Reflecting on the holy month

TOMORROW is Hari Raya Aidil Fitri or Eid al-Fitr, a day that marks the end of the month-long fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The challenges are often not just physical but also spiritual. There’s so much to do and re-organise. Let’s reflect on what it is like for the regular family.

On an ordinary day during Ramadan, we wake up an hour or more before the crack of dawn that marks the beginning of fasting.

We are up around 4.30am. We stop eating by 5.30am and we are not to eat or drink anything until about 7.30pm. That’s an average of 14 hours of going without food and drink.

TODAY marks the end of Ramadan. As we look back at the past month, I’m sure there are plenty of reflections and learning we can bring forward to further improve our lives. For Muslims, Ramadan is truly the best among the 12 months in the Islamic calendar. The month has that special ability to bring out the best in everyone. This is the month when mosques are full and people feel generous.

And now that Syawal is here, let’s look at some of the key reflections that we can take home for ourselves and our family.

LAUNDRY FOR THE SOUL

The process of fasting can be likened to washing a dirty piece of cloth. Over time, even the cleanest linen will be tainted with dirt after repeated use. It needs a good scrubbing to be clean again. Similarly, the “dirty cloth” in this case represents our hearts which may be full of undesirable elements collected over the past year. The very strict and disciplined nature of Ramadan is really for our benefit. It’s like a piece of cloth being scrubbed to remove stubborn dirt. But when the process is over, everyone loves clean laundry. If we have been diligent in the past month, our souls should be similarly cleansed and we should celebrate it.

In some countries, the hours are even longer in the summer months where sunrise can be as early as 3am and sunset at 9pm.

Ramadan is filled with challenges, not just with fasting but trying to continue with our usual routine while fasting.

For the general population, life goes on as usual. School children still go to school at regular hours, as do everyone else. However, physical activities are toned down.

All these mean that you have to adjust your routines. Workouts at the gym, for example, have to be re-timed.

Some of the more exciting things during Ramadan are being with family and friends in the evenings to break fast or

It can be at home, mosques and restaurants. The planning and preparation give us plenty to do. There is also the daily Ramadan bazaar to explore. We also try out new recipes as we look for energy-giving food that will not add centimetres to our waistline. After there’s the evening

prayers and catching up with family and friends. By the time the evening ends, it is already late, usually around 11pm. And then you start again at 4.30am the next day.

For many, going without food is no big deal. It is in fact a welcome break. One actually feels better. The tougher part of fasting is going without water or drinks, and the lack of sleep.

Sometimes I think the bigger challenge is not getting enough sleep as your day starts at 4.30am. Sometimes you can’t even get time to power nap. If you’re sleepdeprived, you become less alert. This can affect your judgment, especially when driving.

That’s when you have to work smart about certain things. You have to be clever about managing your time and duties.

The effects of fasting can make some of your daily routines challenging. Some people get grouchy because they suffer from hunger pangs and headaches. Others become sluggish because of a combination of factors.

But from what I’ve seen over the years, this happens only for the first few days. It is amazing how well our system adapts to these changes.

With the physical challenges we face during this holy month, we also become more mindful of the blessings in our lives, the fate of the less fortunate and how we try to achieve kindness and charity.

As always, this starts from home, with those in your care.

Fasting is never about you alone. It is how you interact with others too. If you have someone who is physically and/or mentally challenged in your care, you may get a little testy if they seem more demanding.

Sometimes, everything seems magnified when you’re tired. You just have to keep your temper in check.

When you have someone in your care who cannot fast, you will have to prepare food for him or her just like you would on a normal day.

You may not be able to taste what you’ve cooked but you usually have an idea of how much or little salt should be added.

Preparing and serving food to others while you’re fasting shouldn’t affect your fast. My late mother was a caterer and was around food all day long. Fasting was never an issue for her, her family and staff.

Fasting is just something you do as a commitment to your faith and religion. It’s so good for you in more ways than one.

The holy month comes to an end with the month of Syawal.

Life may seem to go back to normal after Ramadan but does it really? There’s still Syawal, a month that seems to have turned into a month full of feasting and invitations to open houses.

If you’re taking your ailing loved one out for those, remember to bring along medication, water and a small container of food just in case the travel takes too long or there isn’t anything suitable for their dietary restrictions.

Enjoy the reunions, but be mindful and not overdo it.