Ramadan ramblings

So it’s Ramadan again.

I am nibbling a leftover samosa for sahur, sipping Chinese tea and thinking of Cindy Crawford [1] while attempting to write this yawn-inducing and completely humourless column on how Ramadan is losing its soul among Malaysians.

Ramadan is considered the holiest month of the year for an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe. It is the 9th month in the Muslim lunar calendar, and Muslims believe that it is during this month that the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

In the Qu’ran, God proclaims that “fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you”,[2] so during the entire month, all Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking [3] and other worldly pleasures from dawn to sundown, with special Terawikh prayers held in the evening.

Basically, Ramadan Kareem, or blessed Ramadan, is about heightened spirituality, and fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, self-control, modesty and empathy for the less fortunate.

Everything is geared towards bringing about raised awareness of, and being closer to, God. It really is about purification of the heart and cleansing of the soul – a spiritual detox, if you like – and it can be a very humbling and deeply rewarding experience.

On my part, this year’s Ramadan is all about getting back to basics, and I am pleased to report that so far I have not spent too much, except on the obligatory pair of Baju Melayu and some home-made [4] kuih raya.

As part of my effort to buttress my faith and shape an unassailable moral fibre,[5] I’ve also tried not to do anything stupid like employing too many educated profanities in conversations, googling supermodels wearing extraordinarily tight swimsuits on the Internet, and having too many impure thoughts in my head.

It is somewhat unfortunate that Ramadan seems to bring out the worst in all of us. I fear that the once sacred month of fasting, prayer and reflection on God has gradually taken on the wrong trappings. I guess I am a shade perturbed that it has gone from a religious month to an extravagant cultural/social event, and an unnecessarily lavish celebration.

For instance, while we are supposed to exercise abstinence during the holy month, more often than not we end up embarking on an ugly greedfest and shameless exercise of gluttony. I mean, I’m not sure what is so spiritual and holy when too many people focus too much on the mountains of over-priced, sub-par kuih-muih and fried char kway teow bought at pasar Ramadan which they happily ram down their throats during buka puasa or Iftar (breaking the fast after sundown).

And of course, there’s the monstrosity called Ramadan buffets where people don’t even blink when paying upwards of RM60 per person for these banquets at hotels and restaurants decked out in rather garish and tawdry décor.

The choices on offer is pretty limitless with various establishments offering a wide range of cuisines – traditional Malay, Middle East, Western, fusion, you name it. If you are feeling particularly posh, you can try the Buka Puasa Half-Buffet at Harrods for RM90,[6] although Shangri-La Hotel would be a much better option, as the food there is insanely good and well worth the sticker price.

But if you are looking for something unusual and don’t mind paying upwards of RM135 per person, then head for Restoran Berputar Sri Angkasa, Menara KL, which is the 4th highest revolving restaurant in the world and the highest in South-East Asia.[7] Quite what dining 282 metres above ground level will do to your sophisticated and discriminating palate, I have no idea but I am guessing the roast lamb tastes better and has less cholesterol at higher altitudes.[8]

Go to any Ramadan buffet and you’ll get to witness the most spectacular, belly-crunching Iftar with various starters, heavy-duty main courses and rows of desserts that go on forever. Makan is a serious business for Malaysians and boy, do we do it with vengeance and flair!

Often the penchant for a calorie-loaded experience knows no bounds as we turn Ramadan into a month-long exercise of unrestrained excess and over-indulgence to the point of waste.[9] We push our waistlines to the limit as we gorge on lavish, artery-furring feasts until we can barely keep our eyes open or have a coherent thought. In fact, the only thing we would be capable of doing is plunking ourselves down on the sofa like Jabba the Hut.

Another blatant commercialisation of Ramadan comes in the form of the whole kuih raya business.[10] From pineapple tarts to London Almonds [11] to Samprit and other assorted cookies, the economics of kuih raya is a little insane, really. The average selling price is RM25 for a pack of 50 pieces, and at 50 sen a pop, that is a pretty hefty price for what is essentially margarine, sugar and eggs.

But still we spend like there’s no tomorrow because being busy working people, we are really buying convenience (always at a premium) rather than the product (often tastes like feet).

