Why are we Muslim: Faith and Ramadhan (an introspection) by Nadya Syahmalina

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If we ask ourselves, or one another that question, how many of us can answer it without hesitation, without pause, and with conviction and certainty? Out of the three people I asked in my short field research (very short and very brief lol ), only one could provide the ready answer, without having to think for even three seconds why s/he chose Islam as the faith to follow.

The eloquent response showed the depth of their knowledge and the sincere understanding they have found as to why Islam is the best path for them, why being a Muslim provided the enlightenment s/he needed to go on the journey of life with a brave face, no matter the obstacle presented before them. Does Islam provide the same enlightenment for us? Does being a Muslim enable us to stand up strong and proud or do you feel even more burdened? Do we follow the faith we are in because of unadulterated, sincere conviction or because of familial loyalty, of socialization, of an inherited tradition we dare not to question/challenge for fear of reprisal from respected authorities? Why are we Muslim? Embedded in the Qur'an is the belief that true faith comes from within. Faith is not just an ac- Youth Corner Why are we Muslim: Faith and Ramadhan (an introspection) By Nadia Syahmalina, Risalah Taqwa & Youth Department Adviser Risalah Taqwa In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Vol. 14, Issue 5 The Monthly Newsletter of IMAAM September 9, 2008/ 9 Ramadhan, 1429H Why we are muslim : Faith & Ramadhan 1 Fiqih Ringkas Tentang Puasa 1 IMAAM ZISWAF Program 2 Obituary 4 Ramadhan Pray Schedule 4 Inside this issue: cessory we put on whenever we deem necessary. Faith is not a blanket we use to cover ourselves from transgressions we oft repeat. Faith should not just be our facades but that innermost layer of ourselves whereupon we build our foundations on. Faith, most especially the Islamic faith, calls for us to be patient, to be calm, to be persevering. Faith wants to help us brighten that inner light we have been blessed to have from the moment of our birth. Faith brightens, not dims. Faith forgives, not harbors contempt or resentment. Faith understands, not belittles or spread harmful gossip. Faith lifts us up, not brings us down. There are a great many sins of this world, but the one that can slowly erode our inner light is the sin of harboring negativity. We do not realize it, we cannot feel its effect directly, but the ripples cast forth from our being and spread out affecting any and everything it touches with our inherent ill-will. As in the words of the Beatles, " Let It Be". The coworker who just wronged you, let them be. The friend who just belittled you, let them be. The boss who does not recognize you, let them be. The sibling who is annoyingmore and more a child, I realize that I have more than myself to think about, more than myself to care about. And I wonder: what shall I pass on to him? As we are the future leaders of our communities, be it our immediate families or the society at large, we owe it to our future generations to introspect and endeavor to understand the very faith we use to build our life's foundations on. Islam is not a weekly or yearly religion, it is one that encompasses all aspects of our lives, not to burden it, but to lift its soul. We should ask ourselves if who we are today, the path we walk this very day, is the person and path we hope our children and grandchildren would emulate and follow? Will we pass faith that brightens their souls or faith that will slowly fade their light away? As Ramadhan is before us again, that holiest of month, why not explore the question and challenge ourselves to understand our faith just a little more better, so when we are asked, we would not hesitate. If we can pray the sholat tarawih, fast, then surely we can dive into the religion we claim to embrace and strive to learn more about it. I call and challenge all of us to this task. By the end of Ramadhan, let's hope that we can provide the answers to the question, "Why are we Muslim?" and answer without hesitation, and with firm conviction as to why being a Muslim is the path for us. May we all have a blessed Ramadhan!