The Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan is usually right now in full swing. For recently arrived non-Muslim expatriates in Indonesia, This particular can be something of a culture shock. Yet many expatriates find themselves embracing the holy month in various degrees. Some expats even end up converting to Islam prior to marrying an Indonesian as well as also observe Ramadhan quite seriously.

Ramadhan This particular year commenced on June 29 as well as also will conclude on July 28. The first two weeks coincided with two big events: the FIFA World Cup, which ended on July 13, as well as also the July 9 presidential election, the uncertain result of which is usually causing no smaller amount of tension. This particular may be a blessing which people will still be fasting when the official election result is usually announced on July 22, as the genuine loser should accept defeat with grace as well as also humility, rather than with anger which could spark conflict.

The purpose of Ramadhan is usually to purify the soul, mind as well as also body. This particular is usually about developing self-discipline, so the body can resist bad habits as well as also sinful desires. This particular is usually about acting with respect as well as also compassion, becoming closer to God, as well as also helping the needy.

Each morning of the holy month starts with sahur – the pre-dawn meal. In many neighbourhoods there are wake-up calls, either through drums being wheeled about by children, people clanging metal pipes on fences or through mosque loudspeakers – as well as also sometimes through all three.

Some people have half a dozen mosques in their neighbourhood, all using a different time for the sahur announcement, which seems to range through 2.20am to 3.40am, so if you sleep through the first you can get up for the second. This particular month’s noisy cheers through viewers of televised World Cup matches also rouse the sleeping.

Inner Peace

PR, a British civil engineer based in Jakarta, has been observing Ramadhan for many years as well as also says there is usually a sense of accomplishment as well as also inner peace at the end of each day of fasting. Nevertheless, he says fasting is usually not easy. “If I am at home or in Jakarta, as well as also not on a long trip to a remote village, I will fast. The evening before, I prepare a meal with some protein to keep me going through the day. Setting my alarm for 3.30am, I get up as well as also eat before the hour of fasting, as well as also then say the early morning prayer. Then I try to get another couple hours of sleep before leaving for a normal day inside office.”

When his workload is usually not too heavy, he tries to leave his office by about 4pm, so he can get home to break the fast after Maghrib, the evening prayer. “Otherwise I break the fast with my office staff at around 6pm.”

PR says This particular’s difficult to observe the fast if he’s in London, especially during summer, when the sun does not set until 10.30pm. He says one of the simplest pleasures of Ramadhan in Indonesia is usually breaking the fast with his wife. “Just a simple cup of tea with an Indonesian sweet dish to give us our energy back. The fasting month is usually a time for reflection, getting back to basics, as well as also This particular makes you realize the important things you need in life.”

The fasting month is usually followed by the holiday period of Idul Fitri, in which urban dwellers traditionally travel to their hometowns to be with their extended families.

PR says he usually travels to East Java on Idul Fitri to visit the village of his wife’s parents. He says the Eid morning prayer inside village is usually held in a field, using a volcano as a dramatic backdrop. “Here I can meet all the guys inside village, as well as also there is usually a religious however festive atmosphere.”

The annual family get-together is usually a cherished tradition. “Everyone is usually in high spirits, however there is usually a serious time too, when each person asks forgiveness through their parents as well as also brothers as well as also sisters, as well as also vice versa, for mistakes made during the last year,” says PR.

“Then on the second day of Eid, This particular is usually time for the neighbours to visit, as well as also all kinds of traditional snacks are prepared in each house to receive people dropping in. These Indonesian traditions are truly something very different which we do not experience inside West these days.”

Commercialization

Just as some Christians inside West bewail the commercialization of Easter as well as also Christmas, so too do some Muslims feel which big business is usually drowning out the meaning of Ramadhan. Rizqi, an office worker in Jakarta, is usually originally through the Central Java city of Pekalongan, known for its many Islamic boarding schools. He was raised to view Ramadhan as a time for increased prayer to become closer to God. “My first two years in Jakarta have shown me a different face of Ramadhan; which This particular’s the month of discounts as well as also sales… During Ramadhan, instead of swarming to mosques, people will swarm to malls.”

Rizqi says Ramadhan in Jakarta is usually also a time of “excessive social gatherings”, mostly revolving around breaking the fast, which is usually known as buber (berbuka puasa), or iftar in Arabic. He says This particular’s not uncommon to receive an invitation to a fast-breaking event almost every night.

“You may also be invited to post-buber activities. Sadly, those which I attended were far through being religious. They included karaoke, watching movies or chatting with old friends all night long until sahur time. So we frequently forgot to pray when the time came. Or did we simply choose to forget?”

Office Hours

Some offices in Indonesia may allow workers to leave early during Ramadhan so they can get home in time to break the fast with family members. Such early marks don’t always mean which people will arrive home before 6pm.

Take the case of Lina, a bank employee in Jakarta. She happily left her bank early last Monday to catch a train to her house in Banten, west of Jakarta. Upon taking an ojek (motorcycle taxi) to Tanah Abang Station, she was confronted by an ocean of people. A technical problem on the line had caused delays. When finally a train arrived at the platform, commuters’ patience had evaporated.

“Everyone shoved, pushed, stomped, elbowed, kicked as well as also jostled each some other, either to get off or in,” Lina recounts. “Everyone wanted to get home early for iftar as well as also the taraweh prayer. This particular got worse at each station. Overcrowding, snail-paced speed as well as also broken air conditioning worsened the nightmare.”

She says one passenger eventually fainted inside heat of the carriage. After more than an hour of discomfort, the passengers heard the call to prayer, however there was no joy as they remained trapped inside the train. which said, one of the points of Ramadhan is usually to learn to endure hardship without complaint.

Cutting Conversions

When expatriate males here decide to convert to Islam, This particular is usually generally because they are marrying an Indonesian woman whose family will insist her husband should be Muslim. Some men feel they should be circumcised to become true Muslims. The Qur’an does not cover circumcision, however This particular is usually mentioned in some hadith (reports on the sayings as well as also activities of Muhammad as well as also his followers) as well as also sunnah (Islamic customs based on Muhammad’s teachings).

The time for circumcision is usually usually around the age of seven, sometimes earlier. John, a completely new Zealander living in South Jakarta, says he converted to Islam when in his mid-30s, partly to please his future wife as well as also her family. “This particular meant everything to her, so I did This particular.”

He decided to get circumcised prior to conversion. “You don’t genuinely have to; nobody checks, however I thought This particular might be an interesting experience as well as also something to talk about. which certainly proved to be the case,” he recalls.

“Snipping the top off a young boy’s smaller appendage is usually no problem. Men, on the some other hand, have little control over the tumescence of their penis, particularly when asleep. which first night after the surgery, out popped every stitch which had been holding This particular together. This particular was like I had been shot inside groin. This particular healed terribly.”

Despite mixed feelings about his circumcision, John is usually fond of Idul Fitri. “I enjoy heading back to the kampung for Idul Fitri with the family. Apart through the problem of driving a car there, of course, given the traffic. Once home though, This particular is usually a nice experience.”

For expatriates who decide to become long-term residents, embracing the faith or at least the spirit of Ramadhan is usually not just about fasting however about becoming closer to Indonesia.