobody will blame us for ignoring one of the obligatory prayers,
but it is a 'deal' between us and our Creator," she explained.

Titik added that she hopes the coming Ramadhan month will give
her plenty of opportunity to ask for God's forgiveness. She is
also determined to set new strategies to improve her religious
life. Titik said she always asks for forgiveness from her
relatives and friends before fasting. (why?)

Romi Herlambang, public relations officer at the Shangri-la
Hotel, Jakarta, is happy that the holy month of Ramadhan is near.

"For me, fasting is a means to control my emotions and to
discipline myself," Romi said.

People who work in hotels face a lot of temptation, she said.
"We have to deal with so many people with different behavior.
Therefore, we should control our emotions, otherwise our fasting
will be futile," she said.

Eating, drinking and having sex are prohibited during the day.
These activities will nullify the act of fasting. The fasting
month serves as a reminder for Moslems to maintain their
religious purity, that committing wicked acts such as getting
angry, spreading bad rumors and stealing are a sin.

Delicious food and beverages are another trap. "We should
control our appetites as well. It is useless if we fast all day
and break our fast with alcohol. Sometimes it is difficult to
skip these things because they are all available at hotels," Romi
said.

"Thank God, so far I have been able to control myself," Romi
added.

She also said that people should not use fasting as an excuse
for being idle and less productive at work.

Riena A. Zen, telemarketing officer of Bank Bali's Direct
Banking, says she works harder during Ramadhan.

"I always keep myself busy during the fasting month so that I
don't have time to think about food," she said.

She tries not to drift into idleness as doing nothing can
bring her into temptation, which might make her break the fast
before the scheduled time.

"Will I be more productive in the coming fasting month?
Hopefully."

Fasting makes her feel a little physically weak, but that does
not affect her performance at all. Besides, she is used to it.

A daughter of a haj, Riena started learning to read the Koran
and fast when she was five years old.

Moslems fast for 30 days of Ramadhan, and menstruating women
are prohibited from fasting.

"When I have my period, I stop fasting. And then soon after I
finish the period, I have to start fasting again, which is not
easy," she said.

Even though she finds it hard to start fasting after the brief
break, she has never used any drug to put off her period. "That's
not good," she said.

What does fasting mean to her?

"Fasting means controlling one's desire. We learn to be more
patient and get closer to God," she said.

Puri Martinus, account representative of PT Aplikanusa
Lintasarta, Data Communication and Networking Application
Services, started fasting when she was four years old.

"Of course, at that time I did not fast the whole day. I ended
at around 10 a.m. I began to fully observe the ritual when I was
seven or eight years old," Puri, 32, said proudly.

She said she benefits a lot during the fasting month. She can
control her emotions better, and can relate with poor people who
can't afford to buy food. Besides, she feels healthier.

"From the medical point of view, fasting is good," she
claimed.

She admits that there are times during the fasting month when
she feels weak and hungry. But, this does not give her an excuse
to stop working. Fasting does not disrupt her performance at all,
she insisted.

She was in England during Ramadhan last year, the hardest fast
she has experienced. It was still winter when Ramadhan started
and the imzak (the time when Moslems start fasting) was around 7
a.m. But, later, as the season changed, the imzak was set at 3:30
a.m. because the sun rose earlier.

What made it hard for her to fast was that all the people
around her were not fasting.

"I returned (to Indonesia) two months ago and I am happy being
here," she said. (raw/sim)