There is always hope in Ramadhan

There is always hope in Ramadhan

For Muslims in Indonesia, this will be yet another Ramadhan fasting month amid great economic and political crisis. Arief Rahman, a renowned educator and preacher, sees that through fasting, Indonesians could find solutions and work toward becoming a great nation.

Question: What is the significance of Ramadhan for Indonesia?

Answer: Ramadhan is a training process for believers to become muttaqqin (people who obey Allah). There are five "pearls" to be won by observing the fasting month, which will also benefit us as a nation. The first is the belief that above all powers, there is the Almighty Allah, and that there is always hope. There is always this belief in the power of Allah.

Muslims must never lose the hope that however bleak the situation is now, there will be improvement.

But we cannot win this pearl unless we are honest. No more stealing, no more corruption, no more abuse of position. We cannot win this "cup" without exercising restraint. We need to have this sense of shame (over misdeeds). We must no longer accept without question things that are actually unacceptable such as students who cheat or errant officials.

We also need to develop the strength to neither give in to our urges nor to always blindly follow the dictates of human logic. For instance, if our logic sees something as acceptable, we still need to check whether it's halal or haram (religiously permissible or forbidden). Our logic may tell us that it's all right to cheat in marriage because we do not find marital happiness at home, but that's haram. Or, we may feel that it is all right to take bribes, but that is haram.

The second "pearl" is personal resilience. If we have this, we will be able to withstand hardship in order to achieve something of higher value. If we seek the blessings of Allah, we would be able to forego our own interests for the benefit of many people.

If each one of us are bent on furthering our own interests in such a crisis, then we will never have the strength to move together and progress.

Ramadhan is a month when Muslims live by Allah's regulations. We start fasting at a certain time, we break the fast at a fixed time, there are things we must not do and others that we must observe. The realization that we are committing ourselves to such regulations gives us strength and prevents us from taking actions based only on individual convenience. This is the third "pearl".

You know these days we see so many regulations being made which are irrelevant, inconsistent and are against the regulations of Allah. We see these regulations being made for political purposes, for entertainment, and education etc., which are against Allah's rules.

The fourth "pearl" is quality in our process of thinking and responding to everything. Due to self-restraint, we have the time to really think options through; we are encouraged to be patient, to be forgiving. The violence in Aceh and Maluku will never be resolved using logic alone. Who would not feel vengeful if one had to witness the killing of one's parents or brothers and sisters? But Ramadhan should mark a new beginning for all of us, after we have forgiven one another.

The fifth "pearl" is that Ramadhan brings us closer to Allah, because so many events during the month such as lailatul qadar (the night when Allah sends all of his angels to earth to bring His blessings and forgiveness) will train us to be syakur (grateful). Now, most of us are better at complaining and finding fault; we are not so adept at looking the positive side of things, at thanking Allah.

If we can become believers who are honest, willing to sacrifice our interests for the sake of others, who live in discipline, who are forgiving and grateful for the bounty we have received, this nation could become a great nation.

Q: What do you think is the most urgent problem facing Indonesians?

A: The absence of good conduct. It is no longer the yardstick with which we measure our lives and activities. In our life as a nation, especially (for those in) the government, there's no longer this need for morality.

The presence or absence of morality is reflected in a person's words and deeds. We read in the media how people of importance issue provocative statements, and how people choose to do something purely out of greed. As a teacher, I am often taken aback by how such important people can say and do such things that are really not educating our young people.

Q: What do you suggest that Muslims do to usher in Ramadhan?

A: Start by asking the forgiveness of Allah and of people around us. Help one another. Enhance silaturahim (literally "ties of love" or good relationship with other people) by, for instance, increasing visits to neighborhood mosques. Do you know that Allah guarantees health and rizqi (livelihood, bounty, or many other blessings) for people who maintain silaturahim? Now these ties of love are not confined to Muslims only, but something that we must maintain with members of other religious or ethnic groups.

There are of course other things that we should do to occupy ourselves during Ramadhan, such as reading the Koran, the hadith (the traditions and sayings of Prophet Muhammad) or religious books. (swe)