My Ramadan wish list

One of the most important aspects of Ramadan for me is thinking about the state of Muslims beyond the usual sensational headlines by agenda-driven media.

(I had written in 2012 about my Ramadan wish list for Islamic finance) 

What more can be done to uplift Muslims? What more can done to bring youth, ideas, projects, etc together, so that we can become more entrepreneur-oriented, more producers and sellers and less consumers and buyers? How can we build bridges beyond interfaith dialogues when tragedies happen?

For me, the Ramadan reset is about what I would like to see happen or accomplished before fasting starts next year. Some parts of my Ramadan wish list can be accomplished today, and other parts start the process of what’s to come.

Ramadan bridge builder

Amongst the five pillars of Islam, Ramadan fasting is probably the most commonly understood and attempted by non-Muslims. All faiths have an element of fasting to empathise with the impoverished, abstain from food/drink, appreciate the bounty of food from the Creator, restore health and so on. All of us have or know of non-Muslim friends and colleagues who have fasted or tried to fast.

Their reaction to completing one fast is both a sense of accomplishment and comment of “… and you have to do this for 30 days... respect…”

People have reverted to Islam in a number of ways, including “wearing a hijab” for a day (campaign), hearing the Adhan, acts of kindness, fasting, etc. The point is, people find the path to the truth in a number of ways.

Ramadan soup kitchens

I would like to see stories, videos, and articles on Ifthar for soup kitchens on Muslim content websites instead of fully loaded plates at expensive hotels, where much of the food is thrown away. I am in awe of and inspired by the people preparing food from their hearts for such people, especially the Muslims fasting. 

My Ramadan wish list is to see a video going viral on soup kitchens feeding the poor for fast break around the world, and the background of the Adhan (call to prayer).

Ramadan Adhan

One of the most beautiful sounds in the world is the Adhan. It would be great to hear it from the 57 Muslim countries in one place with view of a mosque from each country. This will be more important for Muslims to appreciate.

The beauty of Islam is the diversity of people, languages, foods, clothing, and so on, but united under banner (Shahada) of “There is no God but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God”.

Ramadan: 30 days, 30 countries, 30 mosques

Maybe this is for the Muslim millionaires or those backed by wealthy people.  It would be great to see a documentary by a person/group on ifthar on 30 mosques in 30 countries over several continents. It would show the endurance of the person/group and showcase the diversity of people, food, colours, approach, etc through the lens of a person and not as a media story.

Ramadan gone app

An increasing number of apps on prayer time, the beginning and ending of fasts, Qibla direction, etc are launched each Ramadan. However, outside of the top 5-10 getting most of the downloads, most do not get traction. This situation applies to a number of Muslim online offerings.

A potential consideration in such a fragmented market place is consolidation for Muslim gaming apps, prayer apps, marriage websites, professional network sites, recruitment sites, etc. Critical mass is required for traction, and this can be financed to scale it.

The buzz-word from the VC investment world is about “unicorns”, billion dollar valuation for companies at the Series A stage. Do we have one unicorn start-up from the Muslim world that is from either the Muslim lifestyle marketplace or caters to it?

The unicorn opportunity exists to address the problem of globally connecting Muslim youth with inspiring content that combines with e-commerce. We have embarked on the journey to connect content to community to commerce by www.zilzarlife.com, but there is still a long road ahead of us.

Ramadan management principles

We have all read and heard about the many management principles, and one of the overlapping features of all has to do with discipline. Ramadan is about discipline in abstaining from food, drink, etc for 12 to 19 hours a day. This discipline Muslims showcase during Ramadan, how can it be carried over into their work, which is a form of “worship” or ibadah?

Ramadan also showcases the character of many Muslims, as emotions like anger are better controlled. The traffic in Kuala Lumpur is a slow moving parking-lot, as are all driving (not car-pooling) home for Ifthar, and road rage seems less common. Is it because of the physical effect of fasting (takes too much energy to get and stay angry), or a lesson to control anger? 

Ramadan endurance test

We have all heard or read about professional athletes, Muslim basketball or football players, who have fasted during the game/match and stayed true to the pillar of fasting. Such achievements parallel marathons and triathlons!

But we also see some people who have changed their sleep patterns and hence sleep through day and wake up for ifthar. One wonders how Zohar and Asr prayers are performed during sleep?

During Ramadan, it would be great to see athletic competitions (with safety controls), including appropriate video games, for youths 1-2 hours before Ifthar. It would be media story allowing many, Muslims and non-Muslims, to see another side of Muslims and Islam.

Ramadan theme park

Faith-based theme parks are not a new phenomenon. There has been news about Christian theme parks, like http://www.holylandexperience.com, and most recently about a Noah’s Ark theme park.

What about a Ramadan theme park that opens after Trawih prayers (during Ramadan)?

From Arabnews, August 11, 2010: “The 99 Village is the Middle East’s first theme park located in Kuwait… based on the 99, the world-acclaimed Islamic-themed comic series… launched in March 2009… is [an] entertainment offering as it has an exceptional Islam-inspired back story. Featuring characters from around the world... an attraction for consumers in the GCC and Islamic world…”

A Ramadan theme park would be more than the 99 Village, as it would be a spiritual journey about all aspects of the fourth pillar (fasting) that continues to Eid-il-Fitr, moves to Eid-il-Adha and concludes with hajj.

Visiting the Holyland theme park in Florida which attracts crowds all throughout the year was an educational experience. A Ramadan theme park would be a great bridge builder to the non-Muslims to better understand via a personal journey about Islam.

For example, Malcom X changed his outlook after the hajj.

"There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colours, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the non-white.

"You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought patterns previously held, and to toss aside some of my previous conclusions."

Ramadan dates index

I have written elsewhere about a dates index. The important point is, dates (and water) unify Muslims during Ramadan.

We at www.zilzar.com welcome the opportunity to place snack producers/traders on the platform, without charge, that have dates as vital part of their ingredients. If there is place for halal KitKat, then there should also be place for date snacks all year around.

Ramadan treaty

All peace-loving Muslims pray that all forms of extremism will be eliminated, hence a social media campaign needs to be started by the young people. If the young can topple governments, like the Arab Spring, then they can surely lead to build. The 500 million Muslim youth under the age of 30 connected to the Internet via their mobile phones can do more than governments and quasi-agencies from the Muslim world.

Social media platforms like Facebook (1.4 billion) and Twitter (300 million plus) allow for the connectivity of a like-minded community to coordinate and collaborate for a common consequence.

Ramadan disappointment

I was recently at a mid-afternoon meeting during 7th day of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, and my counterpart colleague’s eyes were closing every few seconds. That's not Ramadan.

Is that lifelessness common among Muslims across the world? I have seen outdoor Muslim construction workers in Dubai who had more energy than air conditioned office workers during Ramadan.

Ramadan inspires

A child’s first Ramadan fast!

I want to hear about your Ramadan wish list. – June 29, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.