By Rifky Ishak Tayeb
Rifky lives in Bali, a Hindu-majority island in Indonesia. Although the Island is largely Hindu, Islam has its place firmly placed in the society. Whilst there are natural differences and dynamics in both groups, they create an alloy of sorts allowing them to live largely in peace with one another. Pork is the local specialty and can be found everywhere, adding another interesting dynamic to the country.
Although Indonesia is one of the largest Muslim nations in the world, Bali is predominantly Hindu. Because of this, Bali does not have many mosques and for me and it is important to be able to go to a mosque and pray. This also means that I cannot hear the Adhān from my house, so I have to always set my own time and make sure I wake up and pray at the correct times. Another aspect that makes it more difficult to fast in Bali is that it does not feel like Ramadan here. Restaurants are open all day long and tourists are everywhere so if you are on the streets, you see food and drink a lot, and this makes it hard, especially not being able to drink water on a very hot day. On the other hand, I also feel lucky that Allah brought me to Bali as this is a bigger test of my devotion. Allah says he will only test you in accordance with your ability. He would not set me up for failure, so this encourages me and it gives me strength. I feel that fasting in Bali, with all its temptations and diversions, is an even bigger test of my devotion and Allah will reward us for this, InshaAllah.
