Cheating on Ramadan

The article "Significance of Eating During Ramadan" discusses how food is eaten and exchanged in a village in Java during the month of Ramadan. According  to the author, Jorgen Hellman, eating is complex in Java because it is very private. Even in a group where eating would be a social thing, people eat as if they are alone, excusing themselves from those around them to eat without stopping to make casual or polite conversation. This is a challenge to the Islamic tradition during Ramadan, where eating is to be a very social act including fellowship and conversation. In Java, it seemed to me that the Muslims practicing Ramadan have adapted it to fit their lives and local customs too much. For instance, the majority of people who live in the village in Java work in agriculture or construction which are very taxing jobs that require a lot of energy. Many people break their fast during the day because of their jobs, or overly stuff themselves during the morning meal to make it through the day. This is contrary to the typical practices, where fasting is to be an act of religious piety by resisting temptation and focusing on purity.

Indonesian Cuisine

I noticed the ways the people in the village have adapted the rules of Ramadan to fit their lifestyles is kind of a way of cheating. If Ramadan is about realizing one's faith through fasting as the prophet did, then by breaking it because of regional practices or economic stances makes the effort meaningless. I'm not trying to say that these people are "bad Muslims", but the issue is pushing the limits of what is religiously accurate and what is fake. Ramadan is an all or nothing activity, I see no room for a middle ground.