Welcoming Ramadhan in Wellington, New Zealand

Alhamdulillah..

Ramadhan is soon coming.

This holy month blessed with so many beautiful pahala and deeds, given to those who dedicate their niat or willingness, as well as their deeds and action only for Allah SWT the Almighty. Ramadhan is not only about refraining from eating, drinking and conducting intimate intercourse. Or stop gossiping and It is also the perfect time for us to reflect upon everything we have done and redeem ourselves, trying to be a way better person. Ramadhan will be the high time for us to restrain from unnecessary and consuming greed, to share more to others and to get closer to our Creator.

This year, we have our Ramadhan in Wellington, New Zealand.

Our first time ever.

Selalu ada saat pertama untuk banyak hal dan kali ini, kami puasa untuk edisi perdana di Wellington, Selandia Baru. Well, tentu saja hal ini menambah keistimewaan bulan penuh berkah yang selalu kita tunggu. Selandia Baru menjadi negara ke-lima untuk saya yang menjadi 'rumah' dan tempat menjalankan ibadah puasa. Selain Indonesia, alhamdulillah saya diberi kesempatan untuk menikmati Ramadhan di Melbourne, Australia; Brussels, Belgia; Geneva, Swiss; New York City, AS; dan Wellington, Selandia Baru. Along with me, Udi my hubby menggenapi pengalaman saya di 4 negara, sementara untuk anak - anak, ini kali ketiga mereka berganti tempat tinggal.  Tentu saja, tempat yang paling menyenangkan untuk menjalankan ibadah ini tak lain dan tak bukan adalah di tanah air tercinta.

Bukan bermaksud untuk sombong tapi kami benar - benar mencatat dan menikmati kesempatan yang diberikan Allah SWT kepada kami sekeluarga. Tentu saja banyak suka duka yang dialami saat menjalani ibadah di bulan suci Ramadhan jauh dari keluarga besar dan tanah air kesayangan. Ada banyak kerinduan yang terasa di dada. Nanti aku cerita lebih lanjut deh mengenai keseruannya ya, terutama dari the land of the Kiwis.

Now, let's see how Ramadhan is here in Wellington, New Zealand. Since we started it at the end of summer and the beginning of fall or autumn, the length of time for our fasting is pretty much similar to that of Indonesia. We start the fasting from 5.15 AM and end it t 6.15 PM. So more or less it's 13 hours. Really manageable. Especially since the weather here is also friendly now. Well, it's still cold but that's way better than if it is too hot. we are so privilege as we have got the experience of doing the fasting month in summer. Long hours, hot weather, regular work schedule and school were really huge challenges for us while fasting in Geneva and in New York. 

We follow the announcement from FIANZ or the Federation of Islamic Association of New Zealand. FIANZ has a special working group dealing with the sighting of new moon to confirm the start of Ramadhan. Based on FIANZ memo, Ramadhan starts on April 4th, 2022 in New Zealand. So, that's Monday for us.

So far, we don't really have preparation in particular besides making sure that we have our resolute commitment to be a much better, more righteous follower. 

Untuk puasa kali ini, kami tidak memiliki persiapan khusus kecuali meluruskan niat dan meneguhkan hati untuk bisa terus memperbaiki diri dan menjadi hamba-Nya yang lebih taat. Jujur saja, saya pribadi merasa ada begitu banyak kekurangan diri yang rasanya membuat saya malu untuk bersimpuh pada-Nya dan banyak meminta. Saya harus mengakui bahwa berbagai tanggung jawab di dunia kerap membuat saya alpa akan prioritas pada akhirat. Sementara anak - anak yang beranjak dewasa juga menyadarkan saya dan suami betapa cepat waktu berlalu dan masih banyak PR yang harus kami kerjakan sebagai orang tua sesuai ajaran-Nya dan teladan dari junjungan kita Nabi Muhammad SAW. Semoga semua niat baik, puasa, ibadah, doa, permohonan ampun dan sujud kita pada-Nya bisa menjadi peluruh dosa - dosa kita dan membuka pintu surga untuk kita kelak. 

