Welcoming Ramadan!

The Peaceful Day in Islam – Ramadan

Composed by :

Rizky Harmiyanti 

Picture cited from : http://e2ua.com/WDF-809079.html

Ramadan is not unfamiliar event for Moslem people especially in Indonesia. Each year Islam celebrates the Eid Fitri in the first Syawal month.  Ramadan is days which is full of forgiveness, glory, and peaceful. This month is really special because Allah will multiply the rewards to someone who always comes closer. We will encounter many things which is not appeared in another months, for instance, fasting for 30 days, shalat Tarawih or Tarawih praying, Nuzulul Quran, Lailatul Qadr’s night and also improving our rewards and faith to our God.

Fasting for 30 Days

Fasting is holding not to eat from the sunrise up to sunset. There are many kinds of fasting in Islam, they are sunnah and fardhu. Sunnah means somebody has a freedom to choose whether he/she should fasting or not, it is a might. In contrast, Fardhu means someone has an obligation and responsibility on fasting. Fasting in the Ramadan month is belonged to Fardhu ‘ain, if he/she could not do it, they should change in another days. Islam is peaceful religion. It never incriminates everyone’s problems rather than simplify them as explained in the verses of Quran Al-Baqarah: 185.  

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. 

I remembered when I was eight years old and I was fourth levels of elementary school, I tried to fast in the first time. It was not an easy way to do it. I was failed at that time. At noon, I was so thirsty and I decided to drink. I gave up! However, in the following day, I tried so hard and finally did it. How happy I was although helpless and totally exhausted.

Tarawih Praying

            This kind of praying is really special and unique because we are not having this in other months. Tarawih praying is hold in the night after Isya’ praying. Even though it is sunnah, it was become fardhu for me since tarawih is one of characteristics of the Ramadan month. However, the teenagers’ awareness were decreasing from year to year. It can be seen that from some of the mosque, it will be crowded in the beginning of Ramadan rather than the ending. In this case, the teenagers should keep their consistency even improve their faith to Allah. Really we will get our own happiness when we could join the tarawih in the mosque.

Nuzulul Quran

            Islam has a guide book called Quran. The Holy Quran was revealed by angel through our Prophet Muhammad Saw-Nuzulul Quran. There were many disagreements when the Holy Quran was arrived to us, someone said that it was together with Lailatul Qadr’s night, other said that it was 17 of Ramadhan. No matter how, it should not be argued. As Moslem, we should respect and celebrate this event. Al-Quran is our guider to be a good man and woman. We should learn the contents and applied to our life. In addition, it will be a positive side if we can memorize the verses.

Lailatul Qadr’s Day

            Apart from Nuzulul Quran, there were also Lailatul Qadr’s night. This night relates to Nuzulul Quran day. Some of theologian said that the night is appeared in the last ten days (odd number) of Ramadan, in this manner 21, 23, 25, and so on. Lailatul Qadr is a night which is nobler than 1000 nights. Unfortunately, we could not determine when this phenomenon happened. The things that I always do to get this night are praying to our god and asking for forgiveness as much as I can, because no one is perfect in this world.      

Rewards

            Allah promise to everyone, someone who always comes closer and does good for everyone will get many rewards, yet in the Ramadan month. Fasting is a difficult way, because we should keep our temper or emotion. Here I will give some tips to you so that your Ramadan will be more beneficial:

1.      Read your Holy Quran as much as you can.

 I waste my time on reading holy Quran as much as possible. Mostly, I made a target to finish 30 juz in Ramadan, it means that I should finish one juz in a day.  

2.      Don’t spend your time for sleeping

Fasting is really hard for us, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t do anything in this month. Use your time to do some beneficial things, for example: helping your mother in the kitchen for girls and helping your father for boys.

3.      Join the Islamic discussion in the mosque

We can get many knowledge when we could join a discussion in some mosque, even we could get many friends to build brotherhood.

4.      Don’t forget to help and share to others

Our Prophet Muhammad Saw always asks us to help and share to someone who needs our aid. How happy we are if we could make strong relationship among them.

            On the whole, Ramadan, a peaceful month, is a really special for us. We should not miss some things which we do not encounter in other months, because Allah will give multiple rewards for us in this month. Let’s compete in the terms of goodness. Happy welcoming the month of Ramadan to everyone!