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Month of peace and prosperity
Residents share how they plan to spend the holy month of Ramadan this year
- PUBLISHED: Mon 30 Apr 2018, 12:00 AM UPDATED: Mon 30 Apr 2018, 2:00 AM
- By:
- Melissa Randhawa
Ramadan is without a doubt the most favourite time of the year for many people. Not because of the wonderful Iftar parties they get to dig in to or the shorter work and school hours, but because the month fills peoples' hearts and homes with peace and positivity. We ask residents to tell us how they spend Ramadan in Dubai.
Wave of excitement
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For residents like Nihal Noorani, Ramadan comes with a wave of joy and excitement that leaves her feeling a notch better, both from the inside and out.
Nihal Noorani with family
She shares: "The month of Ramadan is more than just about fasting from dawn to dusk or about planning the menu for each day. It is about the joy in sitting down together as a family for Iftar, with a burning emptiness in the stomach, being thankful for what you have and praying for those who are less fortunate. What you may often find on our table during Iftar, in addition to the customary dates are kheema samosas, fruit salads, soups, pakodas, variations of sherbet and kebabs. If we've had a long day of fast or hosting a party, then biryani or haleem with a traditional Indian dessert like khubaani or gulab jamuns are the favourites. My favourite though is shorba, the flavourful Indian soup. It is light on the stomach and loved by my husband and our kids."
Staying healthy
Hisham Abdul Hakkim
Ramadan for Hisham Abdul Hakkim, is a month of transformation, celebration and self-realisation. "What I revere most about the holy month is how effective it can be to free us from unhealthy ways of living. Fasting in itself is a spiritually enlightening time, and I make it a point to read the Holy Quran along with its translation. Right from the sighting of the moon, I like the sense of togetherness it brings, and the orderliness during the 30 days of going to the mosque for Tarawih, and saying Tahajjud prayers at home, having sehri and Iftar together, giving charity, and at times playing cricket or volleyball at night. Of course, like any guy my age, I do love to eat and explore new cuisines around town like Ethiopian, Indonesian and Korean food, which I've had for Iftar with friends."
Visit to Meena Bazaar
Tanya Benazir Ali
Tanya Benazir Ali who resides in Abu Dhabi feels that Dubai appears to be the place where all the fun is, and during Ramadan, it definitely is the place to go for all the food.
"One of the highlights of Ramadan is our mandatory visit to Meena Bazaar for Eid shopping. It is easier to shop during Ramadan as the streets are less crowded and there is no constant distraction of food. We spend the entire day in the shopping haven on the lookout for the latest Indian wear and return back with our bags full and wallets empty! Being from the southern part of India, Kerala, we head over to Calicut Paragon Restaurant in Karama to stock up on all the delicious Malabar delicacies for the Iftar back home and return feeling content and grateful for the blessings bestowed upon us," she highlights.
Camping out in the desert
Mohsin Rawal
During the weekends, Mohsin Rawal and his friends spend Iftar and suhoor while camping out in the desert. Biryani is always on the menu, a meal he believes is a pride of non-vegetarian Indian cuisine.
He says: "After a long and scenic drive to the outskirts, the camp is set up. Most of my cooking is done at the back of my SUV truck on a camping stove. I am not a fan of spicy food; hence I cut down spicy ingredients to half the proportion, supplementing it with easily available flavouring alternatives like kabsa. It's a bit challenging to carry fresh meat (chicken, fish or prawns) on long trips, so I use soya bean chunks instead of meat. It is nutritious, full of proteins and lighter to digest. Using friends as my test subject I was able to get their opinion on my creations. They gave it the thumbs up."
Embracing Arabic traditions
Sakina Feroz
During Ramadan, Sakina Feroz takes in the festive buzz after sunset, along with her family and friends. "Whether it's Iftar feasting or late-night shopping, after prayers we make the most of the city and its spectacular hospitality," says Feroz who uses the shorter work hours to explore Ramadan events at malls and participates in charitable activities. "Apart from dealing with the heat, being in Dubai during Ramadan is an occasion to embrace and absorb the Arabian traditions, especially the act of giving to those who are less fortunate."
Time for self-reflection
Angela Kuzeva who is from Bulgaria says that Ramadan is a time for self-reflection. "During Ramadan I find the time for myself. It's a very special month and I am always looking forward to it. Many organisations like ours host corporate Iftar gatherings for the whole company, and I enjoy that special time with the entire office staff. On most days, I'll meet friends for Iftar. Mezza House so far, is one of my favourite places. This year for Iftar I'd like to try Al Mayass - a Lebanese Armenian restaurant. During the Holy Month, I buy juices and water and leave it in the Sharing Fridges close to my work at Dubai Investment Park".
Arif Mehmood shares his fond memories
Arif Mehmood and a throwback picture of Asif and Arif Mehmood in 1987
I was born and raised in Al Bastakiya, Bur Dubai, where life was very simple. Rushing to the terrace after sunset and lingering onto the sight of the new moon for the month of Ramadan seems to be a fading memory in the days of techno-advancement.
Seeing all our elders observing their fast, we as kids used to copy them and also join them in fasting to establish the significance and importance of fasting.
Even as young children, we learnt to abstain from sweets. I have an old photograph of me and my older brother, Asif, acting as a guard to the chocolates in our fridge. At the same time, they would not over burden us at that age of adolescence, so we were asked to fast till noon and then break our fast.
The sound of utensils was music to my ears when the family members gathered in the kitchen in the middle of the night to note what was required to be purchased for Suhoor.
My father picked me up on his way to the vendor who used to sell fresh pasteurised milk. The crowd at the shop at that eleventh hour had its own
sweet pleasure.
Offering two Rakah's of Tahajjud (prayer in the last part of the night) before gathering for Suhoor was a most serene experience. The Suhoor meal spread across the table cloth in the room to accommodate us all was a social gathering full of joy and reverie.
In fact, the first day of Ramadan had its own charm and it was celebrated as a mini festival. The family members and neighbours exchanged greetings, while the essence of oud and bakhoor would light up our homes and mosques on a daily basis.
Dates, milk, honey, spaghetti adorned the table, and a soft bismillah commenced the ritual of Suhoor. My heart thronged as the call for Fajr (morning prayer) was heard. The ladies gathered for prayer while I accompanied my father to the mosque. Looking at him and repeating his actions was my roadmap to Ramadan. The morning prayers had a serene tranquility, followed by recitation of the Holy Quran till sunrise.
Although this particular food is available all year around, I have a special craving and attachment towards harees during Ramadan.
It is also a time when we make sure we meet up with all our friends whom we haven't seen the year around. Some of the nights on weekends were spent playing volleyball, football in Qusais, Rashidiya or Sharjah.
Most of the people wait for Ramadan to give away their zakat, and my friends and I took the responsibility of finding the person who qualified to be the recipient. Connecting the people, donor, and the recipient secured immense pleasure.
One of the blessings of Ramadan is the habit that it sets in Muslims to prepare us for regular routines of prayers at the right time, and to get rid of bad habits for good.
As we grow older, our wait and eagerness for Ramadan remains the same, but our way of spending Ramadan changes. As I am married now, this will be the first Ramadan with my wife who cooks a variety of food to perfection.
To this day, Ramadan remains a month that I cherish and I eagerly await the sighting of the first crescent of the moon.