When Ramadan brings out the worst in some people, and the best in others — Zuhairy Fauzy

MARCH 27 — A well-known hadith from Sahih Bukhari that when the month of Ramadan arrives, the gates of paradise open, the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are fettered. It’s a pretty evocative hadith, taught to Muslim kids in school and at home as a reminder that they should be on their best behaviour while the devil is away. It drives the message that Ramadan is not just about fasting; it’s also about self-discipline and acts of kindness to your fellow humans.

Guess that older Malay man in a jubah who slapped that Chinese student for eating at a Family Mart during Ramadan did not get that memo. Maybe he forgot that this is the one month out of twelve where charity is enjoined and compassion is encouraged. Is it not the height of irony that in this supposed holiest of months, we have the devil’s ilk in our midst?

Look, I get it. I fast too. You don’t eat or drink for 14 hours. You’re hangry. Tempers are short. Takes a tiny little spark to light your fuse. But one must never lose sight of the end goal: that time of year where you’re supposed to exercise the most restraint and demonstrate patience in the face of any tribulations that come your way.

(Some) Malay Muslims throw a hissy fit, like spoilt toddlers, every time they see someone — Muslim or non-Muslim — eating in their presence during Ramadan. But aren’t Muslims also fond of recounting that the Battle of Badr, a key moment in Islamic history, was fought and won in the month of Ramadan? How significant is a random stranger minding their meal compared to the solemn and infinitely more onerous responsibility of leading troops to victory in the middle of the fasting month? Why can’t they follow the Prophet’s example in the latter?

In the case of the slapping incident at Johor Baru’s Angsana Mall, the fellow on the receiving end of the slap had repeatedly explained that he was a non-Muslim Chinese, and he had no obligation whatsoever to turn in his identity card to prove it, much less to eat in some hidden corner away from hungry Muslim eyes. He was assaulted all the same. This is what happens when people take it upon themselves to play judge, jury, and executioner.

And why is it that it’s always during Ramadan that we see a flare-up of all this nonsense? Every year there are calls by hardline voices in our society to shutter school canteens during Ramadan. Never mind that non-Muslim children, as well as Muslims who are unable to fast, need to eat; to these zealots, the feelings of those who fast are the only feelings that matter.

It does not help that many Muslims in this country are fed this never-ending siege mentality, this “us versus them” canard, drummed up nightly in ceramahs by certain ultraconservative preacher-politicians, that teaches Malays to think less of their fellow Malaysians who pray differently, or are of a different skin colour, or speak a different language. It’s a really sad state of affairs really. It’s bad for race relations, and it’s bad for the religion. As the good Prof Tajuddin Rasdi opines in one of his recent YouTube videos, if we don’t muzzle these demagogues demonising the “other” while their gullible followers swallow their vitriol hook, line, and sinker without a second thought, things will only get worse from here.

But the optimist in me tries to see the bright side of things. I recall an old comic by Lat, everyone’s favourite Malaysian cartoonist, depicting a murtabak (?) stall with a long, snaking queue of hungry customers from all racial backgrounds. At the head of the queue are a Chinese man, a young Malay boy in a songkok, and an Indian man in a bush jacket. Forgive me if the words are slightly off (I have not been able to find a copy of the comic online), but essentially the speech bubbles went like this:

Indian guy: “Why are you taking so long? It’s for all these people who are fasting you know!”

Chinese guy: “I’m giving this guy business what. Anyway, you fasting ah?”

In between them, the Malay boy in a songkok chirps the punchline: “Oi, fasting month cannot lose temper one!”

It’s charming on so many levels: a non-Malay buying plenty of murtabak so the Malay seller can bring home lots of dough (sorry!), another non-Malay telling the first non-Malay to be considerate for all the Muslims waiting in line, and then we have a little Malay kid bringing everyone back to earth, innocently yet firmly asking cool heads to prevail since you’re supposed to tahan (hold) your temper during Ramadan.

I miss this sort of comic. Not a hint of malice, always poking gentle fun, reminding Malaysians not to take themselves too seriously. But here I digress.

On a personal note, I had never been brought up by my parents, or taught by any of my teachers, to get upset when people eat around me during the fasting month. Growing up, the furthest that my parents went (and I’m sure a lot of other families did as well) was that the kids who were too young to fast had to wait till the grown-ups finished at the table, after which they could help themselves while their elders went for evening prayers. Which is fair enough. Even then, sometimes my parents did relent and let the young ‘uns eat together with their older siblings. Mums and dads will be mums and dads.

Since I’ve never taken offence to people eating around me during Ramadan, it always makes for an awkward conversation whenever my non-Muslim friends or colleagues tender their profuse apologies if they eat in my presence. To them I say, it’s okay, don’t mind me. Lunch is lunch. Carry on with your Subway footlong.

I recently had the pleasure of attending Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa’s Majlis Buka Puasa Muhibbah at the historic Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh in the heart of George Town. It was a beautiful sight to see representatives and leaders from the Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, and other religious communities attending iftar together with their Muslim brethren in the courtyard of a 200-year-old mosque, reminiscing about their shared experiences living in peace with their Malay neighbours and friends. (Also, the pecal was excellent eating; I wish there had been more to go around. My compliments to the chefs.)

I was told this is an annual event organised by the mosque committee, with Mujahid attending in his capacity as chairman of the mosque. You don’t have to think of him as a politician in this instance. You can look at him as a decent man trying to do the decent thing: fostering goodwill and mutual respect among the different races and religions that make up the colourful tapestry of Malaysian society. This is a very welcome contrast to the deluge of ugly headlines each time Ramadan comes around. Initiatives like these should get the limelight, as they help to construct a more positive narrative and promote unity rather than sow mistrust. They let people know that, in spite of all the pessimistic coverage surrounding race relations, there are noble souls out there who see beyond the headlines and understand that tolerance, understanding, and a live-and-let-live attitude to life should be the way forward.

Coming back to the unfortunate case of the pak cik slapping the leng chai at that JB mall, the damage is done. Nasi telah menjadi bubur. You can’t unscramble scrambled eggs. At the time of writing, the assailant has claimed trial to voluntarily causing hurt under Section 323 of the Penal Code. Let’s hope he gets to spend these final ten days of Ramadan — the holiest days in the holiest month — to engage in self-reflection (muhasabah) and teach his kids and/or grandkids that it’s totally okay if someone eats around you while you’re fasting, and that the power lies only within yourself to exercise sabr (patience) and restrain your nafs (ego).

On a more positive and hopeful note as we come to the end of Ramadan: I wish all of you Selamat Hari Raya. Have a great one, and let’s all be better humans, better Muslims, and better Malaysians next year, every year, always.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.