Maaf Zahir Batin

Sejuknya pagi ni. Mungkinkah malam tadi lailatulqadar? Aku di mana? Atas katil sibuk berangan.

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Raya is less than a week away yet I am feeling nothing. I don't feel like getting excited about it, I don't feel like wishing people about it and I don't feel like celebrating anything.

What is Raya actually? Oh, Hadi.. it is the celebration of us being triumphant against our nafsu and yeah yeah yeah and such. I know that.. that's the thing we are told. But really, what is Raya?

I've heard people saying it's inappropriate (morally, ethically.. not religiously please, don't go into that) to celebrate Valentine's since you are supposed to love someone all year round and not only on one day. Then, is it not appropriate to just ask for forgiveness for a year load of sin on one particular day rather than doing it every day of the year?

What is Maaf Zahir Batin? Of course during Raya when you say Maaf Zahir Batin to someone, that person will say the same thing back to you. But the thing is, does it vindicate all the sins between you or is it just something fun to say like Merry Christmas? 

Maaf Zahir Batin. Don't you think that is kind of like lying? An euphemism to sugar coat the real things you want to say? Think about it. What if in a typical pagi Raya, a son instead of the time honoured mintak ampun words, went detail and told his parents about the crazy drug parties and sexual escapades that he did last year and asked the parents to forgive him. Would they forgive him the same as how they would if he simply said, Mak, Ayah.. Mintak ampun, mintak maaf. Maaf Zahir Batin? 

Is this Maaf Zahir Batin thing kindof like a get out of jail free card? Cool. Go rob your neighbour's house. Wait for Raya, salam that fella and say mintak ampun mintak maaf la semua salah silap saya dengan awak sebelum ni.

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Sorry la mengarut pagi-pagi. 

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