As usual, millions of Indonesians — rich and poor, men and women, young and old — will cram into busses, ferries, trains and motorcycles, and pour out of the major cities to return to their hometowns, in a movement popularly known asmudik, to celebrate Lebaran with families, friends and relatives.

The word mudik is derived from the word udik meaning rural areas. Many Indonesians living in major cities, either for work or study, come from rural areas. At least once a year, they return to their hometowns.

According to the Transportation Ministry, the number of pemudik (homeward-bound travelers) will increase by 11 percent compared to last year. The number is expected to reach 28 to 30 million people.

For many Indonesian Muslims, it seems incomplete to celebrate Lebaran withoutmudik, when they struggle along very congested roads between their places of residence and the hometowns from which they come. And, especially on the day of Lebaran, aside from reciting takbir (praise to Allah) and saying prayers at the mosque, in public squares or in open fields, Indonesian Muslims usually gather to greet their families and neighbors to ask forgiveness from each other.

One popular greetings is “Selamat Idul Fitri. Mohon Maaf lahir dan batin,” which means “Happy Idul Fitri. Forgive me for my physical and emotional wrongdoings.”

“To err is human, to forgive divine,” thus goes the famous quote from the writer Alexander Pope.

As humans, we make mistakes. We commit sins. Nobody is perfect. But, God will always forgive us, and people are acting in a divine way when they forgive.

In our relations with other people, intentionally or unintentionally, we sometimes or even often do them wrong. Thus, we need to ask for forgiveness. But we also need to forgive others for any wrongdoing.

One important Islamic teaching involves forgiving one’s mistakes and even forgiving one’s enemies. We cannot expect God’s forgiveness for our own mistakes and sins unless we forgive those who wrong us.

The Prophet Muhammad is well known for his very forgiving character. He was always ready to forgive his enemies.

For example, there was an old lady who used to throw rubbish in his way day after day. But, on one occasion she did not throw rubbish in his way. So, the Prophet decided to go and find out what seemed to be the matter. She was ill in bed. And to her amazement, the Prophet Muhammad came to visit her and to forgive her.

The Prophet once said: “Whoever apologizes to his brother and that apology is not accepted, then the person who refuses to accept the apology bears the sin of one who takes the property of another unjustly.”

In terms of mental and physical health, those who forgive live healthier and happier and enjoy better psychological wellbeing.

One study has revealed that forgiveness is associated with lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and improved sleep quality, which really has a positive impact on health.

And some Duke University researchers report a strong correlation between forgiveness and strengthened immunity among HIV-positive patients. According to the researchers, people who forgive tend to have better relationships, feel happier and more optimistic, and overall, enjoy better psychological wellbeing.

No doubt we all want to live happy and peaceful lives, forever and ever. Why not start by learning to forgive each other? Happy Idul Fitri. Mohon maaf lahir dan batin.

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The author is a freelance writer based in Cimahi, West Java.

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