Hari Raya Aidilfitri or globally known as Eid Mubarak is a festival celebrated by the Muslims after fasting one month during Ramadhan. Fasting is one of Islamic five pillars that is mandatory to be done by healthy adult Muslims every year during the entire month of Ramadhan from dawn to sunset and allows Muslims to devote themselves to their faiths and come closer to Allah. During Ramadhan, Muslims are abstained from eating and drinking which will let us feel the hunger pain of the poor and needy who have been in the situation due to several factors such as wars, poor education, inequality or social justice, poor basic infrastructure, lack of government support etc.
Eid Mubarak is an Arabic term which means blessed feast/festival. During Hari Raya, Muslims who work in the cities, typically return to their home towns to celebrate with their parents, siblings, families and relatives. Safe driving should be practiced by everyone to prevent loss of life during Hari Raya. According to Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), 418 237 accidents were reported in 2020. Some tips to protect you and your family:
- Inspect vehicle before use
- Buckle up your seat belts
- Be courteous on the road
- No distractions
- No tailgating
- Control speed limit
- Identify blind spots
- Not drowsy
- Use signals to turn left or right
The Hari Raya begins with early morning prayer at the mosque, followed by seeking forgiveness from families and friends if they have done anything wrong before. Forgiveness might be challenging for some because it means choosing to let go of your anger, hurt and desire for vengeance (Raypole, 2020). What we have never noticed before is forgiveness led to healthiness by reduce stress. A research by Toussaint, Shields and Slavich (2016) discovered that greater forgiveness is associated with less stress and consequently better mental health. Fluker (2022) suggested 12 steps to forgive someone who continuously hurts your feelings:
- Remain calm and clear-headed
- Keep the conversation as peaceful as possible
- Admit your role in the issue (if exists)
- Analyze all issues before making any judgment
- Be kind and remain civil
- No bitterness
- Not offensive
- Focus on the present and forget the past
- Reaffirm your love
- Learn to let it go
- Seek help if necessary
- Forgive the person
Forgiveness will also enable people to live harmoniously with other people in peace. Live in peace is very important because it will make us happy before life ends.
References:
- Toussaint, L. L., Shields, G. S., and Slavich, G. M. (2016). Forgiveness, Stress, and Health: a 5-Week Dynamic Parallel Process Study, Annals of Behavioural Medicine, 50 (5), 727–735. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9796-6
- Flucker, C. (2022, March 07). How to Forgive Someone Who Continually Hurts You. Retrieved from com/
- Raypole C (2020, April 27). How to Forgive Someone (Even If They Really Screwed Up). Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-forgive
About the author:
Dr Zarina is currently a chartered accountant, registered with Malaysian Institute of Accountant. She is interested to do research on financial reporting quality, corporate governance, auditing, corporate issues, disclosures and performance.