Dubai: It might sound normal that the Salim family’s Ramadan tradition is to spend time with each other but for them it is the most important thing, as it doesn’t happen often.
The reason behind this is that three of the six children study abroad so Ramadan gives the whole family the opportunity to come together in their home in Dubai to eat, pray and laugh.
Fatima Salim, one of the daughters, said: “Ramadan is our time to just leave all our usual activities and focus more on family and Islam — it’s the month of being together.”
Everything that the Salim family does, they do together — from suhoor and iftar, to prayers and card games.
She said: “We never miss any of these activities. We wake up every morning for a light suhoor followed by the men heading to the mosque for Fajr [morning] prayers.”
However, this means that the family wakes up later than usual, with the younger children sleeping even later as they use Ramadan as a reason to stay awake all night.
Salim, Sri Lankan national, spends a part of her day reciting the Quran with her parents and siblings.
When the evening comes that is when the real family bonding starts.
Salim said: “During iftar we break our fast with dates and water and a sort of porridge made from rice. After that we have the evening prayers at home, which is led by my father.”
After prayers the Salim family sits at the dining table and has iftar.
During the Isha prayers Salim’s brother Yousuf conducts Taraweeh prayers at home with the family while Salim and her sister Zainab follow.
The reason behind this is that the three children have memorised the entire Quran and this is a way of reviewing it.
The Salim family ends the night by either playing cards at home or going out.
Salim said: “Although it is a routine, the things we do on a daily basis during this month is a tradition that our family has strictly followed for years.”