Marhaban yaa Ramadhan.

Kami sekeluarga mengucapkan selamat menjalankan ibadah puasa dan mohon maaf lahir dan batin ya teman -teman. 

Have a solemn Ramadhan.

Marhaban yaa Ramadhan - Welcoming Ramadhan 1422H

Marhaban yaa Ramadhan 

Welcoming Ramadhan 1422H, the holy month for us all, moslem sisters and brothers. May Allah SWT, the Almighty God, give us all the strength, perseverance, and reinforced faith to follow His path.

Selamat menjalankan ibadah puasa di bulan suci Ramadhan 1422H kepada seluruh keluarga, teman, dan rekan - rekan yang menjalankannya. 

Tidak terasa Ramadhan kali ini menjadi bulan suci yang kedua di mana kita semua masih berjuang melawan penyebaran virus Corona atau Covid-19. Masih banyak penyesuaian yang harus kita lakukan meskipun banyak di antara kita yang telah mendapatkan vaksin. Karenanya kita semua harus tetap taat dengan 5 M dan menjaga kesehatan selama bulan puasa ini. 

Hanya pada-Mu ya Rabb...

Mungkin ini yang kerap menjadi halangan or tantangan yang lumayan berat  karena kita sangat terbiasa untuk berkumpul, menghabiskan waktu bersama keluarga dan orang - orang tercinta di saat istimewa ini. Mulai dari buka puasa bersama - sama, ngabuburit, tarawih di masjid yang selalu ramai di saat Ramadhan, dan mudik, pulang ke rumah. Pulang ke tempat orang tua, yang tanpa terasa selalu kita rindukan. Pulang untuk sekedar memeluk mereka yang selama ini membuat hati kita hangat. Pulang untuk meminta maaf atas segala khilaf, yang kerap tidak terucap namun khidmat terasa saat mencium tangan orang tua tercinta. 

May Allah SWT give us mercy..

Aaaah, Ramadhan memang selalu membuatku sendu. Inilah indahnya bulan suci ini, karena hati dan jiwa menjadi tenang dan sejuk. Diri menjadi lebih teduh dalam menjalani hari. Karena cinta-Nya terasa teresonansi di dalam jiwa. 

Kita kerap alpa untuk bersyukur dan hanya mampu mengucap kerinduan dan dahaga kita akan cinta-Nya. Tanpa benar - benar melakukan apa yang harus kita lakukan untuk meraih ridho-Nya. Semoga kali ini kita bisa benar - benar jujur pada diri sendiri dan benar - benar berusaha mendapat berkah-Nya yang tak berbatas di bulan penuh rahmat. 

Semoga Allah SWT selalu melimpahkan yang terbaik untuk kita semua. Aaamiiin Ya Rabbal Alamiin.

Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends

Marhaban yaa Ramadhaaan

Hi, everyone.

Wishing you all safe, happy and healthy days ahead. Alhamadulillah,  the holy month of Ramadhan is here. For all my Moslem sisters and brothers, my family wherever you are, wishing you all a wonderful and solemn Ramadhan. May Allah SWT, the Almighty, bestow us with His endless blessings and guidance over the challenging days ahead. 

As you know, Ramadhan is the ninth month in Islamic calendar and Moslems all over the world celebrate the arrival of this super special month. Ramadhan is also the month when Moslems fast from sunrise to sunset, implement self restraint and avoid from eating, drinking, conducting sexual intercourse, and doing bad/sinful things as well as avoiding negative thoughts. 

