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Deriving spiritual strength during the holy month of Ramadan

ABU DHABI — People seem to draw on their spiritual strengths to keep pace with their hectic schedules and work pressures of modern life during the holy month of Ramadan.

Take Khalid Al Nashmi, a Saudi national, who has been working with an airline in the Gulf for 20 years. Although he loves his job, he finds working during Ramadan quite challenging.

"Ramadan gives you the inner strength to carry on the daily duties. In my kind of work, we have some difficulties on both long- distance and domestic flights. A common problem is serving meals, drinks or snacks during flights. We usually take the food trolley along the aisle and ask passengers if they are fasting. But we often receive complaints, especially from elderly Muslims, who think it's wrong to offer this service during Ramadan. Another problem is having to break the fast, especially on long-distance flights. In fact, the Holy Quran allows it, if you are travelling a distance of over 80km. Of course, you have to make it up by fasting after Ramadan."

Dr Mahmoud Youssif, an Egyptian, has been a chief anaesthetist with an Abu Dhabi hospital for 15 years. "My working hours during Ramadan are between 9am and 1pm and between 8 pm and 10 pm, but I'm often here from morning till Iftar and also in the evening. Yesterday, for example, I was at the operation theatre from 11am until 5pm. I know several people complain that they get more tired during fasting hours. But I like it and I work better because the lack of food makes the body lighter.

"Usually, I like to break my fast with a few dates and a little soup, then I go to pray and eat my meal. Of course, sometimes I have to delay my Iftar if there's a surgery. As doctors, we face this problem of getting patients to break their fast so that they take medicines. Personally, I advise my patients to drink some juices at Iftar, then by 9pm all their body fluids are drained, so that they can come for surgeries and by Sohour time, they can eat again".

Tayeb Alami Yamlahi, a Moroccan, has been working in a restaurant in Abu Dhabi for two years. He too has to adjust his Ramadan timings to his work schedule. "Usually, my day starts around 4am when I get up and prepare myself for the morning prayer. After Fajr, I go back to sleep for a while.

" At 2pm or 4pm, depending on the shift, I start work. Till Iftar, I get busy with preparing the buffet. Of course, in the restaurant business, Iftar time is the busiest, so there is never time for us to take a break. Sometimes, I just eat a few dates and drink a glass of milk, but my first break doesn't come until 8pm. I don't mind missing this prayer time, because it is mainly because of work," said Yamlahi.

• UAE