MY RAMADHAN EXPERIENCE

The month of Ramadan 2018 yesterday, is almost the same as the previous month of Ramadan.
perhaps the most obvious difference is, last Ramadhan I was a middle school student. Last year's
Ramadan starts from May 17 to June 15.

Ramadan is a month full of blessings. Because by fasting Ramadan, our sins will be forgiven and our
mistakes will disappear. Then in the month of Ramadan there is also the Laylat al-Qadr night, which is a
night better than a thousand months.

With the intention and determination I have, I started the first day of my satisfaction well. However,
hunger and thirst attacked me, not playing. My body became very weak because it was not ready to
adjust. Finally I decided to take a nap after performing midday prayers. I woke up when it was time for
Asr prayer. I will immediately get up to take a shower and pray. Shortly thereafter, I heard the call to
prayer was ringing. My family and I immediately break the fast and go to the mosque near my house.
The following days, I started going to school again.

In the month of Ramadan yesterday, we students were preoccupied with the Class Promotion Test. This
test was held in the first week of the fasting month, when our bodies were still not very well adjusted to
the fasting month. We take the test with sleepiness and hunger that hits us. Class 7 exam schedule at
07.30. We work on problems individually and may ask questions that we find difficult. Maybe, asking is
not allowed during the test, but how else.

In this Ramadhan month, we also have the responsibility to pay zakat of Rp. 31,500. At school there
are also open events together and tarawih together. Tarawih is scheduled by each class. While open
together is done by each class. At school there is also a Pondok Romadhon activity which is held for two
days at school. We are required to bring the Koran, prayer tools and stationery. When Pondok
Romadhon we gained a lot of knowledge, such as the life history of Rasullullah and the history of the
fasting month. In addition we also do Dhuha prayers and Al-Quran tadarus led by several supervisors.

After the Pondok Romadhon event was finished, we returned to school as usual, but no teaching and
learning activities took place at school because the teachers were busy taking care of our report cards.
But there are also follow-up tests for students who have not had time to do the test. At school there is
also a remission for students who score less on tests.
 During the fasting holiday this time, there aren't many things I do at home. Maybe just sleep and
sometimes play with my neighbors or my elementary school friends during the day. Then break the fast
and do tarawih and tadarus before going home.

I stayed at home with my parents. So I always dawn and break the fast with my father and mother.
Sometimes if there is time, we break the fast at a particular restaurant. But if we break the fast at the
restaurant, we have to queue very long because there are many people who also want to break the fast.
In fact we can queue up to 2 hours so we can eat. As for the meal, we always do the meal at home,
because it is not possible if we have to leave the house at 3:00 in the morning.

When sahur, mom woke me up at 3:00. Sometimes after waking up, I don't immediately get up from
bed, I still have to gather awareness for about 10 minutes, then walk to the bathroom to wash my face
so that my sleepiness disappears and go to get food. When eating dawn, we usually eat in front of the
television while watching entertaining television shows. Every now and then I laugh to see the behavior
of those who entertain us at dawn. After more than half an hour we eat, it turns out it's almost time oil.
We stop eating and take care of the leftovers and prepare for the morning prayer.

If I'm at home while on vacation, usually I help with homework. I help sweep or water the flowers in
the morning. If those two things have been done by me, I immediately take a shower. Sometimes I also
read some books or novels to fill my spare time. Then usually I also do the tadarus after performing the
midday prayer.

My family and I do tarawih in the mosque near my house. This mushola was just a few weeks before
the month of Ramadan, so this is the first time I'm doing tarawih prayers here. This mosque is about
100 meters from my house, so I can walk to get there. To go to this mosque I passed a narrow road and
to the right and left there were many cane plants. The wind that blew this month was strong enough, so
that some of the sugar cane was broken and the trunk covered the road. Usually my other neighbors
help clear the way from this sugar cane so that people can pass this way. Lighting on this street is also
very lacking, because there is only one light at the end of the road. But residents independently
increased the number of existing lighting lamps. So at this time, the road is bright enough if passed at
night.

