From a thousand miles away...

It is the time of the year when we sit down and reflect on the good and the bad of the previous year. We leave our repentance behind and focus on forgiveness because nothing else matters.

It is a spiritual month, and for me, it is the nicest month of the Islamic calendar as it is a time when all Muslims concentrate on their faith and spend less time on the concerns of their everyday life. Despite all our differences, during this month, we are all equal, and the less privileged as well as the privileged unite for one cause – Ramadan.

The biggest obstacle for me, spending Ramadan in a non-Muslim country is to abstain from eating, as everyone around you are doing what you cannot! Whereas, the atmosphere in a Muslim country helps you with that as everyone are on the same page in terms of fasting. However, my time abroad has helped me become patient and stronger, as well as maintain my relationships with my creator.

Most people associate this holy month with food, but it’s not all that, rather it is a month of reflection and changing to a better you. What I miss the most about Ramadan in the UAE is being close to family and having everyone gather for Iftar.

I wish everyone a blessed Ramadan and hope that this year will bring peace and forgiveness to everyone. As I said, what happened in the past is no longer important, so let’s all focus on moving forward and being positive.