Preparing for Ramadan in Lockdown in Dubai

Preparing for Ramadan in Lockdown in Dubai

Thursday 23 April 2020Wed 16 Feb
Share
Preparing for Ramadan in Lockdown in Dubai

With the holy month fast approaching and lockdown in Dubai still in full swing, Muslims across the city are adapting to the idea that Ramadan will not be as they expected this year.

The month of Ramadan is a very sociable one with families and friends joining together at the end of the day to break their fast and have Iftar altogether, however, this year will be a little lonely for some.

Our Head of IT, Muhammad Nabeel, has shared his plans for Ramadan in lockdown.

Muhammad Nabeel Head of IT
Ramadan is a staple month of the calendar for my family. We come from Pakistan and our entire family gets together for Iftar every day so this year, for my family, Ramadan will be very different.

I have lived in Dubai for many years now and so I am a little more accustomed to spending Ramadan away from my entire family, however, I do have cousins who live in the city, so we would normally spend this time together.

This year I will be unable to see anyone as I am in lockdown alone and this is upsetting but I am grateful that I have my health and that I’m safe. Ramadan is a time to reflect on life and be grateful for what we have and this year, I feel like this is even more important and apparent. There are people suffering and struggling all over the world and I for one am so thankful for my health at this time.

My biggest concern for ramadan during quarantine is the inability to go to the mosque for prayer time. Meeting my fellow muslims for every single prayer is what I look forward to most. I love learning ways to be a better muslim and I learn these at the mosque through muslim scholars, so this I will miss. However, I plan to connect with them via video call and learn from them and share my thoughts with my friends, and of course my family at home. I will set up a small prayer corner in my home where I will conduct every ramadan prayer.

During the holy month I like to give as much as I can to charity and the people around me who are less fortunate. This year, many more people are in difficult positions so I have been in touch with my family back home in Pakistan to help them provide for the people in their community. They will be sending care packages to neighbours like they do every year, but this year, there are more people who require a helping hand.

The care packages my family put together are full of essentials; food, clothes and home necessities. I have personally prepared to give this ramadan by saving some money and items from last year and selling some unwanted items recently to be able to make my own care packages to give to those in need in my neighbourhood or those who are close by. I will be unable to drop packages off at the usual locations due to the lockdown, but I appreciate that this is a sacrifice needed to keep people safe and well. I trust in my fellow muslims to be looking after their neighbours during this time.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Receive a round-up of all the important news in one go!

Latest News & Videos