You-Want's Life

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide. Growing up in Malaysia, I have always witnessed my fellow Muslim friends fasting and conducting more frequent prayers to feel closer to God during this period. The fast itself lasts from sunrise to sunset, spanning over 13 hours in Malaysia. Muslims would refrain themselves from food and drinks as to remind themselves of the suffering faced by those who are less fortunate, and detach themselves from unnecessary hedonistic pleasures to focus on their inner self. Thus, it is a period of both physical and spiritual purification. In fact, Ramadan is not only something Muslims look forward to every year as a holy period that brings the faithful closer to God, the non-Muslims look forward to it for many reasons too. First of all, the Ramadan bazaars offer a myriad of unique Malay street food that can’t normally be found. Back in my Muslim-majority secondary school, our schooling hours were also shortened and t...