"Raya"
With the end of Ramadan comes the start of Syawal; And with the start of Syawal comes Aidilfitri, or what Malays call “Hari Raya”.
What is the true spirit of Hari Raya? I’ve always looked forward & enjoy solat aidilfitri (or aidiladha) in the morning. It brings me some comfort after feeling at loss with the departure of the holy month. Like Aidiladha, Aidilfitri is a day of victory, a commemoration of the struggle of the nafs for four weeks. Culturally, Aidilfitri is the day where Malays gather at elders’ house, eat till they drop, laugh & enjoy company of relatives and post lots of pictures of OOTDs on instagram with their raya outfits.
Here, I would like to make a confession, one where I have not told anyone: I no longer look forward to Hari Raya. You may be wondering why I’m posting this, out of all days, on Hari Raya itself. Truth be told, I’ve been keeping this too myself in recent years. As years pass, I feel as though Hari Raya has been more & more awkward, uncomfortable & grief-filled.
In Sociology, many agree upon the view that family is the basic unit of society. It is the bloodcell to the social body of a nation. And many social problems are rooted in issues of domestic disputes & financial problems. Family also counts a a social capital of an individual. The more favourable network an individual has, the easier it is for the individual to find means to elevate himself socially & economically.
I do not wish to further elaborate as I have an obligation to guard the aib & shortcomings of the people around me. I admit that I myself am not a perfect human being. Nevertheless, the point of this post is to express my dissatisfaction & sense of emptiness in what I feel Hari Raya has and continues to signify in my own personal life.
With all that has been said, do not let my words stop you from enjoying your day with your family & loved ones. I pray that Allah showers us with His blessings on this blessed day and that He guards our hearts from diseases that it contracts due to our sins. Please make dua for me as I continue in this journey of finding meaning in my life & continue in this struggle of being close to Allah & Rasullah s.a.w. Peace. :)
