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It was 6.55pm, Monday, the first day of Ramadan and there were fewer cars on the road than usual. Traffic was smooth but people were looking for taxis to rush home and break their fast.
With many customers on that day, at that particular time, Pakistani expat Khan Zada Mohammed Aqeel Khan, 38, like many other taxi drivers, had to extend his fast a little longer and tend to his passengers.
"I'm used to doing this (foregoing Iftar at sundown)," Khan told Khaleej Times. "I understand that people are also looking to breaking their fast and I know it's my duty to serve them - so I have to bring them first to their destination before I can have my first meal of the day," he added.
After drinking a bottle of water and eating three pieces of dates from an Iftar box distributed by a charitable institution, Khan had the energy to bring the customer he picked up from Al Barsha to Jumeirah.
It was just a 10-minute drive but Khan had been working on that day for almost 10 hours with no intake of food, water or caffeine. But his mind was still sharp and his eyes focused on the road. He also had the enthusiasm to trade a few conversations with his passenger.
He said: "I'm already used to fasting while working. On most days, I even had to extend my fast for another half an hour because of work."
"Fasting while working is also my form of spiritual devotion. While on duty, I tune in to Dubai Holy Quran so I can meditate on the holy verses.
"It's also nice to know that I'm serving people and I try to be nice all the time, especially during Ramadan. But it's really hard when your stomach is grumbling and you can't even take a sip of chai."
"But having self-control - bringing my passengers first before I can eat - is a habit that I have developed, with God's grace, through the years," said Khan, who is originally from the Kashmir region and has been residing in Dubai for 14 years.
It also helps that Khan's friends, who are also taxi drivers, are fasting with him during the holy month. "We tend to support each other by encouraging everyone to continue fasting for the whole month despite various challenges. We also remind each other to always drive safely and be kind to all our customers," he shared.
After dropping his passenger, Khan rushed to the nearby Umm Al-Sheif Mosque in Jumeirah, where he joined some of his friends to pray and enjoy their favourite biryani, pakora and samosa.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
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