Here’s what you need to know about Hari Raya Haji and Hari Raya Puasa so you won’t mess up when you wish your Malay friends

It’s the Ramadan season now and there will be a few of you who might still be confused about the culture of our Muslim friends. Let me enlighten you.

Ramadan
Ramadan is a period of sober repentance for Muslims, with approximately 30 days of dawn-to-dusk fasting which is ongoing at the moment.

During this period, Muslims devote their time to acts of compassion, charity and prayers. Hence, they give out the obligatory ‘zakat fitrah’ (religious tithe), which is collected by mosques and distributed to the poor and needy.

This charitable act is considered to be a personal responsibility for Muslims, to ease financial burdens for other believers.

Hari Raya Puasa
This is also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and it marks the end of the Ramadan season. The day usually starts with a trip to the mosque where special prayers are recited.

They then go off to visit their parents and traditionally, ask for forgiveness from their elders for any wrongs committed during the year. More visits then take place, to their relatives’ and friends’ homes.

It is also common for many Malay families in Singapore to don new clothes in the same colour, as it is said to show the family as being whole and united. The men are usually decked in loose shirts with trousers known as ‘baju Melayu’ and the women in ‘baju kurung’, a loose-fitting full-length blouse and skirt combination.

This festival is also known for its scrumptious home-cooked feasts, with a variety of food such as Beef Rendang, Biryani, and Mee Rebus. They also have mouth-watering desserts such as the well-loved Ondeh-Ondeh and Patu Piring.

Hari Raya Haji
This is known as the Festival of Sacrifice. It lasts four days, and it commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) complete faith and trust in God.

This is from the story of God commanding Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael), a commandment that Ibrahim responded to with obedience. God stopped him, and gave him a sheep as a substitute sacrifice, instead of his son.

During this period, Muslims put on their best clothes and congregate in mosques to listen to sermons and offer their prayers. The most important ritual observed here is that of ‘korban’ (sacrifice). Worshippers contribute live sheep, lambs, goats and cows, which are slaughtered by a quick slit to the jugular as prayers are recited. This act serves to remind worshippers the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his own flesh and blood to God. The animal is then cleaned and the meat is carved up and distributed.

The tradition is that the person who paid for the animal gets one-third of the meat and another one-third goes to family and friends. This festival is also about compassion, sharing the wealth and remembering blessings, and as such, the last third is usually distributed to the needy. After this, Muslims pay visits to parents, families and friends, and have a meal together.

As can be seen, there is less feasting and merrymaking during Hari Raya Haji compared to Hari Raya Puasa because the former involves more spiritual needs than physical needs. So now that you know the difference, remember to wish all your Muslim friends a great Hari Raya Puasa on the 6th of July this year!