This is written on the first day of EID, a Muslim festival which marks the end of Ramadan ( the ninth month of the Muslim year, during which strict fasting is observed from dawn to sunset- http://www.muslim.org/islam/ramadan.htm) According to a credible website, it makes the culmination of pilgrimage to Mecca while commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham (aha!).
In the Philippines, it has always been that the end of Ramadan is a celebration for both Muslims and Christians. For Muslims- because it's the seizure of their fasting for a month: and for Christians because they get a day off from work. Ramadan and Eid are familiar words to me. Yet, I never really fully realized the significance of these until I get to step foot in Bahrain, one of the highly acclaimed countries in uplifting the Muslim religion. My visit in Bahrain seemed at first as a piece of cake. I didn't realize how the start of Ramadan could make the coming days so grey. At the commencement of Ramadan, I was warned by my sister not to eat or drink anything when am outside. It was horrible for somebody who always loves to go places to be on food trip.
Bahrain is so humid that even when am in the car, my throat screams for water every minute. So the first week appeared to me as if everybody was at a procession for Maundy Thursday and Holy Friday. Like everybody needs to be quiet in a meditation. The surrounding was very barren. Food shops are closed, and even boutiques ( though open) are empty. I was completely having boring days. The only extraordinary sound I hear are the singing sirens in prayer times, five times in a day. Something that sounded to me like a signal to sleep and be silent.
Until about I had one Muslim friend who offered me a tour to the city of Manama at a scorching daytime. While we were mobile, I was aghast with the view I have from the car. A police officer parked in the middle of the road and started kneeling with head bowed and hands on perpetual summon. His eyes closed and uttered prayers on his mind was obvious through his compressed forehead. I asked my friend, "oh my, what is he doing?" My friend replied, " He's praying to Allah". I exclaimed, " At the middle of the street with this extreme heat?!" He said, " Yes, that's his only available time to pray. He has to do it five times a day." With raised browse I asked, " Do you do that also?". He laughed and added, " Sometimes... Wen I feel like doing it". I promptly whispered a question , "ah...so all Muslims are required to do it?" He hesitantly answered, "Yyyes?...but it depends on the intensity of faith you have."
After the conversation, I stared at the vast sky from the glass window and secretly told myself, " Yeah, it's never about religion or tradition- it's all about faith. I may not be fasting like them, but my faith in the Lord is as vast as Universe. HE answers my prayers without any number of prayers required. The spirit of any tradition offered to HIM depends on what sort of faith an individual contained himself of.
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I have always been a believer, not only of his divinity, but also of his faithfulness.
