UAE | Heritage and Culture
It was a time to teach and preserve traditions
Elderly Emiratis say they enjoyed Ramadan in the past more than they do now because today the "spirit and value of the month" is missing.
- By Alia Al Theeb, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:05 September 17, 2007
- Image Credit: Ravindranath/Gulf News
- Sumptuous iftar buffets comprising several courses are arranged at hotels and restaurants during Ramadan, like this one at the La Piazza at Sands Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Dubai: Elderly Emiratis say they enjoyed Ramadan in the past more than they do now because today the "spirit and value of the month" is missing.
Mahdi, also known as Abu Mohammad, a 53-year-old government employee, said in the past there was nothing distracting in Ramadan as there is now.
"In the past, we did not have lavish cafes, tents and TV channels, which gave Ramadan a deep meaning of worship and a true bond between the people," he said.
Abu Mohammad said in the past there were Quran meetings in different houses every night.
"This way, we used to ensure memorising of the Quran and visiting our relatives and neighbours every day because many people opened their houses for Quran meetings and invited attendants for Suhoor [a meal at dawn before the start of the fasting day] at the same time," he said.
Abu Mohammad said there was also a man called masharati who would come on a donkey or on foot to wake up people for Suhoor.
Traditional rituals
"We use to run behind him and accompany him sometimes. Nowadays, we have masharatis but they are disappearing gradually," he said.
Abu Mohammad said another difference between Ramadan in the past and now is the variety of dishes that are now available which urge people to eat more and more and have health problems.
"In the past, we had only four dishes maximum which were also healthy such as fruits, vegetables, rice and fish.
"Nowadays, all food items are fatty and contain chemicals and are available in large quantities, inviting people to eat until they fill their stomachs," he said.
He said on a typical Ramadan day, he used to break fast with dates and water, pray in the mosque, come back and have a light soup and some fruits.
"We never used to stay up the entire night as it is nowadays. We used to play some traditional games that were widely popular in Ramadan especially, such as hide and seek, but we used to come back early and sleep early to wake up for Suhoor and Fajr prayer," Abu Mohammad said.
He said the ritual of distributing food to neighbours is similar to what it was, but they used to distribute food until their tenth neighbour.
"I remember carrying trays with dishes and distributing them to neighbours who also used to give us some of what they cooked in return," Abu Mohammad said.
He said he misses the old days of living the spirit of Ramadan and is and will always be a supporter of the old rituals and traditions.
Mahmoud Abdullah, a 53-year-old, employee, said Ramadan in the past had a unique taste and used to blend the elderly with the younger generations.
"In addition to the religious atmosphere that we used to live, we used to take Ramadan as an opportunity to teach our children and the children from the neighbourhood about our grandfathers' traditions and the importance of preserving them," he said.
Abdullah said there used to be gatherings of men and boys in majlis and elderly people used to tell stories and proverbs about traditions and rituals and how to preserve them.
"In the past, nobody complained about the work they had to do in Ramadan.
Young and old
"We used to see elderly people fishing at noon when the sun used to be at its peak, but never saw them complain, unlike nowadays, many youngsters complain that they get tired in Ramadan because they are fasting," he said.
Abdullah said although he misses the old days he spent during Ramadan, he tries to revive those days by telling his grandchildren about the country's traditions and how they used to live and suffer to make a living, which should encourage them to value the way they are living today.
More from UAE Heritage & Culture
More from UAE
Latest news
- Tracks to be laid on recycled material
- Golden Hour crucial to a patient's survival
- Opening show worthy of UAE
- Sun is shining on prospects for solar power
- Artists focus on craftsmanship
- World leaders committed to supporting civilians
- Schools open a new page in teaching English
- Special parking to help disabled tourists
- Helping hand surgeons have long sought
- Blind woman lights up corridors of power
- In Mind
- At times, I think of committing suicide
- Designer of a creative haven
- Fund to help Dubai taxi drivers' families
- New life-saving fleet of vehicles
Community Reports
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
-
Supporting the needy with food supplies
Group of families engaged in serving isolated labour community hopes to motivate more people to help underprivileged and hungry
-
Leukaemia boy granted wish to meet footballer
Emirati meets hero Al Qahtani, Al Ain team
