Woman in Masjid Negara grounds

A Muslim lady in red walks through the grounds of Masjid Negara in Kuala Lumpur during the fasting month of Ramadan. This Thursday is Hari Raya Aidilfitri, marking the end of the month-long fasting with generous feasting.

Ramadan one-week fasting trial - Day 4

Hello again. Day 4 was particularly challenging. I did have an illuminating time reading the Book of Mormon, the Holy Bible and the Holy Qur'an. I know that one of the requirements for Muslims is to read the entire Qur'an during Ramadan. 

So, my Muslim friends, how is it going? and how far have you got?

I'm a sufferer of severe headaches, as you may remember I wrote about in this article. I wrote in my fasting journal how I was quite surprised I hadn't come down with a headache so far this week. Unfortunately this afternoon it came and at 4pm I broke my fast. I have a family to take care of so I have to look after my health first. I was disappointed I had to stop early but sometimes we have to make such decisions for the better good.

Then I received a comment which was rather negative and sarcastic concerning my Day 3 fasting efforts, so I decided against publishing it. 

I have received so many positive and encouraging comments so far which have helped me to continue past a tough Day 1. However, this comment kind of knocked me back a bit, telling me that their 6-year-old could do better than me! Then they told me to, impossibly, not be offended! 

"It matters not if you try and fail, and try and fail, and try again. It matters if you try and fail and fail to try again."

I'm a non-Muslim giving this fasting a good try. I tried real hard. I gave every effort I could. But I realised today that I'm not really doing this to please the Muslim community or for anyone else for that matter. I did it for myself, to get closer to God, spend a little more time 'away' from the world, and for the purposes I mentioned earlier. Those purposes were to develop a greater level of patience so that we could enjoy improved harmony and love at home.

Those purposes have been fulfilled. I feel very calm and at peace with everything.

There are many good people of whatever faith they may be who repeatedly try and fail, and try and fail, and keep on trying again. This includes a number of Christian friends who try their best and fall and struggle, and then dust themselves down and try again. We don't condemn them, or criticise them, we just offer the helping hand again, and again, and again, as long as it remains necessary.

Thank you to all who have commented so positively regarding my Ramadan fasting trial, who have given me a lot of encouragement. I'm pleased to announce the fasting trial has been completed, a little earlier than planned but having fulfilled it's purpose.

I've enjoyed it a lot and I'm glad I gave it a go. I'm definitely better because of it.

All my best wishes are with the Muslims who are fasting faithfully this month.

Once again, I'd be interested to know how my Muslim friends are progressing with their reading of the Qur'an . . .

Ramadan one-week fasting trial - Day 3

Day 3 got off to a false start as we had a late night with the children. Lauren kept us up around 2-4am and I didn't wake up until 9.30am. So I missed my early breakfast, But anyway, I continued fasting until lunchtime. Still 12 hours of fast but at a different time of the day.

I admire those Muslims who can deal with late nights, babies and young children not sleeping well, and still go through with the fast.

Glad to say I'm back on track today!

Ramadan one-week fasting trial - Day 2

DAY 2

Yesterday morning I woke up early to eat my breakfast. As I was doing so I began to think, "Oh no, I have to do this all over again today!" But I pushed these thoughts away and remembered the purposes of my fast and the importance I've attached to them.

Now would be a good time to tell you all the purpose of my fast. I have determined that the purpose of my fast will be to develop greater patience, and to apply that patience to my roles as husband and father, so that there may be improved harmony in the home.

Now patience is something I think we all seek to better about ourselves at times. Time and time again I've told myself to have more patience, but this moment of fasting appears to be the most effective in finally getting over the hurdle. It is the most meaningful improvement I'm making in my life.

I read some scriptures in the afternoon, comparing and contrasting The Book of Mormon with The Holy Qur'an. Learning snippets of truth and developing a greater personal relationship with God, requires much time and patience. There are pearls of truth to be found everywhere. Just as learning the truth requires years of patience, so too developing family relationships and harmony in the home needs time, effort and patience.

Perhaps later yesterday night I was given my first test of patience to see how well my fast was working. In the midst of a thunderstorm, which dramatically cooled things down after a hot day, someone's car alarm was triggered and continued beeping, stopping for a few seconds, beeping again, stopping, beeping. It must have gone on for over half an hour, at a time when we were trying to settle down, get the youngest to sleep, and after a long day of fasting.

My first reaction was to grumble and moan. Then I suddenly realised that this could be a mini-trial. So I told myself that I wasn't going to get angry and flustered over a simple car alarm. Instead I folded the clothes and exercised patience.

I feel that I'm being more patient with Lauren, my oldest daughter too.

P.S. I broke my fast with KFC last night, a very good way to do it!