This is the month where those who faithfully follow the Holy Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad SAW (PBUH) receive multiple rewards for all the good deeds conducted and forgiveness of all the sins. This is also the month when the special gate in paradise, named Ar-Rayyan, dedicated to those who fast.  The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also once mentioned, as quoted,  “For those who fast, there is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyan, through which no one but they will enter. When the last of them has entered it, it will be closed. Whoever enters through it will drink, and whoever drinks will never thirst again”. This haddist is narrated by Sahi Bin Sad, Sunan an-Nasa’i. Not to mention Laitul Qadar, a very powerful and special night which comes mysteriously in one of the nights in the last ten nights, the last one third, of Ramadhan. This one night is better than a thousand nights, as said in the Holy Quran Surah Al-Qadr 97 : 3.  Those are some of the benefits we can have during Ramadhan and I will be more than happy to share more along the way.

the holy Quran

Nevertheless, during this pandemic, things haven't been back to normal and we all still need to do so many adjustments. That includes our fasting month and the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. This will be the second year where we are strongly requested to restrain ourselves from doing "mudik" or our tradition of going back home to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, the victory day. Well, although many of us have received the vaccines but that doesn't guarantee that we are immune from the virus. 

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Terima Kasih, Ramadhan

Terima kasih, Ramadhan.

Begitu cepatnya rasanya ia berlalu. 

Bulan terbaik dalam satu tahun.

Ramadhan yang selalu istimewa ini memang berbeda di tahun 2020.

Segala keriuhan, denyut tradisi dan kegembiraan Ramadhan yang biasanya menghiasi hari - hari di bulan puasa kita berubah drastis. Tidak ada sholat berjamah di masjid, tidak ada traweh bersama di masjid, tidak ada keliling - keliling mencari makanan berbuka, tidak ada sujud sungkem dan tetesan air mata saat memeluk orang tua. Tapi tidak mengapa. Sepanjang hati ini terbuka, selalu ada cara untuk berbagi maaf, cinta dan sukacita.

Dan Ramadhan kali ini tetap menjadi yang terbaik.

Bulan yang membawa segala asa, doa, dan harapan untuk menjadi hamba-Nya yang lebih baik dan baik lagi. 

Menjejakkan semangat bahwa selaksa kebaikan ada di dalam diri kita. 

Selalu ada. 

Bahwa perjuangan menaklukkan kebhatilan dan kedangkalan hati bermula dari diri sendiri. 

Bukan dari tempat atau orang lain.

Ramadhan juga mengajarkanku akan indahnya sabar.

Syahdunya menanti rahmah-Nya.

Dan betapa Allah SWT memiliki cara ajaib untuk membuka mata dan hati kita. Betapa Sang Maha Pembolak-balik hati ini sungguh penuh belas kasih bagi hamba-Nya yang bersungguh - sungguh.

Saya ditunjukkan indahnya keteguhan hati lewat seorang tukang sayur sederhana. Juga nikmatnya mencari ridho-Nya dari seorang penjaga keamanan yang selalu menjaga sholatnya. Serta ampuhnya kejujuran yang membuka rezeki dari seorang supir ojek online. Even my beautiful daughter Nadine becomes my constant reminder of how I should curb my fiery emotions. Ada anak cantik ini yang selalu tidak ragu - ragu memeluk saya dan bilang," sabar, mah.. sabar" saat suara ini sudah meninggi karena satu dan lain hal yang seringkali sepele.

Saya malu, kalau menjadi hamba-Nya yang diberi banyak kemudahan dan keringanan tidak bisa menjadi orang yang baik seperti mereka yang berjuang jauh lebih keras di luar sana. Saya sungkan mengeluh pada-Nya akan satu dua batu kecil yang saya hadapi dalam hidup ini. Saya hanya berharap Ia terus memberi kekuatan dan kesabaran kepada kami dalam menjalani skenario indah-Nya.

Semoga, meskipun dengan segala kekurangan dan beribu alasan yang ada, kita masuk dalam golongan hamba-Nya yang tidak merugi. Ketika bulan penuh rahmat ini kembali pergi, untuk insya Allah kembali lagi. Satu harapan kami ya Rabb, semoga kelak kami dipertemukan kembali. 

Terima kasih, Ramadhan

Ramadhan with the Kids

Have a blessed Ramadhan!

