Hari Raya is Coming....
I received an invitation from my bank asking me whether I want to skip October's loan repayment. I wasn't sure what the promotion was, maybe Hari Raya. Though they get to charge a bit more interest for extending the loan for an extra month and probably some other administrative charges as well. They did indicate some form of charges will be required but they did not say what the rates are going to be.I mentioned that to someone yesterday and apparently our local banks are also doing it. One that I heard was that you can skip this month's repayment and they will recoup it from your bonus pay. I think this probably works only for government officers. All these are presumably again because of the expectation of high expenses of the coming Hari Raya celebrations. Even JPKE is also using this opportunity to launch Brunei's Grand Sales throughout the whole month.
That seemed to be an interesting phenomenon. Why suddenly spend during Hari Raya? We got caught up in it as well. We decided to change our curtains which are now ten years old. My wife and I have talked about it for quite a while but it seems that we have decided to choose now as a good time to do it. Why now? I guess Raya is coming, that seems to be the underlying thinking. Most of us tend to use Hari Raya as the time to do the things that probably ought to be done. Other than that, there is the usual Baju Raya, Kueh Raya etc that needed to be bought in expectation of the many people that will turn up at our houses during Hari Raya. The number of new cars will also increase. Some of the guests that come over inevitably will be driving in their new cars.
New cars, new things during Hari Raya. I guess it's okay if you can afford it. But even then, this is already bordering on the line of wastage. Yesterday's Brunei Times led with an interesting article about not splurging during Hari Raya as it is sinful. Some have argued that they only spend once a year and it is usually during Hari Raya. Besides we should celebrate the month after fasting for a whole month. Again some would say that beats the original purpose of fasting which is to feel deprived and to make one feel humble. What's your take on this?
Comments
my point maybe not agreeable to some but seriously kalau on the way or balik dari masjid siuk jua meliat di keliling bandar lawa and terang-benderang, apatah lagi sepuluh malam terakhir tengah malam on the way kemasjid kan sembahyang tasbih
By the way,How about the muslim arabs or chinese?how do they celebrate syawal?is it like us here where we highlight it with open houses, extravagant baju melayu/kurong, cars, curtain, furniture, food?
All that said, I can't wait for Raya;)
How can we justify spending so much money on food, clothes, cars and curtains and charge it all on credit or cash that should be going to charities and needy people?
Ramadhan is a time to abstain oneself not just from consuming food but also from our overindulgence. And moderation is the key. Eid is a time for celebration after Ramadhan but to spend excessively is not exactly the way to go.
We should be self-critical of ourselves and think whether what we are buying is what we need or maybe it's just what we want.
I was about to indulge myself on a new digital camera because the latch on my old digital camera is broken. But i've saved myself approximately $500 by using tape to patch it up.
How unfair could that be?
I have always thought that Hari Raya was a celebration to reward those wh chose to do without during Ramadan as a reminder that not everyone is fortunate. Isn't it ironic that Bruneians celebrate this fact with an entire month of needless festivities? Isn't an importane lesson of Islam moderation?
Hari Raya is coming soon. Would it be nice if you could post your address here so that we can send hariraya cards and if ok to visit you and family during hari raya?
admin@bruneiresources.com
MPC PO Box 1, Old Airport, BSB, Brunei.
You are welcome to drop in for HR if you know where the house is.
Selamat Hari Raya.
"love for your brother what you love for yourself"
please dont be deceived by what all these dunia stuff has to offer. we have been blinded by both syaitan and western culture. "Open your eyes and see" ....stop being ignorant and be a true muslim. remember that god is always watching us and we shall be asked for whatever we do in this life and be judged accordingly.