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| Wildan Zarief, a UMM alumni, shares his fasting experience in Australia. (Photo: Istimewa) |
Ramadan is the most awaited month by Muslims worldwide, mainly in populous Muslim countries like Indonesia. The traditions of waking up for suhoor, looking for breakfasting menus, and hearing maghrib adhan are always awaited. However, the circumstances cannot be perceived by Wildan Zarief, a UMM alumni currently pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
The man known as Wildan says that the Ramadan atmosphere and regular days in Adelaide are not much different. The reason is that the capital city of South Australia is known as the land of 1000 churches, implying that the majority population is Christian.
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“Since my friends who share same accommodation with me are non-Muslims, so when I have pre-dawn meal and break the fasting, I am always alone,” Wildan tells his story.
Furtherly telling his experience, the eldest son of two brothers also informs his experience performing the Taraweeh prayer. He tends to do it by himself not only because a mosque is far from his dormitory but also because public transportation does not operate late at night.
“Alhamdulillah, this year’s Ramadan has entered the fall. In Adelaide itself, fasting starts at 06:00 am and until 07:00 pm. Therefore, the fasting duration is not much different from Indonesia’s, around 12-13 hours. The story is different if the fasting month is in summer, where Muslims here must hold hunger and thirst for 16 hours, and the breakfasting time itself is at 10:00 pm,” Wildan explains.
The man from Malang says that although this year’s fasting month happens in the fall, it can be exhausting due to his hectic schedule. Moreover, this is his first year of starting his master’s degree journey. “The loneliness of Ramadan here is slightly relieved by the existence of the Muslim community at the campus. It provides many exciting activities like giving sweet menu of break fasting (Trans: takjil) and discussion of Islamic studies before praying,” he adds.
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On the other hand, Wildan also experiences a unique moment. Since most of his friends do not know the fasting tradition of Muslims, they sometimes offer him food or snacks. It is not even rare that students there do a party and a BBQ event at noon so that it can arouse his appetite. “If they offer me a meal, I usually refuse it and tell them that I am fasting. Most of them are surprised and ask me back about fasting and Islam, so I can also use the ideas as means of da’wah gradually,” says the UMM alumni.
This year’s Ramadan brings his own sadness when he cannot enjoy the pleasures of fasting with his family. Still, he thinks that the essential meaning of Ramadan is how people can maintain their relationships with Allah and fellow humans, whether Muslims or non-Muslims. Additionally, Ramadan can facilitate Muslims improve their self-quality to be better. (imh/zak/wil)
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