Name: Badr Al Budoor
Age: 26
Occupation: Operations supervisor
Nationality: Emirati
Emirate of residence: Dubai
In the UAE: Born in UAE
“I lost one of my best friends in a car accident before Ramadan last year, and it completely changed my perspective on everything. It made me realise that we can’t just expect to live our lives without suffering any consequences and it was that realisation that came to change my Ramadan completely.
“I spent last Ramadan getting closer to God and reflecting over my life and the decisions that I have made, whether good or bad. Ramadan to me is about spirituality more than anything else. It is a month to reflect and to make any necessary changes in order to live a good life. Some people argue that the hardest part about the month is the actual fasting but I disagree with that. I would say that fasting is the easiest part of the month because how many times a week are you so busy that you don’t have time to eat? Probably quite often, and that too, in a fast-paced society like ours.
“Ramadan is a very special month in the sense that it is such a spiritual and peaceful month for everyone. While the beginning of the month is always hard on some people, resulting in a lot of anger and agitation, but by the end of the month, everyone changes in one way or another. We end the month with feeling thankful and blessed, which is very different from what we might feel at the start of it. It is important to embrace the month and look at it as a second chance. Irrespective of the ups and downs throughout the year, Ramadan is a chance for you and I to make things better, to revoke our mistakes and to work on a better version of ourselves.
“Spending Ramadan in my country and with my people is a great feeling and I feel blessed for being able to do so, especially considering the fact that so many people spend Ramadan away from their people and country. This Ramadan, I will dedicate my time to not only get closer to God but also to my loves ones, including family and friends. Throughout the year we are busy with work and tend to forget to spend time with the family, thinking that they’ll always be there but as mentioned earlier, having lost my best friend last year, my perspective on life has completely changed. This year, I will dedicate most of my time being with my family and the people I love because at the end of the day, that is all that matters.”
