Born from an
impoverished family in Aras-asan, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, I took the risk of
pursuing my college education at Mindanao State University Main Campus located
in Marawi City. I must admit I had second thoughts to be at the campus because
of the negative stigma tagged to the Islamic City of Marawi being a horrible
place and home to a number of kidnappers, murderers, rebels and whatnot.
I could still remember the first time I experienced Ramadhan way back November 2002 as a first year
student. I
was deeply
asleep when the firing
of guns and other artificial explosives woke me up. I really thought there was
an encounter between the rebels and the military, that I hurriedly went to our landlord to seek refuge and he gladly explained
it’s a manifestation that
the Ramadhan has commenced. (sighs). Thank God we are safe. More than the superficial signal is a deeper meaning
of Ramadhan. It is a month-long fasting where participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and from having sex with their
partners during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about
patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. This spurred my curiosity to closely observe Ramadhan
and try fasting in a day with my Muslim brothers and sisters.
Sometime in July
2014, I finally had the chance to experience fasting during Ramadhan season. I
was taught that a day before fasting, one must commit and set his mind to
refrain from eating, drinking and other activities. This was my mental
preparation that as early as 2 o’clock in the morning the following day, I was already awake to prepare for the suhoor - a meal before sunrise. Kuya Tommy our landlord was generous enough to welcome
me in their home for a meal at 4:00AM. I ate some food, fruits and drink plenty
of water. The first few hours of fasting was way manageable but I decided to
stay at home resting when lunch time came and the need for water intensified.
At 5:00PM, we gathered in one of the rooms of our college, did an ablution and
performed a Maghrib prayer (fourth prayer of the day). After a series of
preparations, we finally had our iftar – a meal that literally breaks the fast.
It was like a feast of great food and drinks. Thanks to Sir Peepo and some of
our students for the awesome meal. We then rested for a while and readied
ourselves for the taraweeh – a night of prayer in a mosque. One of the things I
learned while attending taraweeh was the equal treatment among the Muslims regardless
of economic status.
We then went
home at 10:00PM and my heart was filled with joy as I successfully surpassed #FastingInADay Challenge
during Ramadhan Season. It was indeed a
dream-come-true for me to
experience how our Muslim brothers and sisters withstand the challenges of
depriving themselves from eating or drinking after #suhoor and before #iftar. While having the desire to try is the first step to
satisfy my curiosity, it was also a doorstep to learn
important lessons in life. Being hungry and thirsty are two of the tests of
faith, patience, endurance, humility and self-discipline among others. I'm
simply amazed how Muslims manage to overcome the struggles in 30 days.
Moreover, bowing down is truly a gesture of utmost reverence to our God. And
above all, it's the realization that we actually have the same God (with different
names) whom we put our trust and hope that everything will be well. Our sins
will be forgiven if we are willing to repent and move away from the bad deeds.
Thank you to Sir Tommy Disamburon for the provision during the suhoor, to
Sir Peepo
Disomimba Lucman who was readily willing to
help me realize my desire for immersion, more so with coordinating with the
Muslim students for the iftar and taraweeh, thank you so
much Sir. Thank you also to the students who were equally willing to guide and teach me the basics of
fasting. Thank you to those who in one way or another have made that day extraordinarily remarkable, unforgettable and
meaningful. May Allah bless you a hundredfold :-) Thank you, thank
you, thank you J
|
| |
|
Get Free Email Updates Daily! |
Follow us! 
|
0 comments:
Post a Comment