Ramadan is a special time for families – Abu Dhabi Week finds out how different families celebrate together
Manal Mansour
Mother of Laila age nine, Saif age seven, Sultan age five and Rashed age four
Normally during Ramadan, our whole family from all sides gets together – we always have iftar together, normally at my mum’s house, but last year it was at my house every day. We look at the list of friends and family, everyone we haven’t seen or we’d like to see.
After we break the fast, the men will go to pray while the women pray at home – some of the women will also go to the mosque.
Then after the iftar meal, we all sit around eating sweets and drinking tea. After the taraweeh prayers, we have another gathering that Emiratis call fuala. In most houses, the house will be full with people enjoying the fuala gathering. It’s like an extended Christmas!
Qudsia Irfan
Wife of Irfan, mother of Rayyan age three and Hamdan age one
The holy month of Ramadan is greatly awaited by our family – it brings a lot of spiritual and social feelings and at the end, it leaves us with a reward of EID! We celebrate Ramadan to the fullest. Before dawn, we gather for suhoor and at dusk we meet again for iftar. The sensation of togetherness from dawn to dusk is simply amazing. We prepare special meals for iftar – in our family, iftar isn’t really iftar without fruit salad and samboosas! We pray more than customary and so the feeling of purity in this month outclasses all.
By each passing day, the excitement for Eid reaches its peak and so embarks on its preparations! It’s utterly beautiful to see the kids’ cheerfulness when they receive Eid-ia, which is gifts or money that are given (especially to children) at Eid. Ramadan is a perfect blend of endless blessings, rewards and happiness!
Serena Chappell
Wife of Omar Mustafa and mother of Laith age five and Kinan age two
Ramadan in our family means Omar fasting and reading the Qu'ran while the rest of the family try and be supportive. With two small children who don't yet understand or probably even notice that Daddy is not eating with them before dark, it means that in many respects home life continues as normal. As his wife, I try and support him by ensuring he has food right on iftar time and of course try and allow him kid-free reading time each day. He is very realistic about the fact that the rest of us are not fasting and has no problems with it at all. Thank goodness we have a great group of friends who also support us by providing delicious iftar feasts for Omar and our family too. This is a great relief for me as I am definitely not skilled in Arabic cooking, although I do love many of their dishes! The children are getting older now, so they both go to Mosque each Friday with their father and are learning Arabic and taking Islamic lessons at school. It’s great to be able to share two different cultures and their respective celebrations with our children.
The most important thing is that Omar and I both respect each other’s different cultures and endeavour to give the best of both worlds to our children.
Reverend Andrew Thompson
Husband of Navina and father of Rianne age 15, Benjamin age 12 and Kathryn age nine
Ramadan during summer is a really tough discipline and I admire those who, in their devotion to God, seek to please Him by observing the fast. I would struggle to last a day. There are a few things I would recommend to non-Muslims to do during Ramadan.First, respect that our Muslim friends are fasting and show consideration. Also understand why our neighbours fast and ask them what is special about fasting.If you want to really appreciate how tough it is, join in with the fast – and remember that God sees our attitudes and motivation, not just our behaviour. Finally, pray for our Muslim friends, that God will bless them during this season and that through fasting and prayer they will see new things which will enrich and deepen their relationship with God and with all of us.
Laura Fulton
Don’t be offended
Part of the Eid celebration is the tradition called Eid-ia in which adults give money to children. A few days before Eid, many Emiratis will go to the bank to get crisp new currency notes to give to the kids – part of the money will be set aside to buy presents for poor children, some is saved and the children will use the remainder to buy gifts for themselves. If a friend offers your child money during Eid, it’s sort of rude to refuse – just say thank you.
Around 4: 10 am everyone has their last drink of water before the 'Fajr' prayers are announced.
Early afternoon-before 'fatoor' time, neighbours prepare food and send it to each other before its time to eat. The table is prepared with a jug of water and Vimto sometmes or mostly Laban drinks which is buttermilk. Both fresh dates ( since still in season) and Tamar are put into small silver containers, lentil or 'harees' soup, sambosas or pastries and put on the table ready for us to break the fast. We always gather together as a family at the table.
After making supplications on the call of the 'azan' we proceed to eat. It just takes a few minutes as the men go to pray the 'Maghrib' prayers and women pray at home.
When the men have arrived home, a few minutes later-the main meal is put on the table. This meal usually has to include rice most times, a lamb stew and a large salad. Our neighbour sends us 'harees'.
Other meals on different days includes, grilled fish, Thareed ( bread soaked in soup, and topped with lamb or chicken and vegetables), Machboos, Biriyani, fish under the rice ( turned upside down on plate) and much more- it depends on what we decide to make that day. It is also a time women like to try new recipes.
We always share of our food by sending to family , friends or neighbours close by. These are sent in small hotpots, Sometimes we send out food parcels to anyone who is working nearby on construction sites or to the Ramadan tents where everyone gathers for the 'iftar'.
At 'isha' time around 8: 30pm the medkhan ( incense burnr) is prepared one for the men clothes and to take to the 'Misjid', and another for the home. The after this the 'isha' prayers and Ramadan prayers 'Taraweeh' are performed always in congregation at the 'misjid'. Most women prefer to go go to the separate women's section of the 'misjid to perform their prayers but many do them at home too.
These last few days are the nights of' Lailat a' Qadr' (The Night of Power) so people will be even more devoted in their prayers and reading of the Quran. There will be also night prayers from 2 am-3am called 'salat ul leiyal'.
During these days too, people will prepare to buy for their children new clothes and shoes for Eid. Charities and volunteers will arrange to take nicely wrapped gifts to children at hospitals, in orphanages or to the elderly at homes.