Custom and Practices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hari Raya Puasa (Hari Raya) is celebrated at the end of the Ramadan month every year to mark the end of the fasting season. It is celebrated in a grand scale in Malaysia whose population and administration are predominantly Muslim. As the celebration marks an end to the Ramadan month, the first day of the celebration would fall on the first day of the Sawal month.

Since the Muslim Calendar follows the cycle of the moon, the dates for Hari Raya Puasa changes each year on the Gregorian calendar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Malaysia, the first two days of Syawal (the month after Ramadan) are observed as public holidays. Celebrations can also last for as long as a month.

 

 

Fasting month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prior to the celebration, Muslims fast for a whole month in the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and considered the holiest of months in the calendar. During this month, Muslims refrain from :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. eating      2. drinking     3. smoking     4. having sexual intercourse during the day

The act of fasting and abstaining is intended to remind and teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to Allah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The major objectives of fasting is to make Muslim become:

1. A better Muslim

2. Emphathizing with less fortunate ones

3. Doing away with bad habits

4. Health benefits

5. Appreciate the blessings

6. Improve social relations

 

Only 2 type of Muslim  are excused from fasting during this holy period:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fasting usually starts at dawn and ends at sunset and families and fellow Muslims usually break their fast together.During the last 10 days of the Ramadan fast, many Muslims keep vigil for Lailatul Qadr, the night when the holy Quran was descended from the heavens along with angels showering their blessings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On that night, Muslim homes are brightly decorated with oil lamps to mark the special occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every Muslim is also deemed compulsory to pay the Zakat al-Fitr before the end of the fasting month if could do so. The Zakat al-Fitr is charity given to the poor. The main purpose is to ensure that even the poor have the means to break fast and celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri like the rest.

 

Prayer and reading of the Qur’an

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are expected to put in more effort into praying and read the entire Qur’an. Some Muslims recite the entire Qur’an through special prayers which are held every night in mosques. These recitals are called “Tarawih” .  It is expected that the entire holy Qur’an is recited by the end of the month of Ramadan.

 

Preparing for the festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The joy of Hari Raya Puasa actually begins a week or so before the big day, excitement mounts as the house is readied for the celebration with new furnishing , decorations or renovation so that the house would look better. Most family would shop for new clothes, curtains and other accessories. Many malls and government buildings will be adorned with colourful decorations and the colour green would normally dominate as it is the colour commonly associated with Islamic items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dates, glutinous rice, lemang, ketupat and cookies can be found in the market. After fulfilling their one-month of fasting, the Muslims would be joyful to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa.

 

Celebration

As Ramadan comes to an end, the day of celebration is determined by the sight of the new moon. On the day of celebration, Muslims waking up before dawn and praying, and in keeping with the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad on the day of Hari Raya. They usually breakfast at home after prayers, followed by visits to the ancestral graves to pay respects to family members that have passed away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muslims gather in mosques to perform special prayers. They usually breakfast at home after prayers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visits to the ancestral graves to pay respects to family members that have passed away.

 

 

A time to forgive and forget

On the morning of the festival, the Muslims would wear their new clothes, usually brightly coloured traditional “baju kurung” for the ladies and baju Melayu for the men and visit each other’s houses and go to the mosque to pray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man adorned in Baju Melayu and Lady adorned in Baju Kurung

 

They offer their thanks to God and after that they would ask for forgiveness from their elders. This is an important custom followed by the Muslims. The Muslims also have the habit of giving packets of money which the packets are usually in green colour to kids when they go visiting.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asking for forgiveness and bleesing.The practice of giving the money in green packets.

 

There will be many parties held in the form of “open houses” where friends and neighbours of other faiths and races will be invited to join in on the celebrations throughout the entire month,.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hari Raya fare served at almost every household.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weaved ketupat, which is also symbolically used as a decoration on banners and made into paper decorations on buildings.

Delicious Malay food, usually spicy in origin will almost always be served at every dining table in every Muslim household. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Kuala Lumpur, many well known figures and politicians as well as the Agong and Permaisuri would open the doors of their official residences to the public, serving up a feast of the best food for the visitors.

 

 

After Ramadan

 

1. Make Up for Missed Fast Days. A Muslim should hasten to make up for the missed fast days of Ramadan if he or she has missed fast day(s) of Ramadan for a valid reason such as illness, travel, or menses in the case of women.

 

2. Fast Six Days in Shawwal. Fasting for six days in Shawwal entails great reward and blessings from Allah Almighty.  So long as one has fasted six days, either consecutively or separately, he or she will fulfill the requirement and will receive the same rewards, in shaa’ Allah.

 

3. Keep the Spirit of Ramadan. A Muslim should spare no efforts to keep the spirit of Ramadan throughout the other months of the year.