Many people associate the month of Ramadan with the act of resisting hunger and thirst from sunrise to sunset. Furthermore, fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims must fast regardless of age with certain exceptions throughout this holy month.

However, as one of the important months in the Islamic calendar, the month of Ramadan is not just an obligation for Muslims to resist hunger and thirst for a certain period only. By fasting, we are encouraged to reflect on ourselves and strengthen our faith; be more patient, discipline yourself and do good; as well as making our bonds of friendship with each other even closer.

To do so, we set up an intention or nawaitu to:

• Complete tarawih prayer.

• Reciting Al-Quran.

• Giving charity, including paying Zakat Fitrah.

• Chant and pray.

• Ask for forgiveness.

• Learn to be patient through the practice of fasting.
  
  

The lessons we learn and the values ​​we practice during these thirty days are to remind and guide us to take care of our behavior and faith after the month of Ramadan has passed. Although we are not required to fast and perform tarawih prayers throughout the year, but doing good, being patient and forgiving, giving charity and praying five times a day are good values ​​that should continue to be practiced throughout the year because these habits help us benefit more our daily life.

There are several things you can do to practice the values ​​of Ramadan throughout the year, and not just during this holy month.

Fasting for detoxification, health, or weight loss
In addition to fasting that is recommended on some special days in the Islamic calendar such as six days of fasting (fasting for six days in the month of Shawwal), Ashura Day, Arafah Day and fasting in the month of Shaaban, fasting also has various health benefits such as:

 

Prophet Muhammad SAW also fasted circumcision every month.

Instead of completely abstaining from eating and drinking throughout the day, you can practice intermittent fasting (IF), especially if you want to improve your health. Although there are many different intermittent fasting techniques, the most popular intermittent fasting technique is a 16-hour fasting period and an 8-hour fasting period. Fasting periods can overlap with sleep time as well. In addition, IF also allows you to drink zero calorie drinks such as water, tea or plain coffee during the fasting period ⁱⁱ .

The practice of IF is easy to follow especially among Muslims and IF is an effective way to control your diet and lose weight. Do not overeat during the fasting period.

Practice the teachings and values ​​of Islam in your daily routine
After the month of Ramadan has passed, we no longer practice the practice of gathering in the mosque to complete the tarawih prayer in congregation. However, there are other ways for us to practice religious values ​​and teachings in our daily lives in addition to perfecting our daily worship.

• Pray in congregation with your family to strengthen your relationship with your parents and/or children. Live with roommates? Establishing congregational prayer is one of the ways to get to know themselves better.

• Take time to pray after finishing the prayer and before going to bed at night. There are some prayers you can practice throughout the day as well. PRUIman at Pulse by Prudential provides prayer groups for various purposes including repentance prayer, prayer when visiting patients, travel prayer, meal prayer and more.

• You can chant at any time, throughout the day. Try chanting while you're stuck in traffic or while exercising.

• Take time to study the Quran every day. Read the interpretation of the Qur'an to better understand the content being read.

Of course, in this situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, avoid attending large gatherings and congregational prayers in mosques. Establishing congregational prayers with the family is highly encouraged. If you want to perform congregational prayers at the mosque, make sure you always comply with the SOP provided.

Small palm, nyiru covered with
Zakat Fitrah is a mandatory payment that all Muslims must pay during the month of Ramadan. If you are able, giving charity throughout the year is a good way to help the needy while also collecting rewards.

• Do not wait until a disaster occurs to give charity. Instead, give a small donation every month to charities that need help.

• Instead of throwing away used items such as clothes, furniture, books, electronic items and so on, donate the items. If you don't know where to go, there are many charity collection boxes available in most residential areas throughout Malaysia for you to put items you want to donate.

• Try doing volunteer work. This is a great way to make connections in your community and see life from a different perspective.
  
  

People say that charity starts at home. Help friends, family members or neighbors if they are in trouble, tip the food delivery person high, or buy food for the neighbors or the security guard at your apartment once in a while.

Patience is half of faith
It is human nature to lose patience and get angry, especially when we are busy and something unexpected happens or the sudden arrival of someone interrupts our busy schedule. During the month of Ramadan, we refrain from eating and drinking and take care of our behavior. So there is no reason for us not to be patient on normal days as well.

• If something makes you angry, take ten deep breaths before responding. This simple exercise can calm you down and help you see a situation or thing from a different perspective.

• You need to take more than ten breaths? Calm down. You may find a solution by taking some time to calm down, whether for an hour or a day, so that you can understand what happened and what made you angry about it.

• Try to forget your anger. Sometimes, 'losing' a fight or compromising is better than ending a relationship.
  
  

Asking for forgiveness
Apart from getting angry, we make mistakes on a personal and spiritual level as well. Instead of waiting for Hari Raya Aidilfitri to arrive to be able to say "Maaf Zahir Batin" to each other, we should always apologize every time we make a mistake because this act of apologizing removes the burden in our hearts and preserves the relationship as well.

• Get the Almighty's forgiveness by praying and praying.

• If you make a mistake, apologize and try to correct your mistake as soon as possible.

• Don't forget to apologize for the little things too, like bumping into someone's shoulder, forgetting to call someone or interrupting a conversation. This act creates a feeling of empathy and makes you more sensitive.

• It is not wrong to apologize to individuals younger than you, for example, you apologize for raising your voice to children even if they did something wrong.
  
  

Always do good
Kindness is an important human trait that can make a difference in the world and there are many small acts of kindness that we can do every day.

• Say hello to neighbors and loved ones.

• Talk to your employees well. They are more willing to help someone who treats them well than someone who uses power or oppresses them.

• Allow the elderly, pregnant women or people with disabilities to cut the line.

• Giving food to abandoned animals.
  
  

Beauty in simplicity
Simplicity is a good thing, be it in nutrition, exercise, shopping, work, entertainment and so on. Our ability to do various activities during the month of Ramadan proves that we can do daily activities if we do them in moderation.

• Instead of following a strict diet, be more sensitive and moderate in your eating habits. In addition, reduce eating excessively heavy food.

• Do short-term exercises regularly instead of forcing yourself to do exercises for several hours at a time which can cause injury.

• Monitor your spending habits to avoid overspending or going into debt.

• Monitor your working hours and try to achieve a healthy work-life balance.
  
  

Ramadan is about to leave us but let us all remain steadfast in practicing the simple values ​​and habits cultivated throughout these thirty days. Furthermore, with all the challenges we face now, small acts of kindness and tolerance can make us more positive. Let's help each other and make the most of our lives. May your last days of Ramadan be calmer and full of blessings.

Date of Input: 02/04/2024 | Updated: 02/04/2024 | asmunir