UAE | Heritage and Culture
'A fast of eyes, lips and ears from evil'
It was the second day of Ramadan. All was quiet in the Nayaz household, when suddenly, ten minutes before iftar, little Ammar came running to his mother.
- By Nasheet Jaffer Khan, Community Solutions Editor
- Published: 00:30 September 12, 2008
- Image Credit: Vazhisojan/Gulf News
- Seema and her husband, Nayaz Syed, had a discussion with their sons about the nuances of fasting during Ramadan.
It was the second day of Ramadan. All was quiet in the Nayaz household, when suddenly, ten minutes before iftar, little Ammar came running to his mother. He was in tears and wanted to know if his fast would be broken because he had had a sip of water. The nine-year-old was troubled because it was the first time he was keeping the fast.
"It is Ammar's duty to fill the glasses with water at the iftar table. One of the glasses started overflowing and he instinctively took a sip. I had to tell him that since it was unintentional, it was okay. It was tough to console him otherwise," said Seema Hassan Nayaz, Ammar's mother, said.
In the corner of the room, Ubayy, two years younger to Ammar, was chuckling with delight for having bettered his brother; he too is fasting for the first time this year.
"The feeling that he is no longer a baby is what excited Ammar when he observed the fast. Ubayy wanted to follow his brother's example," Seema said.
To make the transition clear, both Seema and her husband, Nayaz Syed, had a discussion with their sons, about the nuances of observing the fast.
Personal decision
"Right after we came back from our summer vacation, we sat the boys down and asked whether they were ready to fast or not. It was very inspiring. We told them about poor people and how they live with hunger, without proper shelter and clothes. In the end, it was their decision to fast," Nayaz said.
Seema gave Ubayy and Ammar allowances to break the fast for the first few days to help them cope better. "I don't force them to fast. This way they get trained gradually. Now, they don't break the fast for the whole day," she said.
Special occasion
The excitement to wake up at suhour, coupled with the opportunity to pray in the mosque with neighbours and friends is "the most special part of fasting," according to Ammar.
He said: "I love praying with my family and friends at the mosque."
Zaid, his 14-year-old brother, said the concept of keeping the fast during Ramadan had assumed a whole new meaning for him.
He said: "It's not just about abstaining from hunger and thirst. It is also a fast of the eyes, lips and ears from all things evil."
Both Seema and Nayaz Syed are only ready to acknowledge that the entire experience of their three children fasting for the first time had been quite overwhelming.
"Our children have shown us how we as adults can sometimes lack in spirit and enthusiasm, especially in terms of welcoming Ramadan," observed Nayaz.
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