Hey you guys! Today I want to share my first Iftar experience with you! I had a lovely time at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) Dubai - wonderful hosts, lovely food and lots of conversation and open discussion around Islamic culture and tradition. It was an evening well spent and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about Islamic culture, even if you’re a tourist visiting in the month of Ramadan, this can be a very interesting thing to do (you need to book a place in advance)

Iftar is the name given to the evening meal which Muslims have at sunset to end their daily Ramadan fast. At the precise time of the call to prayer for the evening prayer, they break their fast by eating a date and having some water.

As this was my first experience of Ramadan in Dubai, I had so many questions! What is it going to be like for me being a non-Muslim? what about my son? can he eat/drink in the playground? What will it be like in the mall? etc. etc. So I’m so glad I attended the SMCCU cultural Iftar which was not only really informative in terms of the Islamic religion and culture, but it also opened my mind and made me look at certain things in a different way.

The venue was in the heart of the historical Emirati neighbourhood in Old Dubai - the Al Fahidi District. We entered the courtyard or ‘Majlis’ of a house that was about 150 years old (yet did not have a single steel structure holding it in place!). A very peaceful setting that was bustling with activity as the hosts and volunteers welcomed us and prepared for the evening. The whole setup was very casual and I immediately felt very comfortable. There was food neatly covered and placed in the middle of the carpeted floor, floor cushions all around where we were seated, kids running around, and guests, hosts and volunteers greeting each other. The vibe was that of a large family/friends gathering.

After the initial intros etc, we were all given a cup of water and a date, and at the time of call to prayer, we all had the date and water. We were then served some Arabic coffee which had a strong aroma of saffron and cardamom. Those who were fasting broke their fast and went for a brief prayer, after which it was time to eat!

A wonderful spread of food awaited us – different types of biryanis, Arabic dishes like chicken madrooba, vegetable saloona (to name a few) that I had never tasted before, salads, curries, with vegetarian options as well! The food was good, not spicy at all, and full of flavour. We all had to serve ourselves and women and children got to go first. We got a glimpse of what it's like to have a traditional Iftar. The locals typically sit on the floor and eat with their hands (just like my own culture, I thought). I took seconds, but surprisingly I did not overeat as one tends to do in these situations!

Before and during the meal, the hosts talked about the Islamic culture, their customs, all about fasting and why they do it – It’s one of the five pillars of Islam and something they take extremely seriously. There are of course exemptions for children, the old, the ill and pregnant women. It was a very informal discussion and people were asking questions, even kids were very curious and asking questions which the hosts graciously answered. It was very refreshing to see young people get so involved in the discussions! We later took a tour of the mosque and spent some time inside where the hosts explained the basic pillars and principles of Islam, significance of Makkah (Mecca) & Hajj and what one does at Hajj – these are things that I knew of and had a vague idea but certainly not in so much detail (if that makes sense!) A lot of the questions I had in mind were answered and I left the mosque feeling quite peaceful and happy.

When we got back to the Majlis, the table was set – this time, for dessert! I tried about four or five different types of traditional Arabic desserts, some of which like the Um Ali and Aseeda reminded me of ‘Halwa’ or ‘Sheera’ that I’ve grown up eating! Also, the Lugaimat reminded me of doughnuts (unsweetened) drizzled with date syrup! See this is how my brain works when it comes to desserts! Anyway after the lovely dessert, and a round of tea we said our goodbyes with the sweet (and slightly overpowering) smell of the burning bakhoor.

All in all, a short and sweet affair, with a lot of my 'whys' and 'why nots' finally answered. So here are some new things I discovered:

1) The Emiratis drink strong hot coffee called ‘Gahwa’ – it’s served in a small cup which doesn’t have handles and so they don’t fill the cup fully. Something like an espresso shot. It has a strong, bitter taste with hints of cardamom and saffron and it is to be had without milk or sugar. Now if you’re new to this, please know that the host will keep re-filling your cup until you shake the cup slightly. Gently shaking your cup indicates that you’re content and don’t want more coffee! So basically, if you want more coffee, don’t shake that cup! Got it?

2) Another thing I found out is that they drink hot drinks (like the gahwa) to cool down their bodies in the unbearable heat! I couldn’t initially figure this out. But basically if you’re in a hot and dry place like a desert and you drink a hot drink, the body temperature will rise forming sweat, and as the sweat evaporates, the body gets cooled. Pretty cool ha! Please tell me I'm not the only one who didn't know this! I always go for the cold drink! But caveats are – you should be wearing loose cool clothes (cotton), and you should be in a dry (not humid) place. That's when this will be most effective.

3) This then brings me to the clothes that the Emiratis typically wear – I finally have this figured and the hosts were kind enough to answer all sorts of questions! The men wear the Kandura which is the long white (or could be any colour) cloak and the Guthra or the head scarf. They have been wearing this for 100s of years and is the most comfortable clothing for them in this climate. You know what they say - if ain’t broke, don’t fix it! So while the world has moved on to trousers, jeans and suits etc, they still prefer to wear the Kandura. It helps them to stay cool and then the hot drink system of cooling down is very effective! :D

4) Contrary to what I thought before I moved to Dubai, the Abaya which is the long black (again, could be any colour) robe worn by Emirati women is actually optional, and more of a choice than anything else. These women wear gorgeous and colourful clothes under the Abaya. The women may also wear a Sheila or a headscarf to cover their head – again this is to protect them from the dust and sand. I'm actually loving Abaya fashion - some of the styles are really cool!

5) ‘Zakat’ or charity is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is extremely important to those who follow Islam. Every year, they donate a specific percentage of their wealth to a needy person or family. And also do a lot of other voluntary forms of charity. I really respect that, and I think that's an important learning for me. I really feel that most of us can easily and consciously do a lot more in terms of charity.

If there are differences, there are also similarities –

Religion can be such a tricky/controversial topic to write about, and I don’t really want to get into too much because I hardly have the knowledge or authority. I won't say I'm an overly religious person but religion is important to me and I do follow and believe in certain things. I feel fortunate to have been exposed to different religions/cultures over the years. I’m born in a Hindu family and I follow Hindu culture and traditions. I went to a Christian school so I’ve grown up singing hymns, and saying ‘Our Father in Heaven..’ every morning at assembly, visiting churches and reading about Christianity. I’ve lived in Singapore, so I know a few things about the Chinese culture and their principles and ways of living. And now I’m in Dubai and slowly getting exposed to Islam in little ways. Of course, growing up in India means getting a flavour of most religions and cultures, which is actually pretty amazing in itself!

Anyway, this whole experience just got me thinking - there’s so much to learn from different cultures and religions, if you have an open mind. While there are obvious differences between different religions and cultures, there are also obvious similarities. Based on my limited knowledge, I can say that most religions talk about kindness, good thoughts and good deeds and promote peace and living in unity. Charity/helping the needy is also a fairly common thing across most religions. So I wish we all looked at the similarities for a change - the world would be such a different place to live in. And suppose you're someone who doesn't believe or follow any religion - that's cool too! Because you know, at the end of the day, kindness is above religion. Something to think about, eh?

xx

Kirti

Dubai Diaries: My First Iftar Experience