ITB Berbuka: Religious Harmonization of ITB Community

July 03, 2015

By Fatimah Larassati

Editor Fatimah Larassati

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - Ramadhan is commonly deemed as a month of silaturrahim, where people get together in order to strenghten the bond of friendship. Also, this moment provides such opportunity for people to arrange agendas that will require them to work together. Thus, Keluarga Mahasiswa (Student Council) of ITB along with Panitia Persiapan Program Ramadhan (P3R) Salman Mosque and Keluarga Mahasiswa Islam (Muslim Students Association) hosted "ITB Berbuka", a fast-breaking (iftar) dinner event at ITB East Hall on Thursday (02/07/15). This event, that was attended by Chancellor of ITB, Prof. Kadarsah Suryadi, numerous rectorate officials, and ITB students themselves, projected this silaturrahim moment of Ramadhan to reconstrue the essence of unity of all elements in ITB to create a conducive and harmonic environment for learning.

As one of the speakers, Prof. Kadarsah said that Ramadhan will bring out a lot of good things if ones who practice the fasting reflect on the gist of it. A few palpable good things that practitioners of Ramadhan fasting can directly experience are sincerity in doing anything and a deeper spiritual connection to God.

Meanwhile M. Pramaditya Garry (Material Engineering 2011), as the President of KM-ITB firmly reminded that the fasting Muslims do during Ramadhan is only as rewarding as what God promises to His people if ones who fast do other religious activities, either the compulsory or the optional ones. "Why do we look forward to iftar if we skip the suhoor (predawn meal) and neglect other religious activities when we are fasting?," Garry added in his speech.

This iftar dinner was also attended by Dr. Ir. Suyatman (Lecturer in Engineering Physics ITB), who is also a the lecturer on duty for Gamais. He wished for Muslims who fast to be able to value the struggle they face during fasting. The joy of iftar would be experienced only if the practitioners did the fasting wholeheartedly. "Just like when we struggle to reach something we dream of getting or becoming, it is important to set our mind to a happy ending," Suyatman said.

Nearing the end of the iftar dinner, Ustadz Muhammad Yani delivered a closing sermon about the essence of human beings, the value of Ramadhan, and efforts to protect one's self from toxic feelings and dangerous lust. "May Ramadhan be a reminder for us that if we manage to control our lust, it will make us a better individual," Yani said.

Not only it invited famous people as speakers, this iftar dinner also invited Unit Rebana ITB (URI) to perform an attractive rebana (tambourine) show and orphans to share the joy and happiness upon Ramadhan with all civitas academicas in ITB. "This great event hopefully will continue to be held in the future so it will strenghten the brotherhood among elements in ITB. There could be a togetherness in a diversity too," Mahardika Zein (Civil Engineering 2012) furtherly added.