Make It A Meaningful Hari Raya

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Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, to all Malaysians. We celebrate each other’s festivals as we rejoice as one large, unique Malaysian family. This is really what being Malaysian is all about.
This year’s Ramadan was tough for everyone.
We are told that the pandemic is raging on. The government of the day apparently is doing its best, although the conflicting messages and constant about-turns don’t seem to give anyone any confidence.
The usual merriment at Ramadan Bazaars was muted, and even came under fire for just being kept open.
Celebrations were first allowed, then under strict protocols, and now they are disallowed. Parts of the country were placed under a movement control order, then just days later, the whole nation was placed on lockdown.
No one can head back to their hometowns for Raya. For those who usually go off holidaying with their families, well, that’s now a very distant memory.
The mass exodus from Kuala Lumpur that usually leaves the capital city bereft of its hustle and bustle, won’t happen. But this year, it will be empty anyway!
All told, it’s been a terribly rough ride for everyone.
We love our celebrations in Malaysia. We have quite a few festivities each year on account of the multicultural nature of our country. And the biggest of them all, is Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
But since this year’s celebrations have been doused down, and there is a palpable sense of dejection in most of us, we really need to find alternative ways to make it a joyous time, in spite of the dire situation.
I suggest you recalibrate and do a shift in your mindset.
Instead of being depressed by the lack of festivities, think of the deeper significance of the month of Ramadan that leads to this celebration. It truly tells you a lot about life, and living.
The first thing is the refraining from eating or drinking from “fajar”, the prayer that marks dawn, to “maghrib” the prayer that marks dusk.
I think this simply teaches everyone that you need self-control to succeed.
To not consume anything for such a long time in a tropical climate like Malaysia, requires tremendous will power, and enormous discipline. I am in awe of people who manage to abstain from drinking water the whole day.
But then, think about it. Life is filled with temptations. And, to be successful at anything you do, you need to have self-restraint. I think it’s one of those non-negotiable criteria for being a decent person.
Even at your workplace, you need to be disciplined just to stay focused on completing tasks, behave appropriately with others, and stay connected with your colleagues.
People who are disciplined are not only successful professionally, but also in their personal lives because they can prioritise, choose their battles, and foster goodwill with others.
The next thing to reflect on, is the emotion of empathy.
When you have empathy, you can relate to the thoughts, emotions or experiences of others. It is the capacity to step into someone else’s shoes, and be aware of how they feel and what they need.
During the fasting month, we seem to collectively do this very well.
Those who don’t fast are aware and become more conscious about being accommodating to those who do. And people who fast are often magnanimous about people around them who eat and drink.
In your office, when you show empathy, you immediately get respect from your co-workers. And the most despised members in any team are those who don’t care about other people’s feelings.
Your bosses always tell you to increase productivity, morale and loyalty. But if they don’t show that they care enough about you, you will not be inspired to do any of this.
We just respond better to others when they show that they actually care.
Perhaps this is why so many Malaysians are upset with our government. The leaders don’t seem to show that they really care about what’s happening to our lives and livelihoods.
Life is awfully challenging at the moment.
But during this past month of Ramadan, it was the time for introspection. You should have reflected on your actions, conduct, and should be appreciative and grateful for all that you have.
And most importantly, you should have felt compassion for the unfortunate in our community.
This is where “zakat” or tithes come in. For those who are unaware, this form of almsgiving is a duty for all Muslims who meet a given wealth measure. Once you can, you must help those in need.
Ultimately, gratitude has the biggest significance for Hari Raya.
In my personal experience of working with companies, I realise that when their leaders practice gratitude and genuine appreciation, their people actually perform so much better.
This is why gratitude is very important now.
So, this year’s Hari Raya is very different. But make it a meaningful Raya with discipline, empathy, and gratitude because that is what these celebrations are about. And this we can all do, under any circumstance.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan Batin! - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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