RAMADHAN

Everytime Ramadhan month approaches every year, i become excited as this month offers opportunities for Muslims like me to test my spiritual and mental strength and rewards for good deeds during the whole month. Of course, one must not wait only for this month to do good deeds and improve one's spiritual level. Nevertheless, it is the month that has been blessed by the Almighty and rewards for good deeds and religious ritual will be multiplied thousand times.

For me, it always a challenge to better my achievement in the previous Ramadhan. It has been eight days so far and i have not missed a single fasting day, and i performed Terawikh prayer almost everyday.

The most challenging thing to do is not to think of negetive things and control my anger or say bad things as sometimes they come out instantaneously maybe because of old habits. Opening my fast in moderation is also a challenge as after a long day of fasting, shopping at pasar Ramadhan with all the delicacies sold there is very tempting. Most of the times we end up buying more that we can eat and the leftovers become wasted. Despite all that food, i am happy that so far i have lost 5kg just in eight days of fasting. Funny, some ladies have to pay thousands of ringgit at slimming centers just to lose that kind of weight and yet i can lose easily just by fasting. Fasting also give our bodily organs a chance to rest and recuperate, and to reduce accumulated toxin in our bodies. Our bodies will be lighter and easier on our joints.

But the most beneficial outcome of fasting is the improvement of our mental and spiritual strength. Our minds will be trained in resisting hunger and the binge for all sorts of unhealthy food. At the same time, it will make us realised how lucky and blessed we are that we are only experiencing this only one month of the whole year, not like the poor who have to endure this almost everyday in our country and across the world. It is God's intention to impress upon us this feeling so that we will be humble and open up our minds to other people's problems that we can find kindness in our hearts to help them by donating whatever we can afford to alleviate their suffering even for a day. Muslims are asked to pay the compulsary tithe ( Zakat Fitrah) during this month but before the Eid to be channelled to the unfortunate.

Spiritually, fasting is a mean to test one's faith in carrying out God's instruction. How much can Muslims endure to carry out his/her duty to practice one of the five pillars of Islam. Once human can overcome the hunger and thirst by giving up their most common bodily needs from sunset to sunrise for the sake of his/her faith, then he/she has gained a higher level of spiritual development. Of course, there are those Muslims who do not fast comes Ramadhan and will find all sorts of excuses to avoid it. To these Muslims, we hope they will change as they are only fooling themselves but not God. It also sad that this group of Muslims is giving Islam a bad name through their behavior. One can only call himself/herself a Muslim by practicing the teachings not through birth right, as Islam means surrender oneself to God and his commands.

As we go through this holy month of Ramadhan, i will pray that we can do it in peace and harmony, among Muslims brothers and sisters, and other citizens of Malaysia. I call for all Malays from all political parties to stop bickering, name calling, throwing sensitive statements regarding other races and respect this holy month. By the same virtue, other races should do the same and diffuse this unnecessary tension that goes around gathering strength. Lets not be like some countries where their citizens have to live in hostility.

Happy Ramadhan and Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, maaf zahir dan batin.

Drive home carefully, the best part about the long journey is the journey itself, take it easy.