Muslim children learn fasting during Ramadan
The holy month of Ramadan is not just a month for adult Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset, it is also an appropriate time for their children to learn the practice of perseverance physically, verbally and spiritually at their tender ages to show their faith towards Allah.
Ramadan is locally known by Muslims in the three southernmost provinces as "Porsor" which does not only mean refraining from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset but also means that the Islamic adherents must refrain from committing sinful deeds with their eyes, ears, nostrils and thoughts.
Yacob Raimanee, an imam at the central masjid in Pattani, told Isranews Agency that Muslim children as young as seven could be trained to practice fasting instead of waiting until they turn 15 when the male youngsters will become sexually active and the girls will first experience menstruation.
"It is better to start at the tender ages. Take the case of hijab (headgear), if girls are made to wear the hijab when they are young, by the time they turn 15 they won’t feel embarrassed to wear it to cover up their faces. Likewise, it is the same with fasting," said the imam.
He noted that fasting for the youngsters needs not to be as strict as that applied to the adults. "For instance, they don’t have to fast the whole day. Everything depends on the training and pretty soon they will be able to adapt," he said.
Yacob went on saying that parents would be very helpful to the children in their practice of fasting by means of practicing altogether for the whole family. This will bring about happiness in families and help prevent the youngsters from getting involved in illicit drug problem.
Nine-year old Basla Siripattana said she started fasting when she was seven. "I could fast the whole day and I felt a bit dizzy. However, I could fast only a few days throughout the fasting month," she said, adding that, for the following Ramadan, she could fast throughout the month.
After sunset, the young girl joined the family in having dinner together after which they would first pray at home and then to the nearest masjid to pray. Upon return, she ate some sweets before going to sleep. She woke at at 3.39 a.m. and then began the morning prayers before sunrise before going to school. After returning home from school, the four siblings helped out in doing house chores.
This has been Basla’s daily routine during the fasting month.
10-year old Amin Lawang said he could fast for the entire month in his first trial. He said that he didn’t feel dizzy or feel hungry at all throughout the whole day. He admitted that fasting made him feel stronger and more patient.
Irafan Arbu, 10, said that this was the second year that he practiced fasting and, so far, he could manage to do it every day since the start of the Ramadan. But his younger brother, 6-year old Sufyan could fast only half of the day.
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Caption :
1 (From left) Sufyan, Isma-ae and Irafan
2 Basla