Muslims the world over have been preparing throughout the first half of 2013 for the holy month of Ramadan, the most sacred month in the Islamic calendar with dawn-to-dusk fasting, prayers and spiritual introspection. The fast, one of the five pillars of Islam, is seen as a time for devotional reflection, prayers, and charity.
This year Ramadan fell in July, and in the GCC this can only mean extremely long daylight hours and searing heat of radioactive intensity (50 degrees Celsius/122 degrees Fahrenheit). You try fasting from water and food a full 13 1/2 hours per day!! May God bless those who do…
Ramadan Kareem 2013
Living in the UAE the obligation of non-Muslims is to be respectful of our Muslim friends and colleagues by refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, chewing and hand-holding through these daylight hours. When passing one another, we wish each other well with the joyous greeting of ‘Ramadan Kareem!’
Ramadan Kareem 2013: f/4.5; 1/200sec; ISO-360
The daily fast is broken with the much anticipated meal of Iftar. It is upon sunset that Muslims traditionally break the fast by eating dates, sipping water and juice, performing the Maghrib prayer, and then finally sitting down to Iftar, where communities and families gather together.
Ramadan Kareem 2013: f/4.5; 1/200sec; ISO-250
For Emirati Iftars, harees is often a staple. A traditional dish, it’s a comforting kind of meat porridge, the basis of which is boiled wheat grains and slow-cooked lamb or chicken. Another local favourite is lamb ouzi – a spit-roast lamb served with spiced rice. And it is near impossible to pass on the deliciously sweet Umm Ali – a pudding cooked with pastry, cream, nuts and raisins.
Ramadan Kareem 2013: f/4.5; 1/200sec; ISO-280
However for those from the West, Iftar usually means drowning in a buffet of rich desserts. Being invited to an Iftar is quite the privilege and the opportunity is not lost on those of us with a sweet tooth. Witness the aftermath of an indulgent banquet, in the images above. Ramadan Kareem to one and all!
