THE FASTING month of Ramadhan which is dear to all Muslims has come again. Indeed, time elapses. The visit of Ramadhan, that is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of such moments that marks the process of time; that we have again come to another cycle of life and grown older. There is a sincere feeling of closeness to the Creator in such point in time.

The arrival of this Ramadhan now, while the Muslim world may have just been hurt by the indecent statement by the Pope, shall not be soured by ill-feelings. Noting that an apology has been offered by the Papal side, sincere or not, it is for Muslims of the world now to get ready for, or to embrace, the precious opportunity of Ramadhan. This is the time for retrospect and self-restraint, an offer for piety.

Ramadhan is blessed in the way that we are required to practice complete self control. This is the time when we put a brake for the profanity of life, the hustle bustle of regular days, the lusty, the sinful. While fasting (shaum) does mean a physical act of abstaining from food, drink, sexual contact, or even smoking, from dusk to dawn, it is also an act of control of our way of conduct, from withholding sharp and gossiping tongue to avoiding doing wasteful triviality. Fasting is the moment when Muslims are in their best manners, when the longing to Allah is in full display.


Life is always very regular. While some Muslims are unquestioningly pious and embrace Islam without reservation (kaffah), many are just the regular, the standard kind of followers. This constitutes the majority, the grey-area Muslims, those who profess to Islam, yet also so much bound to the glitters of profanity. The embrace of Ramadhan is the meeting point to wash out the wrongs, the best chance for repentance and seeking salvation from Allah the Most Merciful.

This is the reason why Muslims always feel thankful to be able to again meet the holy month of Ramadhan. Life and death are the divine affairs of God, not for humans to make a decision. Considering that so much blessings are in store in the Ramadhan, an opportunity to meet of such a month is in itself the show of love from the Creator to all Muslims. Not all will be that lucky, since death can come easily.

In Indonesia, as the largest Muslim country in the world, the arrival of the fasting month is a joyful affair, so engulfing and is participated by all. The spirit of Islam is exposed in full. All mosques will be crowded due to the taraweeh prayers followed by recitals of Quran. Early in the morning, families would take their early breakfast, while at dawn when breaking the fast they would gather to have dinner happily, knowing that a day of fasting has been successfully completed.

Nevertheless, humans will still be humans. Very often, the essence of divine forgiveness will still be paired with the colours of profanity. That is why even the Ramadhan could still be a combination of heavenly and worldly matters.

Thus, a Ramadhan is a demonstration of fasting by resisting hunger and thirst, self control, the taming of heart; a long-stay-up-at-night for worship in order to collect more merits; the spirit of giving for charity, helping the needy. Yet, a Ramadhan can also be a mere show of tiredness at work, a reason to get lazy. For some, it can also simply be a moratorium for corruption and all the ill conducts.

During Ramadhan, restaurants may also close during the day; even partying bars may take a slow down. The regular of every year is also the repeated play act of devoutness by the celebrities, the very suckers for happy times. During this kind of ‘season’ they would cover their beautiful head with the scarf or wear the koko shirt and recite verses poeticly. Their whole affairs of wedding-or-divorce routine inundating the popular mass-media would be changed for a while with something more religiously decent things.

Of such, a Ramadhan may therefore be an expression of devotion to God, together with a show of momentary interlude of the wordly doings. Many will only take it as a break to pause before fleeting again wildly toward the wrong directions.

Yet, be as it may, when the opportunity to meet again a Ramadhan this year is granted, that is truly a gift for Muslims, whatever colour of their commitment to God is. It is thus the best of all things to pray that we all can do better this time, better than before, seeking repentance and forgiveness, humbly lowering the heart, so that His mercy be bestowed upon us all.

Marhaban yaa Ramadhan.

Jakarta, 19/20 September 2006

A variation of this in Bahasa Indonesia is at Kolom-kolom Agusti Anwar.