Usually I go tarawih to the mosque together with some of my young neighbors. There are also those
who are still 4 years old but they have the spirit to do tarawih. But of course when it was still the first
rokaat, he had already removed his prayer tools and moved to the back of the shof to join in the
conversation with his peers. This is quite disturbing because sometimes they laugh very loudly. They
also usually bother us. And the worst thing is that they played firecrackers in front of the mosque while
we were still practicing tarawih. The age of people who fight here is quite diverse. The oldest are
around 80 years old. His house is very close to this mosque, but he usually comes here using a stick
because he is afraid of falling.

The most difficult when tarawih prayer here is when it was raining heavily before tarawih. Because on
both sides of the road to the mosque there are water channels that are sometimes clogged, rainwater
makes this channel become full and the water is puddled on the road. Even though this road is already
paved, it is still muddy if we pass it. Besides the mosque there is also a water channel that has not been
closed. This channel is beside the stairs in the mosque. Once the night when the lights went out that
made everything dark, after the tarawih was over I was with my neighbor going home and through the
stairs. Luckily I realized that there were open water channels. But there was one of my neighbors, who
was one year older than me, unaware that there was a ditch. He too slumped into the gutter. The
gutter was about half a meter deep and fortunately at that time the gutter was dry. He was not injured
but only his clothes got dirty because of being exposed to dirt in the gutter. For approximately one
month I performed tarawih prayers and several times performed obligatory prayers there.

When off, I spend more time at home. Maybe I would just leave the house in the afternoon if a friend
of mine came over. Usually my friend invites me to ride a bicycle or play at home. Cycling during the
day when you are fasting is very tiring and inviting thirst, but rather than at home it is also very boring.
Usually I will return home when it's time for Asr. When I was at my friend's house with my three other
friends, someone invited me to visit the house of one of my teachers when I was in elementary school,
the distance from his house was quite far from here. While it was still at 10:00, we decided to leave
immediately. It turns out cycling with a great distance in the fasting month is very tiring even though it
is not yet midday.

After a few minutes of travel, we arrive at our teacher's housing. We go in and look for the teacher's
house. But when he got in front of his house, what I saw was the gate and the door of the house which
was locked tightly. Me and friends ask their neighbors. It turns out that our teacher has been going
home since yesterday. Well, it turns out that our struggle to ride a bicycle here is futile. After from
there, we go to a friend's house which is quite close from here. Fortunately, the owner of the house is
here. We also stopped for the next two or three hours. We play and make plans to open with
elementary school friends. After that we return to our respective homes. My home is the farthest
distance, but that's okay, while exercising.

The intention to break the fast together some time ago has been planned finally implemented. We
break the fast together at the house of one of my friends. Before that, we have bought some food and
drinks that will become our break menu. A few days before we had collected money to buy it. Then
after the call to prayer, we start eating the food. We perform evening prayers and tarawih prayers
there. After finishing, we go back to our respective homes.
 Not felt at this time has been the last ten days in the month of Ramadan, which means there will be
night Laylat al-Qadr. The night of Laylat al-Qadr is on an odd date. In the last ten days, I have to be
more diligent in performing worship. If usually during the day I only sleep, now I take the time to read
the Koran as best I can. I don't want to miss the Laylat al-Qadr night this time, because the Laylat al-
Qadr night is a better night than 1000 months.

In my village, to welcome the night of Laylat al-Qadr there is a tradition called Maleman. The residents
bring food that has been arranged in a styrofoam container which will then be distributed to the
neighbors. Usually this event is held after the tarawih and witir prayers. At a time like this, surely
children are very excited to fight for food, even though they certainly have it.

After one full month we fast, finally the day of Eid comes. Where that day is the day of victory.

MARELLA AZURIN 18 8B