After Raya prayers, it’s back to class for Malaysian students in Japan

 

Malaysian students and fellow Muslims from around Nagaoka university in Japan after Aidilfitri prayers today. (Khair Nadil Khairudin pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian students in Japan marked the start of Syawal today with prayers and classes.

Engineering student Khair Nadil Khairudin, 23, at Nagaoka University of Technology, said they performed Aidilfitri prayers at the campus surau along with about 40 other Muslims from around the university.

“After Aidilfitri prayers at the university surau with the Muslim community here, my friends and I had to rush off for morning lectures. The surau is not only used by Muslim students of the university but also by the nearby Muslim community,” he said.

The Muslim community that attended the Aidifitri prayers were of diverse backgrounds, coming from various countries such as Indonesia, Senegal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and also the local Japanese Muslim community.

On Aidilfitri preparations in Japan, Khair said he and other Muslim friends could not find the time to cook because they did not expect Syawal to be celebrated today.

He said Muslims in Japan were supposed to celebrate Aidilfitri tomorrow but as Malaysia, the closest Islamic country, was celebrating it today, the Japanese Muslim community followed suit.

“We were actually planning to have a Hari Raya banquet tomorrow, but who knew that Raya would be today instead. Such being the case, we were unable to prepare to host a feast today,” he said.

Khair, who has celebrated Aidilfitri in Japan twice, said the Raya atmosphere in Japan and Malaysia are very different.

“I miss the Raya mood in Malaysia, especially delicacies like rendang, ketupat, lemang and all that. I also miss celebrating it with my family,” he said.

A fellow Malaysian student, Nuraiman Mustaqim Nurnasran, 22, said celebrating Raya in Japan was rather boring as he was so far away from his family.

“In Japan, celebrations are rather subdued unlike Malaysia. The holiday feast is what I miss most when I’m here in Japan. I miss celebrating Raya with my family,” said Nuraiman, who is celebrating his first Raya abroad.

However, having to celebrate Aidilfitri abroad and being away from his family taught him to be stronger in facing challenges and being independent. - FMT