There’s also the small matter of going berserk while shopping for baju/kasut raya and new curtains/furniture/what-have-you’s to decorate the house. Some of us are wont to overdo it in order to out-spend others, without realising that all the envy and pointless upward social comparison is like a disease which really makes us unhappy and permanently grieved.

Whatever happened to the good old values, virtues and deeds that Ramadan is suppose to instill? You know, stuff like empathy with the poor, increase in charity, and being closer to God? Whatever happened to the search for the holy grail that is Lailatul Qadar, the night of blessings which is regarded as better than one thousand months.[12]

Discuss.

While you do that, dear readers, I would like to wish everyone a blessed Ramadan. I look forward to Eid Mubarak where we are going to stage the annual scrimmage that is Rumah Terbuka Malaysia where we scramble for food like some refugee camp dwellers.

Selamat Berpuasa and Selamat Hari Raya.

Notes:

[1] Not really.

[2] The Qur’an, Al Baqarah: 183

[3] Not ideal for smokers as the sudden nicotine deprivation can purportedly cause a great deal of mental anguish and, consequently, results in other faculties going numb.

[4] Other people’s home, that is.

[5] Ahem.

[6] I’m assuming the full buffet costs RM180.

[7] Cue applause, and a smattering of “Ooohh’s” and “Aaahh’s”.

[8] How on earth would I know? I didn’t do particularly well in science at school.

[9] Excessive eating is bad – both from an Islamic and the doctors’ point of view –especially when you’re at the age where everything you eat goes directly to your bottom.

[10] These days, promotional activities for kuih raya actually start well before fasting month, complete with samples made available for tasting and/or to take home.

[11] Are they really from London?

[12] “The Night of Power has more blessings than a thousand months.” (The Qur’an, Al Qadr: 3)


Suhaimy Kamaruddin is a corporate boy who loves F1, footie and writes insightful notes in Facebook. He enjoys talking to his daughter and buys too many books. This is his first foray into writing for the media.
Ramadan ramblings
August 29, 2010

AUG 29 — So it’s Ramadan again.

I am nibbling a leftover samosa for sahur, sipping Chinese tea and thinking of Cindy Crawford [1] while attempting to write this yawn-inducing and completely humourless column on how Ramadan is losing its soul among Malaysians.

Ramadan is considered the holiest month of the year for an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe. It is the 9th month in the Muslim lunar calendar, and Muslims believe that it is during this month that the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

In the Qu’ran, God proclaims that “fasting has been written down (as obligatory) upon you, as it was upon those before you”,[2] so during the entire month, all Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking [3] and other worldly pleasures from dawn to sundown, with special Terawikh prayers held in the evening.

Basically, Ramadan Kareem, or blessed Ramadan, is about heightened spirituality, and fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, self-control, modesty and empathy for the less fortunate.

Everything is geared towards bringing about raised awareness of, and being closer to, God. It really is about purification of the heart and cleansing of the soul – a spiritual detox, if you like – and it can be a very humbling and deeply rewarding experience.

On my part, this year’s Ramadan is all about getting back to basics, and I am pleased to report that so far I have not spent too much, except on the obligatory pair of Baju Melayu and some home-made [4] kuih raya.

As part of my effort to buttress my faith and shape an unassailable moral fibre,[5] I’ve also tried not to do anything stupid like employing too many educated profanities in conversations, googling supermodels wearing extraordinarily tight swimsuits on the Internet, and having too many impure thoughts in my head.

It is somewhat unfortunate that Ramadan seems to bring out the worst in all of us. I fear that the once sacred month of fasting, prayer and reflection on God has gradually taken on the wrong trappings. I guess I am a shade perturbed that it has gone from a religious month to an extravagant cultural/social event, and an unnecessarily lavish celebration.

For instance, while we are supposed to exercise abstinence during the holy month, more often than not we end up embarking on an ugly greedfest and shameless exercise of gluttony. I mean, I’m not sure what is so spiritual and holy when too many people focus too much on the mountains of over-priced, sub-par kuih-muih and fried char kway teow bought at pasar Ramadan which they happily ram down their throats during buka puasa or Iftar (breaking the fast after sundown).

