The blessed month

Ramadan is an Islamic religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, sawm (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month. Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid ul-Fitr, on which feasts are held.

The most prominent event of this month is the daytime fasting practiced by most observant Muslims. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat and perform their fajr prayer. They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due.

The month of Ramadhan is not like any other month; its purpose is to rid man of those habits which he has accumulated throughout the rest of the year. It is a month that prepares man for the remaining eleven months by teaching him discipline and self control. Thus, Allah has made some acts which are beloved to man, like eating, drinking and fulfilling one's desires, Haram (forbidden). If man can control these desires in this month, which are usually permissible for him, then he can surely control himself from other desires which are not permissible throughout the remaining months.

As for me I actually look forward for the month of Ramadan to come. Okay I'm not claiming to be all religious and good but for me I have no problem whatsoever with fasting and all. If I can pray five times a day then fasting everyday for a whole month is like second nature to me (ye ke?). I just don't get it with people who don't fast for no apparent reason, like how pathetic is that? Furthermore I also look forward for Ramadan cause I know, come the end of it there's Hari Raya! Yayy!!

Since both of us are working, we simply don't have the time to cook for berbuka (breaking of fast) so we did what every normal urban folks do, buy our food from the bazaar Ramadan. We weren't so lucky on our first visit there cause we got there kinda late (around 6:45) and the place was packed with people and most of the food stuff was sold out already. In the end, we bought our food at Restoran Maulana nearby. We went to the same bazaar Ramadan again on Sunday, this time much earlier and lots of food to choose from. I bought my one of my all time favourite food, the ayam percik (spicy barbecue chicken) and some onde-onde. The chicken was not that good lah, they just can't make it like they do in Kelantan. What's more, I think all those bazaar Ramadans are a bit overrated. Just about anybody can set up stall there and some of the food stuff are of questionable quality or just plain bad. Give me pasar malam anytime.



Today is already the sixth day of fasting and Alhamdulillah, I went through them without any incidents. It's work as usual here and I even had to stay back late once (till 7:oo p.m) to finish my work. So to everyone, happy fasting and may you have a blessed Ramadan!