Eid'l Fitri

Ramadan has ended. We have entered Syawal in the Hijri calendar, which means the end of Ramadan fasting, of abstaining from personal pleasures during the daytime, of restraining oneself from daylight personal delights in food, drinks and those that one usually take pleasure in. It is not the end of fasting however, because it is espoused in the religion that one should continue Ramadan month with 6 days of fasting in Syawal to derive benefits of fasting equivalent to one year. The 6 days can be performed any day in Syawal except day 1, which is the day of rejoicing, of victory from one’s fight against temptations, succumbing to the daily pleasures in life. Why one month of Ramadan and six days in Syawal is equivalent to one year? I look at it this way. It has been said that the benefits provided for our deeds are usually given in multiples of ten. Taking the ten multiplying factor, one month of Ramadan is equivalent to 10 months and 6 days in Syawal is 60 days, or two months making it a total of twelve months.

It is the practice in our community that on the last day of Ramadan, and eve of Syawal, immediately after the post dusk prayers, we go house to house within the community and recite the ‘takbir’, glorifying the almighty and offering short prayers. We divide ourselves into streets and in my street there are about 15 households to visit. Children will usually follow the adults and take part in the takbir and then partake on the food that each house lay out for the guests, neighbours really. However that’s not all that the children look forward to. It’s the ‘duit raya’ or money in colourful envelopes, that is top in their list. Babang and Dedek followed us around but halfway through Dedek could not continue as he was sleepy. The house to house visits ended at just after midnight and Babang followed us all the way to the end.

In the morning, at about 8.30 there will be a congregation at the mosque offering Eid prayers, afterwhich the family will get together in the house and the young ones seek forgiveness from the elders and there will be exchanges of those little, colourful envelopes again, usually to the children and to the elders. So for those who are still working, it will be give only while we retirees give and receive!! The family will sit together over breakfast, a heavy one indeed, the spread usually of rice, meat chicken and various other food, cooked extensively beyond the normal daily food. Then the younger ones in the family will start moving about seeking their elders to seek forgiveness. So Ram’s and my nephews and nieces would come and visit us. Ram and I had prepared for this morning breakfast days in advance. We prepared sweet meat, spiced chicken, rice cubes, and rice cooked in coconut leave packs, and also macaroni. Some of these were offered at the evening takbir. Son Shaffik prepared our traditional family drink, a concoction that is prepared using 12 various herbs and spices, good for cleansing the body system. The recipe of this drink was handed down from my great grandmother, and five generations now.

The whole month of Syawal will be a month of visiting the elders, neighbours, friends and colleagues. There will also be a lot of eating. Many will hold open-houses and invite people over. Food caterers will be making roaring business catering to the open-houses. Royalties, Ministers and Dignitaries will usually hold their open houses on day 1 or 2 of Syawal and open to the public. This is one occasion that the public can get very close to the King and Royalties, the Prime Minister and other Ministers and their family members and shake their hands, and partake in the food spread offered. So it will be a month of eating and be merry. One whole month of food, glorious food. One month of fasting followed by one month of eating….. in the end back to square one, and you wonder why you are overweight?.........

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya