3 more days to Ramadhan
I read my 16 year old son’s short blog about his feelings of ramadhan this year. A sentence caught my attention - it truly is going to be a strange ramadhan.
Ramadhan is always about reminding us how vulnerable we are. It is about breaking our ego and grand delusion of self independence. It is about breaking our arrogance and labelling another side with derogatory connotations. We see this frequently in our lives and unfortunately more abundant in the social media, thinking we can do whatever we want without any consequences. The arrogant unchecked, ultimately leads to the first great sin - sense of superiority against other people.
It’s easy to detect an outwardly arrogant person - we can see this in what now many label as “kluster kayangan”. Feeling that they should be treated differently due to pride of abundance. Yet we forget, “kluster kayangan” syndrome also comes in more subtle ways - feelings of superiority due to pride of lineage, pride of beauty, pride of physical strength, pride of popularity and pride of knowledge. This sense of pride is buried deep inside our heart but are sometimes vaguely manifested through ones action by treating others with contempt especially in social media. Sometimes it appears in the mask of righteousness.
All finally leading to one outcome - “I’m always right” and judging others harshly. This subtle sin affects the rich and the poor, people living overseas or in villages, in villas or flats, driving jaguar or a BMX bicycle, PH or a PN supporter. It affects all of us.
Which is why the month of Ramadhan is important for Muslims. It resets everything. It is a path to humility. It allows us to examine our heart and strive to purify it. The month that allows us to reflect how interdependent we are with each other for survival. A reminder, how weak we are if we’re divided.
A reminder, how much we depend on Allah swt and His divine blessings. A reminder, how less we know and how much we need to learn.
The coming of Ramadhan in 3 days, has a common theme that resonates with us strongly, especially for the past 2 months - a sense of humility. The past 2 months changed the way we have been living since a while. It created the sense of helplessness but at the same time the sense of togetherness. We’re isolated from our beloved family members, friends yet we are closer to them virtually and in our hearts. No big gatherings for prayers or “buka puasa” together because our medical team, security personnel and food delivery drivers are still at the forefront while we stay at home.
As Ramadhan approaches us in this lockdown period, let us overcome our internal arrogance and remember our humble origins. How we were nurtured by our parents, teachers and family members. How we become human being not through our own accord but through compassionate caretakers. Let us eliminate the sense of pride by remembering that one day we will end up in our graves. Remember the inevitable standing before Allah swt and the accountability that lies ahead. Finally, the sense of gratitude - that all the blessings comes truly from Allah. Gratitude - to use our gifts and talents in the best way, that reinforces positive behavior and outcome within our society.
Let us learn to be humble because truly, this will be a strange Ramadhan.
Selamat berpuasa dan menyambut bulan Ramadhan al-mubarak.
Wallahua’lam.