"Ma, why do we have to fast? Who created Ramadhan? 
Does everyone do it like us? 
I saw my friends eating pizza in front of me at school when we were in New York."

My daughter Obi bombarded me with all these questions after we finished doing sholat maghrib, the fourth sholat or daily prayer Moslems do, at home.
My husband and I smiled and before we answered those questions, my son, Bo, explained to his sister that we are fasting because it is one of the pillars of Islam, the obligations for Moslems to do it, just like sholat. 

And we are fasting so that we can share the feeling to those who are less fortunate than us, having the sympathy to those who have to struggle just to have enough food in a day. 

We discussed further that night and that's one of the beauty of Ramadhan.
We spend more time with our family and we share a lot, while learning from one another at the same time.
Alhamdulillah.

****

Ramadhan is here and I'm so happy to be able to observe this blessed Holy Month at home, in Indonesia, once again.
We spent five Ramadhan in New York City and I have to say that 2018 was the last before we were heading back home to Indonesia in summer 2018, a few month after Ramadhan. 

And 2020 is super special because of the Corona virus epidemic. Most of us are confined at home and implement social as well as physical distance. Schools are closed, some offices are closed as well, and many of us #stayathome to help curbing the spread of this virus. Spending most of the time at home can be quite a big challenge as well, especially since we are so accustomed to actively engaging with our communities and social groups. But this is actually perfect for Ramadhan. At least for me and my family.

And back to the fasting rituals. Although we have done it several times in New York City and other cities like Geneva and Melbourne, it doesn't mean it get easier.
Especially for my kids.

Bo, my 14-year-old son, has started fasting since in the kindergarten when he was 6 years old. Of course it was a gradual process as Bo initially started fasting for a few hours, a half day then full day.
The same goes to Nadine, my almost-10-year-old daughter.
She has been a picky eater so she's kinda love fasting although she's easily tempted by sweet smell of cookies and bread.

As you know, we have different period of time in terms of the duration of our fasting. As we use the sun as the guidance, from Subuh (before sunrise) to Maghreb (sunset), the length of fasting varies and pretty much depend on where you are staying.

To know more about how long we fast, there are a few infographic explanation that shows the length of time in various countries. Scandinavian and European countries are usually the longest.

source: https://www.statista.com/chart/17874/ramadan-daily-fasting-hours-selected-cities/

More infographic below was from 2018, when we had our last Ramadhan in NYC. 
It showed you that fasting in Oslo will be super long (19 hours and 26 minutes), while New York City has 16 hours and Melbourne is only 11 hours and 33 minutes. And as summer days get longer, so does our fasting.  As in NYC, fasting started at 3.45 AM and broke fasting at 8.28 PM. Almost 17 hours.

picture taken from: https://www.statista.com/chart/13924/ramadan-fasting-times/

Back in 2019, fasting in New York City is  slightly shorter but still longer than the fasting time in Indonesia. And many places in the world have to endure long hours from sunrise to sunset. 

photo: https://www.thelivemirror.com/ramadan-2019-shortest-longest-fasting-time-world/

For adults, long hours of fasting should be manageable.
At least we know what to expect and we have been so accustomed to it and trained along the years.
But for kids, it's another story. 
Hunger and thirst are not the only things we need to control, as we have to work on our emotion, patience and compassion as well. 
Well, you know how cranky one can be when one is hungry, thirty, tired and sleepy!

So, how do we prepare our kids for Ramadhan?
Here are a few things we do, as parents, in order to observe the long hours of Ramadhan, , with the kids, wherever you are.

Discuss with them, tell them what Ramadhan means

Ramadhan is a blessed month and fasting is one of the main pillars in Islam.
Meaning, when the kids reach akil baligh or puberty, they are obliged to fully observe the main pillars of Islam, which consist of Syahadat, sholat or 5-time daily praying, fasting during Ramadhan, paying zakat , and hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. 

