First Day

"Yes, but I want to finish fasting this month first, then after that they will know that there is no problem." said Doddy.

"Sis Fauzana is a very beautiful person, isn't she, Sis?"

"Not only beautiful, but her attitude is different from most girls I've ever met."

"Different in what way?"

"Yes, different. In my opinion, she is indeed a girl who can be a role model, she is kind, polite and has strong principles in life. One of them is always wearing a hijab wherever and wherever she is. Unlike you, when you go to work and go out, you wear a hijab. At home, you take off your hijab." said Doddy, making Anisa lower her head, feeling ashamed of what her brother had really said about her.

"Yes, Sis Doddy is right. Sis Fauzana always wears a hijab wherever she goes, she really understands the true meaning of wearing a hijab. I am also trying to be like her, as Sis Fauzana said, I need time to veil my heart and mind first. Only then wear it in everyday life, wherever it is." Anisa said.

"Well, that's good, I'm very happy to hear it. Hopefully, you can be like him in the future, it's already afternoon, I'll take a shower first, it'll be Maghrib and breaking the fast soon." Doddy said then he walked towards his room to take a shower.

******

On the top floor of a house, two young men were seen chatting happily, occasionally their laughter could be heard. The smoke from the cigarettes they were smoking seemed to fill the room where they were joking around.

"Are you sure, Bro, that Doddy changed that quickly?" Andra asked.

"You know, last night I went to his house and asked him to go out, he refused. In fact, at that time he was wearing a koko shirt and sarong, he said he was going to do tarawih." Sony replied.

"What's gotten into that kid, that he's changed like that?! Later tonight after Maghrib we'll go to his house, how come he refused to go out again?"

"But I'm not sure we'll succeed Bro, instead we'll be invited to perform tarawih tonight and asked to bring a sarong." said Sony.

"Ha..! Ha..! Ha..! What would it be like if you wore a sarong? Okay then, tonight we'll bring a sarong but we'll hide it in the motorbike seat first. Now if we don't succeed in taking her out, then we'll wear the sarong. How about that?"

"Okay Bro, I agree." answered Sony then took another drag on the cigarette tucked between his fingers, apparently they weren't fasting on the first day of Ramadan.

******

After breaking the fast, Fauzana performed the Maghrib prayer in congregation at home led by her father, because it seemed difficult for them to get to the mosque because the short time for Maghrib prayer was difficult for them to catch up on and after Maghrib prayer, as usual, Fauzana recited several verses of the Qur'an.

It felt very wise for the family to carry out all the worship in the holy month of Ramadan, almost no time was wasted other than working, they always filled it with good deeds which of course brought manifold rewards from Allah SWT. So it was no wonder that the family was always showered with happiness and peace in their daily lives.

Approaching Isha, Fauzana was seen sitting with her parents in the living room.

"How was your fast today, son?" asked Mrs. Fitria starting their conversation.

"Alhamdulillah, it went smoothly, ma'am." answered Fauzana.

"Thank God, oh yeah, it's been a long time since I asked you about a life partner. Have you found someone you think is suitable?" Fauzana smiled at her mother's question.

"Until now, ma'am, Fauzana is still focused on her work in the office."

"Yes, I know, but you have to think about that too, you are 23 years old and you are ready to have a family."

"I know, ma'am, but maybe Allah hasn't brought me the right partner for me. I also don't really close my heart to a man, but there hasn't been a single man that I've met who considers him more than just a friend." said Fauzana.

"Yes, I understand. Your mother and father will never force their will like matching you with someone, for your mother and father, a man who you think is good and suitable will also be good for us." said Mrs. Fitra smiling.

******

Like last night, after breaking the fast and praying Maghrib, Doddy sat on the terrace waiting for the call to prayer for Isha, not long after two of his friends came riding a motorbike.

"Hi Bro!" they greeted in unison, Doddy only smiled after raising one hand. His two friends, none other than Sony and Andra, after getting off their motorbike and parking it in the yard, they approached Doddy and sat on the terrace of the house.

"Come on Bro, let's go!" Andra invited.

"I already told Sony, starting last night and until the end of this Ramadan month I won't go out. I want to fast for a whole month and pray tarawih every night." Doddy said.

"Wow, what's unusual, are you possessed by Bro? That you changed so drastically?" Andra and Sony laughed.

"You guys are the ones possessed, you know it's the fasting month but you're still hanging around. In the past few weeks I've been thinking that what we've been doing is wrong." Doddy said.

"What do you mean?"

"You guys definitely didn't fast this afternoon, right?" Doddy asked back, Sony and Andra looked at each other then nodded.

"How long are you going to keep doing this?" Doddy asked again.

"I don't know Bro, it's hard. I've only tried it for half a day, and I can't take it anymore and I want to break my fast." Sony replied.

"Yes Bro, I'm the same as Sony said."

"That's because you guys really don't have any intention to fast, that's why it feels so hard. Try it, starting tomorrow morning you try to hold back everything that breaks the fast until the time to break the fast comes. There's something different, bro, if we break the fast when the time for Maghrib arrives." said Doddy.

"Really?"

"Yeah, try it! Now it's time for us to go to the mosque, the call to prayer for Isha has been heard." Doddy invited, with a little laziness they both put on sarongs and followed Doddy walking towards the mosque.

Actually, throughout the West Sumatra region from kindergarten to high school, the majority of the population is Muslim, always guided to understand and comprehend the obligations of a Muslim in carrying out worship including fasting during the month of Ramadan.

So it is not uncommon to find in that area, children who are still at an early age learn to fast, although in stages, starting from half a day to being able to fast for a full day. Initially, their intention to fast was because they felt ashamed of their peers who were fasting and they felt challenged to be like the others. This positive influence gradually became something they became accustomed to until their initial intention, which was due to feeling ashamed and challenged, turned into a habit and they felt obliged to do it.