Ramadan one-week fasting trial - Day 1

DAY 1

The first day of my one-week fasting trial went generally fine. I woke up before the sun and had a very early breakfast. The hunger feeling didn't arrive until around 2pm when my stomach felt distinctly empty. I had a small nap but was awoken by screaming children outside! Anyway, I felt much better afterwards and was able to complete my day's fast, although I did get very thirsty in the last few hours.

But I'm pleased to say that I resisted any urge to eat or drink, and that felt good. The most difficult part of the day, funnily enough, was after eating at the end of the day's fast. I felt bloated and uncomfortable for a good hour before things settled down again. I think a smaller meal would be better!

Instead, I have been concentrating on the purpose of my fast, and reading some Holy Scriptures to supplement it.

Over the course of this week I'll be reading the following books:

The Holy Bible. Recently we celebrated the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the King James version of the Bible.

The Book of Mormon. A fantastic page explaining the Book of Mormon. Feel free to check this out if you are not familiar with it.

The Holy Qur'an. Simply click on a chapter and away you go. In both Arabic and English.

I'm hoping that by studying these good books, I'll get more knowledge and understanding in helping me reach my goals of my fast.

Ramadan - One-week fasting trial

Ramadan time is here again. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is the month of fasting in the Islamic faith. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day for a month, this year running from 1st-29th August.

Unfortunately, Ramadan for us means a lot of Malay youths wandering the neighbourhood streets at night setting off fireworks and firecrackers until midnight, disturbing us and our children's sleep, and being a general nuisance to all.

However, yesterday as I was shopping, I noticed all the restaurants pretty much empty, as Muslims refrained from food and drink during the daylight hours.

As a Christian I also participate in fasting, though at different times to Muslims. We fast on the first Sunday of every month, for 24 hours, or by skipping two meals. We have the opportunity to donate the money saved on our meals to help the poor and hungry wherever in the world they may be. However one fasts, the reasons remain the same.

There is a distinctly spiritual element to fasting. Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. The Bible states: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loosen the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?"

And from the English translation of the Holy Qur'an: "Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn self-restraint - Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear Signs for guidance and judgement between right and wrong. So every one of you who is present at his home during that month should spend it in fasting...Allah...wants you to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you shall be grateful."

For more information on Ramadan and fasting from a Muslim perspective, follow these two links:

Wikipedia explains

About.com - Ramadan

So as I was walking home yesterday evening with my shopping and each-a-cup drinks, I decided right then that I would give this  sunrise to sunset fasting a go. I wanted to experience what the Muslims are experiencing this month. I've decided that I will be fasting for one week, beginning Monday 8th August, until Sunday 14th August, 2011. Of course, I'll be blogging about it each day. 

I hope you'll follow me over the course of those 7 days. While fasting I will spend more time trying to establish my relationship with God through prayer and the study of God's words as found in the Holy Scriptures of Christianity and Islam.

So I'll strive to tolerate the noise of firecrackers and all that negative side of the month, and focus on the fast. Let's see how it goes!

Would you be willing to give the one-week fasting trial a try?

The Eve of Hari Raya in Kuantan

This was a night to be celebrated in the Muslim world. On 9th September 2010, the one-month fast, known as Ramadan, came to an end. Muslims had been faithfully arising at all sorts of early hours while most of the rest of us were still in dreamland, to prepare and eat a very early breakfast. Because as soon as the Sun comes up, fasting begins!

It was a nightmare eating out during the month of Ramadan. Around 7:20pm, when prayers sounded out from mosques around Kuantan, marking the end of the day's fast, droves of people filled KFC, McDonalds and most eateries in town to appease the building hunger in their stomachs. Even ordering fast food on the phone proves to be difficult, as the lines are all busy.

On the eve of Hari Raya there were hoards of people down near the Kuantan town field pouring through the night market there in search of any food or other items to buy. Others filtered into the Pahang State Mosque to offer up their devotions to Allah after a month of denying themselves the physical pleasures of food during daylight hours.

The one-month celebration of Hari Raya is now mid-way through. We have been to a couple of homes of our friends to join them in their feasts. Such open houses are popular in Malaysia where all are invited to enter and eat food with the hosts. (Thank you to Karimah and Syarina for serving us such delicious food!)

The Pahang State Mosque

A water feature on Jalan Mahkota, Kuantan

A busy Jalan Mahkota in Kuantan

The Kuantan skyline from the Tanjong Lumpur bridge. The Kuantan waterfront glows in orange lights on the left, the Pahang State Mosque is partly visible behind buildings on the right, while three old boats lie at dock on the Pahang River in the foreground.

Cars zoom towards Kuantan town from the Tanjong Lumpur bridge