U

nder the scorching heat, my husband navigated his motorcycle amid an ocean of vehicles. In preparing for Ramadhan, we had to buy groceries. Apparently, our patience was being tested in the nightmarish traffic jam on our way to a nearby supermarket. It looked like people were flooding malls and supermarkets ahead of the holy month, spending more to celebrate in extravagance.

As we scurried into the building, we came across a throng of shoppers laden with one, two or even more shopping bags full of all sorts of goodies. I looked to my right and saw a giant sign offering a broad range of discounts on a wide range of goods to welcome the fasting month. The blaring message was clear: '€œshop till you drop'€, emphasizing the culture of consumerism.

Not wanting to waste more time, I pushed my way slowly past shoppers who were busy selecting groceries to the meat counter, only to find it was packed with frenzied people. The discounted prices had attracted people to buy the meat. Getting bumped, thumped and elbowed was commonplace during this craze.

In the end, I came home empty-handed. I lacked the patience to wait in the dreadfully long queue to pay. If I had stayed, it would have taken about one-and-a-half hours just to pay for my groceries. It would have been waste of time, since I could use anything available in my refrigerator for the first sahur (predawn meal) before fasting.

Learning from past experience, I brace myself to encounter such phenomenon in the streets, shopping malls, department stores and restaurants. Families, friends, and colleagues flock to these places to spend their money on lavish iftar buffet dinners, featuring restaurant specialties and culinary delights created especially for the holy month, new dresses offered by shopping malls at discounted prices and many other consumer goods to indulge in during Ramadhan. It has become common belief that purchasing new things to celebrate Idul Fitri, such as clothes, bags, shoes and scarves, is considered obligatory by all means necessary. Donning these new items during a visit to family, relatives and neighbors or friends reflects their status, thus they unconsciously show off their success in life.

This consumerism euphoria is further exploited and boosted by consumerism industries through advertisements to lead people to shop for discounted items that are often not needed. Thus, Eid has become increasingly commercialized. The advertising world promises a freedom, which ultimately leads to the slavery of basic instincts. Over-consumption, price gouging and blatant consumerism during Ramadhan are the challenges Muslims have to deal with. I also have to prepare to see public officials and wealthy individuals throw extravagant iftar parties with excessive fancy food solely because it is a tradition to invite colleagues and friends to share iftar. This ritual has turned the breaking of the fast into a status symbol in urban societies.

Even worse, our TV stations have long been competing in airing '€œreligious sinetron'€ (soap operas) filled with scenes of backbiting, gossip, slander and any other verbal abuse. Recent news coverage is following suit by spreading falsehoods, as well as gossip, mockery and slander toward others ahead of the presidential race.

Ramadhan is the antidote of materialism, consumerism and hedonism that have unfortunately engulfed our urban societies. It is a narrow path to remind us that fasting is not just about abstaining from food, drink and sex, but also from backbiting, gossiping, extravagance, vulgarity, immodesty and arrogance.

Having said that, let'€™s resolve to spend the remaining days of Ramadhan in as much devotion, the soul'€™s yearning for divine nourishment. Let'€™s take our Ramadhan back from its hijackers!

Yuni Herlina
Depok, West Java