By Prof.Dr. Hamka Haq, MA (Chairman of Baitul Muslimin Indonesia)
Ramdhan has passed, the month in which the human mental is honed to be more sensitive to humanitarian matters. Let us think for a moment, what impact Ramadan will have on us Muslims in our moral and mental improvement, which in religious language is called Muttaqin.
The question is what are the benefits of Ramadan charity on our next daily life?
Fasting has trained us to behave honestly. No one fasts by deliberately tricking those around them, because fasting is witnessed by Allah SWT himself. So the impact of fasting is honesty.
So important is honesty in the truth, then one of Rassulullah’s characteristics is al-shiddiq, which is honest and firm in the truth.
An honest leader will serve the people comfortably, without corruption; honest people will surely obey the rules and not deprive each other of their rights; honest elite figures will not incite the people; News sources and netizens on social media will not easily spread fake news and slander that disturbs the public.Anyway, honesty is a source of benefit, a source of security that protects the community, so that people feel comfortable and safe in their lives.
So that prosperity, the main key is honesty.The experience of people in developed countries proves that.Socio-economic researchers cite Denmark and New Zealand as examples, the population earns the highest income, and is the most prosperous country in the world.They achieve prosperity not because all their citizens are highly educated, but because they believe that honesty is the main factor in realizing that well-being and prosperity.Danes, Finns and New Zealanders firmly believe that honesty is the beginning of all comfort and security in life, rather than cleverness.
On an occasion accompanying participants of the Nisham Forum, the International Seminar on Kong Hu Chu and world religions in China, with the 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia, one of the friends lost his luggage, but finally the luggage was recovered intact, even directly found at the hotel where we were staying.
As well as other friends’ experiences when visiting Japan, Korea, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.Items that had been lost at the airport, or in the mall, as long as reported to security officers, can generally be found again. Until there is an expression, the lost goods in the land can be found; Conversely, in Indonesia, items that are real there can be lost floating, even though we are here almost 90% adhere to Islam.
For this reason, we need to evaluate the extent of our Islamic values in everyday life, especially the value of honesty of our fasting.It would be nice if we could apply that honesty in our daily lives, with the principle of honesty it is beautiful, and it is established by Allah SWT.
In addition to honesty, Ramadan also provides discipline education, no one dares to violate the rules of fasting.However, our nation has not made discipline a daily culture.At the top, officials violate the oath of office, commit corruption in the midst of difficult people’s lives.Lower society still behaves a lot of undisciplined; Many accidents occur due to traffic impermanence, theft of electricity to cause fires, selling on the sidewalk disturbs road users, undisciplined protests damage public facilities.
A little illustration, during a working visit of the House of Representatives to America, the author was amazed to witness the Special Advisor of the Secretary of State of the United States, Judith E. Heumann, he was very obedient to the rules made by his own subordinates. Imagine, in a photo session together, he must first ask permission from the security staff. He is not necessarily pretentious to directly take a selfie without the permission of his staff.
In principle, all must apply according to the rules, because they are the same in front of laws and rules. Compare with the behavior of some of our higher-ups in Indonesia who still often do not care about the rules, with him saying to make policies even though the policies are in fact contrary to the law and rules.
The other side of this discipline is to maintain cleanliness and environmental health. The habit of littering on the street or at times without thinking about the consequences, indicates low disciplined behavior. Look at the sewers and rivers in the city, full of garbage that stings the nose. Not only in Indonesia, bad habits are also found in a number of Islamic countries.
Whereas the scholars teach Islamic law, starting from Bab Thaharah, which is a chapter on cleanliness. The quality of our Islam is still a formality, understanding cleanliness to the extent of wudu and bathing before prayer. Not yet grounded in everyday life.
The above situation is in stark contrast to the clean trenches and sewers in the city of Bangkok for example, as well as toilets in a number of intercity rest areas in America and China.It seems that we are not dealing with feces, but really unwinding which is fun, as the name implies rest rooms and rest areas. This is because they practice Islamic hygiene values even if they are not Muslims.
Another experience, when accompanying an interfaith team visited several European countries ten years ago, taking a bus from the Netherlands to the Vatican, passing through Belgium, Switzerland, France and Italy.The bus driver named Mooritz was very disciplined in maintaining the cleanliness of his bus. He begged us not to eat in the car. But the basic people we like to violate, there are those who eat shelter provisions, behind the car seat and leave the garbage on the floor of the bus. Astaghfirullah al-Azhim.
Furthermore, we all already understand that Ramadan has trained our generosity all via zakat fitrah and zakat mall. A number of health experts concluded that the more diligent people give almsgiving, the better the silaturahim, the higher the quality of health.A study found that people who are accustomed to charity, will have healthier blood pressure, and will not be easily stressed and have the opportunity to be awarded a long life than people who are miserly and stingy at all.
Instead, the latest discovery from the Queensland University of Technology, and the results of a study released by the American Journal of Public Health ten years ago (2013), that stingy behavior can increase stress. The scientific discovery, is proof of the truth of the hadith of the Prophet SAW, the history of Bukhari, which advocates the importance of silaturahim and the beauty of sharing with fellow humans.
Behavior that is very inconsistent with Ramadan is that some people tend to be grumpy, not a weakness. Scattering humps, slander, blasphemy, and all kinds of hate speech on social media.Ramadan has educated us all to behave in a friendly manners. Some of us fail to understand the Prophet’s hadith: al-shaumu junnah, fasting is a protector of evil.Ramadan is actually a madrassa for friendship and peace, including against the people of other religions. “Peace is beautiful.” Peace with Allah through dzikr, peace with man through morals karimah.
History records that the religion of Islam entered and developed in Indonesia not accompanied by violence let alone war.Islamic advocates who come, appreciate Hindus and Buddhists and still appreciate Borobudur Temple, Prambanan and a number of other temples in Java and Sumatra. Also Muslims did not break the sense of brotherhood of ukhuwah towards those who converted to Catholicism and Christianity when the Portuguese and Dutch reached the archipelago.
So the realization of the diverse people of the archipelago tribe and religion in peace, Gema ripah loh Jinawe, Toto Tentrem Karto Raharjo.
All of that we must keep up by avoiding blasphemy, insults and disprovations against the lan group. And this includes avoiding the destruction of local culture which is still a tradition of faith for certain tribes. May we all succeed in reforming the mentality to be more muttaqin. Being a Muslim comes with an Islamic life. Amen YRA. Wallauhu A’lam bil-showab.