By telling them what Ramadhan is and why it is important, we can make children understand that Ramadhan is more than just refraining yourself from eating and drinking. It goes way more than that as we share the feeling and the needs for those who are not so fortunate. It builds the compassion within them, as well as being grateful for having enough food on the table on daily basis. We can also explain about the health benefit of fasting, giving our body a break it desperately needs.

My kids learn to fast step by step.
Since they were 5 or 6 year old, they had been introduced to this exercise. We started it easily, with them only joining shaum or our early morning breakfast, then breaking the fast  in the morning. Gradually, they are strong enough to hold the hunger and thirst so that they can fully do it in a day.

Be a model

There is no way you are asking your kids to do fasting while you are freely eating and drinking in the daylights during Ramadhan. 
Show them that you are doing it as well.
Show them that you are with them, and so are millions of Moslems around the world.
Show them that fasting is a good thing and not the end of the world (kids can be a bit overreacting sometimes :)).

Find activities that they love

Fasting month can be long, strenuous and tiring. Even for adults. I usually try to make it 'easier' and more fun for the kids by asking them what they love to do during the day and it will help them focus on doing the things they love instead of feeling hungry and angry. I know most kids, just like mine, love to play video games or stuck with their gadgets. But obviously, we have more interesting activities such as reading favorite books, crafting. learning how to cook, gardening, calling or video calling friends and families and more. In addition to that, we learn more about Al-Quran and hadists as well as watching or listening to videos about Ramadhan.

Involve them in Iftar and Sahur

I always need help before and during ifthar as well as sahur, when we have our early morning breakfast. I usually ask for assistance from my kids & my hubby, so that we can provide everything together in a short period of time. I ask my kids what food and drinks they would love to have for ifthar and they will help me prepare them. The same goes with sahur, although it might be a bit tricky because we wake up at 3 AM in the morning and prepare the food, but at least by having what they love to eat and drink, they feel much better and it will help.

Make them proud

Fasting or shaum is one of the pillars in Islam. It's an obligation. Something that we have to fulfill and hold dear. No matter where you live or whatever you are doing. It is not always that easy as Ramadhan itself is a journey, but we believe that the sooner we understand the beauty of it, the more faithful we become. Appreciate their efforts, no matter how slow it is. Encourage them to try the fasting until they are comfortable with it. Remember that it is a process and it's only natural that the kids need some times to adjust with the concept and this obligation. I'm sure Allah SWT will help us all and they know what they have to do. 

So that's a little tips from #thefrakarsas for enjoying Ramadhan with the kids.
I sincerely hope this Ramadhan will bring more blessings to us all.


Don't forget to stay safe, happy, and healthy, wherever you are!

Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends

Marhaban ya Ramadhaaan

It's almost a week of Ramadhan and how we gratefully embrace it every day.

Fasting month is always be comfortable when we do it at home in Indonesia, although this year everything is different due to the social and physical distancing polices that have been strictly implemented in our city. Well, it help improve the situation although here and there we heard many complained about the confinement and they simply don't obey the prevailing regulations from the government. Even simple things like wearing mask and staying at home unless you go out for something extremely important are difficult to obey. 

There is a huge debate about our rituals during Ramadhan. Many of us are so used to gather at the mosque to pray together and do various rituals like reading Holy Quran and discuss more about fiqh and issues related to Islam in a group. But since the pandemic, the Government as well as many Islamic organizations and religious leaders have strongly urged people to stay at home and continue their Ramadhan rituals at home, which is as blessed as the ones done at the mosque. Moreover, mudik, or the tradition of going back home for Eid-al Fitr or the victory day at the end of Ramadhan, is also prohibited. It is of course done in order to cut the wide spread of Corona virus and to control the situation so that we can all go back to our normal life soon. I sincerely hope people will listen to that and obey the rules for the benefits of all.

Anyway, I do enjoy my time with my family and we do spend so much time together, doing things that we love together. For me who has been spending so much time at work and traveling around, staying at home, feeling fit and healthy, is really a huge privilege. And I am totally grateful.

Now, let me invite you all to our weekly party, Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World, Oh My Heartsie Girls and Friends. Have fun!

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