RAMADAN KAREEM

Ramadan is a holy month of Giving. Charity is stressed upon very much in this month and there’s

goodness and humanity at the very best. In India I had known only about the fasting that the

Muslims adhere to in this month so the holy month of Ramadan in UAE is an experience worth

blogging.

We all wait for the moon sighting, committees are formed to inform the start of the month

of Ramadan and the end of it to celebrate Eid ul fitr. The followers of Islam and the others wait for

these announcement . The newspapers issue a pamphlet mentioning the timings for the prayers, Fajr

the beginning of the fast and Magreb the sunset prayer time and the Iftar timings when they break

their fast,so that everyone is aware of the restrictions that should be followed . There is a tradition

called midfa al iftar meaning the firing of iftar cannon informing that the fast can be ended. Until

then eating and drinking in public is an activity to be avoided. Also a list with the hours of fasting

observed by Muslims spread all over the globe is published, like if the sunrise to sunset is 11 hours in some countries(Argentina has the shortest fasting duration) it’s 20 hours in some ( Iceland and Greenland). Allah have mercy upon them.

The followers of Islam are a God fearing, peace loving humans who diligently follow the rules of Islam and pray 5 times a day irrespective of the place they are in. I have seen them devotedly perform their prayers in picnic spots too. The malls here have been provided with prayer rooms separately for men and women and they never falter in their ritual.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and fasting is observed to commemorate the first revelation of Quran to prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him. I do listen to Quran recitals and the 99 names of Allah, in some radio stations. The month of Ramadan brings in a wide range of offers in the food and grocery stores.The locals and others stock up on their staples, its a season of festivities & sharing and caring for the fellow humans is reiterated every time. There are community iftars where people from all walks of life come together to pray and break their fast at sunset. Families and friends visit each other with delicacies and jointly break their fast. The elevators in my apartment during iftar are crowded and delicious smells emanate from the huge vessels they carry on the way to a friend’s house for a joint iftar. It's a gastronomic experience as the restaurants provide a sumptuous and lavish spread of iftar buffet during this month. I was pleasantly surprised to see the community refrigerators being set up in the residences and office buildings etc where every one who can afford to and believe in charity come together to fill the refrigerators with dates , biscuits, fruits , juices , buttermilk etc for the weary brethren who form a beeline to the fridges to break their fast . The construction workers , the cleaning staff who use the community refrigerators ll definitely have a dua (prayer) for their providers. It’s lovely to see the people of all nationalities join in this initiative. I was

moved when I saw my friend's son, a boy of 10, who religiously takes him mom to a nearby shop

every day after school to get something for the community refrigerator. This country instills such

values in young minds. I asked Parikshit, the young boy who loves to read stories and is also a

storyteller, I am a fan of his British accent, about the Ramadan month and how they eat and

drink in school during this fasting period. He said that the Muslim children go to a separate room

to pray while the others eat and they refrain from drinking and eating around them. It’s common

sense and decency that makes the non fasting folks to refrain from drinking and eating in public

and the food courts in malls are covered by huge curtains during this month in respect to the Islamic

sentiments.

Once I was with a group of friends returning by cab after a potluck lunch and we were animatedly

discussing the food we had eaten when it struck me that the driver might be fasting. On inquiry he

said he was and asked us to continue our conversation and smiled and told me to drink water as I

was very thirsty and had taken out a bottle when this realization dawned on me. I thanked him

and took a gulp of water and started conversing about other topics.

The month of fasting is almost over, waiting for the announcement of the first day of shawwal,

the tenth month .The last 10 days of Ramadan is very special for the Muslims who believe in

praying the whole night and their worship and devotion increases many folds. I am busy looking for the offers and planning up the holiday of Eid Ul Fitr. There are many outstation special packages in the papers, plans of dinners and barbecues with friends, Salman Khan has a movie release every Eid.

Not forgetting to pray to God and Thank him for all the Blessings.

Wishing you all “ Eid Mubarak “

ps. My home in Dubai wafts with the fragrance of the scented candles lit in Islamic lanterns.