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)