Whether it falls on Sunday or Monday, Idul Fitri is a time for Muslims to celebrate what is also popularly known as the Day of Victory. Behind the big feasts and family gatherings as well as commercial excesses that have come to color the annual Muslim holiday today, we should not lose sight of the spiritual meaning of Idul Fitri.
More precisely, it is a day of moral victory that comes at the end of the month of Ramadan each year. The fasting between dawn and dusk this past month has put Muslims through a test not only in refraining from eating and drinking, but also in suppressing earthly desires and emotions and putting spiritual needs at the fore.
This is an important practice in selfless acts at a time when many in our midst are pressing for their individual rights. To complete this process of self-purification, Muslims pay zakat fitrah, or alms, to the poor before Ramadan ends, as a reminder that there are people who are far less fortunate who need help.
For Indonesia, a nation with a predominantly Muslim population, we have a particularly good reason to celebrate this Day of Victory in a big fashion this year. As a nation, we have gone through the peaceful democratic process of electing our national leaders. In spite of some small crises here and there, the economy has survived the global economic recession much better than most other countries in the world.
We have had our share of problems and challenges too, including devastating natural and manmade disasters, but by and large, Indonesia has done quite well this year. This week's edition of The Economist gives a rare accolade to what Indonesia has achieved on the democratic front and in the economy. But what the prestigious publication fails to mention is the reason for this success: the people and leaders of this country have shown patience, perseverance and tolerance - the same virtues that are being promoted during Ramadan. Without these, Indonesia would not be where it is today.
It's good to know that these virtues are largely observed all year round and not just during the fasting month. It is even more encouraging to see these virtues within individuals being put together for the collective good of the nation. There are bad apples here and there for sure, but if enough individuals in society practice these virtues, the nation should be able to survive any challenge together. And that's how it should always be.
For many Muslims in Indonesia, Idul Fitri is celebrated by a return to one's hometown. They take the word Fitri, which also means the origin or the beginning, almost literally by touching base with their roots, and in the process replenish traditional family values and wisdoms that tend to get lost or obscured in the hustle and bustle of daily life when they return to the cities.
No less important is the exchange of visits and greetings that follows after the Idul Fitri prayer, first with our immediate family and close circle of friends, expanding wider to colleagues at work, neighbors and just about all our acquaintances in the next week or two. This will be the time to ask for forgiveness for all the bad deeds we have committed or even thought of committing, and equally to forgive those around us.
Being the pluralist society that Indonesia is, Idul Fitri should be celebrated by the non-Muslim religious minorities in this country. The values, virtues and wisdom contained in this Day of Victory are wonderfully universal. The fate and fortune of this nation depends on them too. This is their day of victory just as much. So everyone should join in the celebration.
To all our readers, we wish you Eid Mubarak.