And of course, there’s the monstrosity called Ramadan buffets where people don’t even blink when paying upwards of RM60 per person for these banquets at hotels and restaurants decked out in rather garish and tawdry décor.

The choices on offer is pretty limitless with various establishments offering a wide range of cuisines – traditional Malay, Middle East, Western, fusion, you name it. If you are feeling particularly posh, you can try the Buka Puasa Half-Buffet at Harrods for RM90,[6] although Shangri-La Hotel would be a much better option, as the food there is insanely good and well worth the sticker price.

But if you are looking for something unusual and don’t mind paying upwards of RM135 per person, then head for Restoran Berputar Sri Angkasa, Menara KL, which is the 4th highest revolving restaurant in the world and the highest in South-East Asia.[7] Quite what dining 282 metres above ground level will do to your sophisticated and discriminating palate, I have no idea but I am guessing the roast lamb tastes better and has less cholesterol at higher altitudes.[8]

Go to any Ramadan buffet and you’ll get to witness the most spectacular, belly-crunching Iftar with various starters, heavy-duty main courses and rows of desserts that go on forever. Makan is a serious business for Malaysians and boy, do we do it with vengeance and flair!

Often the penchant for a calorie-loaded experience knows no bounds as we turn Ramadan into a month-long exercise of unrestrained excess and over-indulgence to the point of waste.[9] We push our waistlines to the limit as we gorge on lavish, artery-furring feasts until we can barely keep our eyes open or have a coherent thought. In fact, the only thing we would be capable of doing is plunking ourselves down on the sofa like Jabba the Hut.

Another blatant commercialisation of Ramadan comes in the form of the whole kuih raya business.[10] From pineapple tarts to London Almonds [11] to Samprit and other assorted cookies, the economics of kuih raya is a little insane, really. The average selling price is RM25 for a pack of 50 pieces, and at 50 sen a pop, that is a pretty hefty price for what is essentially margarine, sugar and eggs.

But still we spend like there’s no tomorrow because being busy working people, we are really buying convenience (always at a premium) rather than the product (often tastes like feet).

There’s also the small matter of going berserk while shopping for baju/kasut raya and new curtains/furniture/what-have-you’s to decorate the house. Some of us are wont to overdo it in order to out-spend others, without realising that all the envy and pointless upward social comparison is like a disease which really makes us unhappy and permanently grieved.

Whatever happened to the good old values, virtues and deeds that Ramadan is suppose to instill? You know, stuff like empathy with the poor, increase in charity, and being closer to God? Whatever happened to the search for the holy grail that is Lailatul Qadar, the night of blessings which is regarded as better than one thousand months.[12]

Discuss.

While you do that, dear readers, I would like to wish everyone a blessed Ramadan. I look forward to Eid Mubarak where we are going to stage the annual scrimmage that is Rumah Terbuka Malaysia where we scramble for food like some refugee camp dwellers.

Selamat Berpuasa and Selamat Hari Raya.

Notes:

[1] Not really.

[2] The Qur’an, Al Baqarah: 183

[3] Not ideal for smokers as the sudden nicotine deprivation can purportedly cause a great deal of mental anguish and, consequently, results in other faculties going numb.

[4] Other people’s home, that is.

[5] Ahem.

[6] I’m assuming the full buffet costs RM180.

[7] Cue applause, and a smattering of “Ooohh’s” and “Aaahh’s”.

[8] How on earth would I know? I didn’t do particularly well in science at school.

[9] Excessive eating is bad – both from an Islamic and the doctors’ point of view –especially when you’re at the age where everything you eat goes directly to your bottom.

[10] These days, promotional activities for kuih raya actually start well before fasting month, complete with samples made available for tasting and/or to take home.

[11] Are they really from London?

[12] “The Night of Power has more blessings than a thousand months.” (The Qur’an, Al Qadr: 3)

Suhaimy Kamaruddin is a corporate boy who loves F1, footie and writes insightful notes in Facebook. He enjoys talking to his daughter and buys too many books. This is his first foray into writing for the media.