Imams Frown On Firecrackers
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Don't welcome Hari Raya with firecrackers, said the Imams at Friday prayers throwing a wet blanket on any daring fire activities lined up for Brunei's biggest festival, next week.

"Firecrackers disrupt peace and spark danger", the religious leaders observed explaining why it was not the right way to herald one of the greatest celebrations of the Islamic calendar.

The religious leaders instead urged Muslim celebrants to plan in advance to peacefully celebrate this great event which comes at the end of a month-long dawn to dusk daily fast.

The recommended way to start celebrating was by reciting the Takbir and Dzikir and reading the Quran, advised the Imams as the mood in the country was rapidly turning into a dizzy pace of last minute non-stop preparations packed with gaiety fun and camaraderie.

Imams also advised Muslims to spend moderately when celebrating and not to rush into last minute splurges.

When one starts planning celebrations until late at night or until the wee hours of the festival day, those who were busy giving importance to lesser things, may not have time for the most important aspects of the festival - the congregation for Morning Prayer, they said.

Imams in the Friday sermon also urged the Ummah not to taint the religious festival by un-Islamic ways of exchanging greetings by shaking hands with members of opposite sex whom they are not intimately related, by dressing exposing flesh and serving alcoholic drinks during the traditional visits and holding open house activity.

"There are the Islamic ethics and guideline to celebrate Hari Raya in that all activities carried-out are considered as pious duties."

"Good deeds like seeking forgiveness by exchanging greetings should not be tainted with improper and sinful acts, which is against Syarak laws. These are not the Islamic way to celebrate the Islamic festivity as it would not bring blessings but invite calamity and curses from Allah."

Brunei will decide the new moon of Syawal on Sunday. In their eagerness for the festive celebration, Muslims are also reminded not to forget paying tithes.

Condemning some people's customs of lavishly overspending during Hari Raya, the Imams compared anyone who performs such wastage to Satan's ally

"We celebrate Hari Raya to mark the success of completing one month of fasting faithfully and with piety," they said.

Imams also recommended the proper way to welcome Hari Raya would be to take a morning shower, use fragrances, wash hair and clip nails and to wear clean and satisfactory outfits. Muslims were also highly recommended to eat dates in odd numbers before congregating to the mosque for Hari Raya prayers.

In glorifying the last days of Ramadhan where multiple rewards await, Imams called on Muslims to intensify their religious obligations. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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