Assalamualaikum,
From time to time, my thinking can be a little outside the box, unorthodox even. This is one of those times.
What do you guys think about the local practice of giving duit raya to children? I know it seems harmless, but I can't help but feel like this practice is just leading to children associating Hari Raya with money. They will ask each other how much have they collected, they get upset when they only get small amounts from relatives, I mean its close to what the Christians do on Christmas; giving presents to one another.
It is a good concept in itself, sharing your wealth with kids, giving sedekah in a way. But I still feel uneasy with the whole thing. As adults, we are mature enough to know what Hari Raya is really about, but kids? I fear that without proper guidance from their parents, they will grow up expecting "payment" for fasting in Ramadhan.
Is it just a Malaysian custom? Do Muslims in other countries have similar customs? I don't know, but I think in an ideal situation, kids are taught about the true meaning of Hari Raya, what it means, and what it has to do with Ramadhan, instead of just giving them money to keep them happy.
3 comments:
Well lets just list out the pros and cons of giving duit raya and see if it causes more harm; then maybe giving duit raya is no more necessary.but if the harm is just minor and temporary; i don;t think its a problem.
rasanya harm mmg temporary je..bila dh besar2 matang2..dh x kisah sgt duit raya..
but still x slh nk didik kanak2 ttg keistimewaan Aidil Fitri anyway..kan? hehe..instead of juz bg duit raya n bg main mercun..
Where I work, asking for duit raya is commonplace between the children... "cikgu, nak duit raya"...
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