Abu Dhabi: For Tanveer Ahmad, Ramadan in the UAE is an opportunity to strengthen one’s faith without the distractions and trappings of everyday hustle and bustle.
“One gets a chance to focus on worship, and get back on track with religious duties. In my opinion, this is unlike most other places of the world, and definitely a contrast to Ramadan back home in India,” the 39-year-old investment administration executive told Gulf News.
Ahmad, who is a father of three, especially treasures the lack of distractions for someone who wants to become a better human being.
“Often, in Ramadan, there is a misplaced focus on feasting, in my opinion. But here, someone who wants to concentrate on their worship can do so with ease. In addition to the ample opportunities for charity, the shortened working hours are also a great blessing, a perk we do not get in many other countries,” he said.
Ahmad spends the few weeks before Ramadan preparing for the month, especially as he doesn’t like to waste much of his time during it on much other than worship.
“In fact, we even do our Eid shopping during the day on weekends so that we have all our energy reserved for the special night prayers,” he said.
Like most people who fast, iftar is a special meal. But Ahmad likes to keep it light.
“Homemade soups prepared by my wife are a staple, and so are the dates. Other than these, we also have a lot of bread and yoghurt, especially for suhour, the pre-dawn meal,” he said.
Ahmad attends Taraweeh prayers at the mosque while his wife prays at home. They also prefer an early bedtime around 10.30pm so that they are rested in time for suhour. Social outings for the family are also rare, and Ahmad tries to make use of every chance to feed and help the less fortunate.
Profile
Tanveer Ahmad
From: India
Age: 39
Investment administration executive