Ramadan Kareem

Ramadan, the holy month for moslem is here and we are in the 2nd week.

What I miss about Ramadan back in my country? well not only in Ramadan, but since I’m here hearing adhan live is one of the thing I miss. Mostly, I heard it from my phone application.

So, how is like Ramadan abroad?

Tabligh Akbar at Balai Indonesia, Sekolah Republik Indonesia Tokyo (SRIT). Every weekend they held Tabligh Akbar & Iftar. Every week they bring Ustad from Indonesia to become Imam for Tarawih. The 1st week was headed by Ustad Khalid Basalamah.

Well, it depends on where you live. Here in Tokyo, there’s nothing different than other months. Every coffee shop still packed with people during the day, every restaurant still doing their business, everyone eat and drink freely. Just like usual daily life here, even in Ramadan.

I kinda like it that way. Because what’s the essence for doing fasting if everything around you prohibit to do anything just for the sake of ‘respecting Ramadan’; Raid a small restaurant (warteg) that serve food during the day to people, because they think they disrespect Ramadan. That’s is completely insane. Especially when I heard they did it in Indonesia. Such a shame. 

What’s the essence of fasting? beside it is one of Five Pillar of Islam, one of the essence is also to feel how poor people survive day by day; not enough food to eat, not enough water to drink, not enough money to buy food. Do poor people live their life day by day without seeing other people not allowed to eat, drink, or anything? NO they don’t, and they survived by seeing everything. Because they have faith in themselves. If it’s to make our fasting more easier, fasting is not all about abstaining food and drink. Like I said, it’s one of the essence. It’s also remain us that we must abstaining from any bad action, ignorant and indecent speech, arguing, fighting, and even having lustful thoughts, which I think those are not an easy tasks. So why we should make it easier? What’s the essence of it? We don’t want to lose the essence, right? Life is tough, my dear.

The other thing that I like is I never argued again with my other family relatives about what time we need to stop to eat and start the shaum. Back in my country the Ramadan timetable always have different Imsakiyah Time and Fajr Time, which I never obey it. I will still eating and drinking until I hear adhan, that’s the call to start shaum and pray. And yes, here, the time of Imsak and Fajr is in the same time. I don’t know why this crucial thing is misleading in my country; placing Imsak and Fajr in different time. Hope it’s not happen again in the future.

Doing fasting abroad is make yourself and what you belief becomes more personal and priceless. I thought fasting 16,5 hours a day is gonna be harder, because it’s already summer. But as I go through it, I think it’s not hard at all. I really enjoy it. Especially because we have longer Magrib time here, there’s enough time to chill the tummy before Isha and Tarawih.