This year\'s Ramadan is different from those of previous years. The month that is usually filled with gatherings must now be experienced through social distancing.
By
EDITOR
·3 minutes read
This year\'s Ramadan is different from those of previous years. The month that is usually filled with gatherings must now be experienced through social distancing.
Breaking the fast together with takjil (breaking-of-the-fast snacks) after the evening call to prayer is usually followed by a quiet moment. The transportation restriction has been implemented to end daily at 6 p.m., the last possible opportunity to get home in time for buka puasa.
Withstanding thirst and hunger during the fasting month of Ramadan is something all Muslims have experienced and await with joy every year, even this year. Imagining Allah\'s forgiveness, the abundant blessings and the excitement of Ramadan, we break the fast with family and friends.
However, this will not be the case for Ramadan this year of 1441 Hijriah. There will be no sharing of iftar (breaking-of-the-fast meal) each evening, either. It even appears to be that the Idul Fitri prayer on 1 Syawal 1441 H will not be the same. The government has issued a policy prohibiting mudik (exodus), the annual mass ritual of traveling to our hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri.
We are aware that all of this is a result of the rapid spread of the highly infectious Covid-19, which has already claimed many lives. But it will be all right: We believe that our Muslim brothers and sisters will continue to worship during this holy month with courage and a big heart.
If we can use today’s technological advances, gatherings and tausiah (informal sermon for spreading the message of Islam) during Ramadan can still be held through video conferencing. Technology has been used to overcome the feelings of homesickness for seeing one’s relatives, to hold meetings with colleagues and to follow classes with teachers and instructors. Borrowing the term “zaman now” (today’s era), we have entered the era of a new norm when meetings, religious discussions and virtual lectures are normal during the coronavirus era.
The coronavirus is "evil" according to human morality.
The coronavirus is "evil" according to human morality. It emerged from an unknown location to suddenly shake the world, destroying the economy and threatening social security, even politics. However, there is wisdom in what can be learned from it.
Among these is that fellow citizens can nurture their sense of caring, empathy, and the spirit of sacrifice. It is a test of patience, from students to employees, and from executive chairmen to bureaucrats and on up to the President. Staying at home, for example, which can be desirable on a busy day, has aroused feelings exhaustion and boredom among not a few now in the era of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).
We believe that human beings will continue to face the challenges – or the sovereignty – of nature like the coronavirus to the end of time. If people believe in the theory of evolution, this might be part of a test for Homo sapiens: whether they really are superior creatures. In the past, due to our ignorance as to the true cause of pandemics, they were often attributed to supernatural or extraterrestrial causes.
Advances in science have allowed human beings to conquer the causes of a pandemic. And, in this glorious month of Ramadan, through the first command of Allah that the Qur\'an is Iqra\' (read), we can reap its wisdom to learn more about nature, especially regarding its microcosms. Have a blessed Ramadan fasting month.