Ramadhan, the Month of God (7)

Welcome to the 7th episode of “Ramadhan, the Month of God”. As usual we start with the special supplication of the day:

 “O Allah, assist me this day to carry out its fasting and devotions; keep me away therein from lapses and sins; and grant me therein Your perpetual remembrance, with success from You, O Guide of those who go astray.”

In this episode, we will become familiar with some of Ramadhan traditions in Philippines, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hope you'll enjoy it.

There are over 12 million Muslims living in the Philippines. The coming of the blessed month of Ramadhan is announced by the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos. Muslims clean and adorn mosques before the advent of Ramadhan. One of the famous mosques in the Philippines is called Dimaukom in Maguindanao province, which is known as "The Pink Mosque". It was built in 2014 by Christian laborers and it is said that the colour pink is a connotation to peace and love among sects. During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims wear pink for attending the mosque to show their unity.

Filipino Muslim youngsters are very active in Ramadhan. They set up gatherings for recitation of the holy Qur'an, with knowledgeable persons teaching the proper recitation of this Heavenly Scripture and correct performance of acts of worship. In the late midnight hours, children clad in colorful clothes and carrying lanterns go around the neighbourhood to awaken people for Sahari while reciting religious hymns in the local language. The Filipino Muslims make beverages using milk mixed with sugar, banana and cashew. They also prepare special foods for Iftar and Sahari. On the day of Eid al-Fitr, they flock to mosques and religious centres to perform the special Eid Prayer and to express gratitude to God Almighty for His favours for the fasting month of Ramadhan.

China’s population of 1.4 billion people includes some fifty million Muslims, Among the 56 ethnicities in China, 10 are predominantly Muslim communities, while the largest number of Muslims is made up of the Hui and the Turkic Uyghur populace. Chinese Muslims, like their brethren in other countries, make preparations before the advent of Ramadhan by cleaning and adorning mosques and houses. In Beijing, the capital, the Niujie Mosque hosts over a thousand worshippers at the time of the daily ritual prayers. It is the oldest mosque in Beijing dating back to 996 AD.

As the time for breaking the fast (Iftar) nears, food is served on cloths spread in mosques. Every Muslim comes to the nearest mosque and takes home whatever he needs. Chinese Muslims start their Iftar by eating banana, melon, raisin and dates. A dish which is very popular in Ramadhan is called Dou Zhou, a kind of porridge made of broad bean.

On the day of Eid al-Fitr, Chinese Muslims wear clean clothes and flock to the mosques for the special congregational prayer. Then they leave for graveyards to pray to God for the souls of the departed. This feast is considered as one of the most important religious ceremonies, especially in Xinjiang province where it is almost holiday in the cities of Hotan and Kashgar.

Indonesia is the most populated Islamic country. Over 86% of the population are Muslims. Among the customs of Muslims in the month of Ramadhan mention can be made of Nyorog, Perlon and Nyadran that are held in some parts of Indonesia. Nyorog is held among Betawi tribe. People go to the houses of the elderly along with food. The Nyorog present usually includes uncooked food materials.

When the crescent of Ramadhan, some people take to the streets beating drums to announce the advent of the blessed month of fasting. As the time of Iftar approaches, Muslims go to mosques and break the fast with dates and beverages, and then perform the Maghreb prayer in congregation. Indonesians have colorful Iftar tables including rice, vegetables, meat and chicken.

Like in many other Islamic countries, Indonesian Muslims wear clean clothes on the day of Eid al-Fitr and take part in religious ceremonies of the day. On the eve of the Eid, they take to the streets and chant Allah-o Akbar or God is Greatest, to the beat of drums to announce that it tomorrow is Eid. The Eid al-Fitr holiday lasts for almost a week in Indonesia during which people travel to different towns and cities to visit their relatives and enjoy themselves.

In Malaysia over 60% of the population are Muslims. Malaysians call the blessed month of Ramadhan “Bulan Puasa”, which means month of fasting.

With the start of Ramadhan most of the towns and cities take a spiritual atmosphere. Mosques start their activities one hour before the Azaan for the Fajr Prayer and the Maghreb Prayer. Courses for recitation and interpretation of the holy Qur'an are organized by mosques. Religious programmes are increased on the TV, and the Tawashih or recitation of the Divine Book in chorus is held. Malaysia is a hub of tourists from around the world, but in Ramadhan, as a mark of respect to Muslim sentiments, tourists have to observe certain norms like not eating in public. Restaurants are closed during the day and open as the time of Iftar approaches. At the time of Iftar streets become noisy and this hustle bustle lasts throughout the nights, till the Sahari meal. Two of the special Ramadhan dishes are named Raja Murtabak and Ayam perik. Like in many Islamic countries, it is common in Malaysia to arrange food for the fasting persons in mosques. A very common food among Malaysian Muslims is a pudding of rice, meat mixed with pineapple, curry and other flagrant herbs.

On the eve of Eid al-Fitr, huge fireworks lit the skies of cities as a sign of the advent of Eid. Muslims hold congregational prayer on the day of Eid and then visit each other to exchange greetings on this great Islamic feast.