The Real Sense of Merdeka

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!......Literally means freedom or liberty. Malaysia, well actually Malaya got its independence from the British colony on 31 August 1957. About 6 years later, Malaysia was born on when Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaya on 16 September 1963.
This year, Malaysia Independence Day coincides with the holy month of Ramadan. The month that has great significance to Muslim world, where eligible Muslims are obligatory to perform the third tenets of Islam – fasting. Fasting is in a way to purify the faith and a simulation process to fight one of the abstract but tough ‘enemies’ of human kind – the desire. More than 1420 years ago, the great Messenger of Allah swt, Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him) and his 312 companions had won the battle of Badr during the month of Ramadan, to be specific - Tuesday (based on the Gregorian-Hijri convertor) or Friday (as what most scholars claimed) the 17th of Ramadan 2 Hijjri or 13th March 624 AD. They won the battle with pride albeit their humble ‘artilleries’ of broken swords and few horses. Western historians, who can think only in terms of material causes and affects, are left wondering how a body of three hundred footmen could vanquish one thousand adversaries reinforced with a hundred horse. But Divine help has many a time worked wonders like. However, yet, after the battle when they were on the way back to Mecca, Rasullullah saw (peace be upon him) said to his Companions; ‘..we had just won a small battle, the real bigger battle is to fight against our own desire’.
Philosophically, learning from the hadith, we should look at independent from a broader perspective. Yes, our beloved Malaysia has achieved its independence and gained the sovereignty from the British 52 years ago, but are we as an individual – the citizen of this beautiful country, Malaysia have achieved the absolute freedom from other colonies? The role of each individual is very important for the development of any nations. No nation shall exist without community and community is formed when there are groups of individual working and living together harmoniously. And, in each individual there is a small ‘flesh’ that determined the goodness of each individual. Apart from that, each normal individual has five senses that could be easily influence by the environment, be it good or bad.
Now, let me ask these questions; is our mind free from the colonization of laziness, stubbornness, thinking of doing any uncivilized things, etc.? Have we freed ourselves from the common illness of humankind called jealousy, greed, selfish, egocentrisms, hypocrisies, etc.? Sit back and self reflex what and where we are now. Happy 52nd Independent Day to all Malaysians wherever there are.