In love with dates for it is Sunnah

Dubai - I can't thank Allah enough for bringing me to this part of the world, opening my eyes and mind by introducing me to Islam.

 
I never knew much about dates and neither did I know its benefits. But when I came to the UAE, I was offered dates at most of the places I went to including my workplace where mostly Arabs work. Out of courtesy, I always ate them and by now I have developed a taste for them and in fact, I like them very much. This is a blessing of Allah.
I can't thank Allah enough for bringing me to this part of the world, opening my eyes and mind by introducing me to Islam and helping me learn about the Sunnah way of leading my life.
Since the time I have read about the life of our dear Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his likes and dislikes; his sacrifices and love for mankind; his hadith (reports of statements or actions of the prophet), I have been in complete awe of it. And I have made it a rule of my life now that if Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did something, then I make it a point to follow it. Firstly, because he is our prophet whom Allah sent for us to emulate and secondly, whatever he did in his life have amazing benefits in both this life and afterlife.
So coming back to today's fast, I was a bit worried today as I had to take high-impact Jiu Jitsu class today from 7pm-8.30pm and I was worried if I'd be able to do my job well as I was fasting and just had dates and water at Iftar. I was thinking I may get weak or something but I want to share this with you that on the contrary I felt light, energetic and I was able to have a great workout. And apart from the blessings and amazing energy of this holy month, I want to give the credit to the Sunnah eating habit I have adopted. I have made dates a staple diet in my life. And mind you, this is not only for Ramadan, I have been having dates for a long time now, I mean way before Ramadan started I started having seven dates and water every morning at 5am. In fact, I would alternate between pure honey and dates. For 15 days I ate honey in warm water, and the next 15 days I would eat seven dates and water in the morning. And Alhamdulillah I am reaping the benefits of this Sunnah habit now as I workout during my fast. Because of the high level of sugar in dates and honey, my energy levels are high and this helps me immensely in my job. 
And I highly recommend eating dates to open the fast as well because it gives you so much energy and I am so glad I am doing this.
A person who loves Allah really will definitely try to resemble the person whom Allah loves and is pleased with, and try to replicate his deeds and habits. So for us Muslims, following Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) leads towards ultimate satisfaction and is the best way to be successful in both worlds. 
saman@khaleejtimes.com

 (AS TOLD TO SAMAN HAZIQ)
Luis Carreno is a 36-year-old from Colombia who embraced Islam in January 2018. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt coach for the UAE armed forces in Dubai.
 
 

• UAE
• Ramadan 2021
• Dubai