In the heart of a Dubai prison, Ramadan is a particularly poignant time of reflection and spiritual renewal.
On a visit to the Dubai Police Correctional Establishment in Al Awir, The National spoke to a number of inmates and saw first-hand how they honour the holy month.
From breaking fast over iftar to waking up for suhoor, the key principles are adhered to – and some previously non-Muslims have even converted to Islam during their time behind bars.
A 44-year-old former Christian from Burundi, who now calls himself Rashid, converted to Islam three months ago and is navigating his first Ramadan.
In August 2021, he was taken into custody after he was found in possession of drugs at Dubai International Airport.
This led to a decade-long sentence and a Dh50,000 ($13,615) fine on drug-trafficking charges but also, ultimately, to a rediscovery of faith in the most unlikely of places.
“The idea of spending the rest of my life behind bars was the darkest moment of my life but it was that dark moment that led me to find light,” he told The National.
The shift was not the outcome of a singular event but a series of encounters and gestures of kindness from Muslim prisoners and officers.
“Starting from the police officers who arrested me to the Muslim inmates around me, they have all shown respect, help and kindness I have not seen before,” he said.
“My knowledge of Islam was limited, despite my maternal uncle embracing the faith years ago.
“But the way Dubai Police officers and fellow inmates treated me, attributing that kindness to their faith made me rethink my own.”
Carrying a storm of thoughts, Rashid said he drifted into sleep one night three months ago and saw himself back in his village in a dream.
“I was greeted by so many people including my mother and everyone was dressed in white,” he said.
“I woke up with one clear thought in my head: I want to embrace Islam. Until that moment, the thought of converting had never crossed my mind."
After sharing his decision with officers, he received support and guidance, including an English copy of the Quran and Arabic lessons from a Sudanese prisoner.
“I have learnt half of the Arabic alphabet and am now practising writing,” Rashid added.
His wife and teenage daughter, while not Muslims, showed openness to his new faith but fasting during Ramadan was something he initially viewed with apprehension.
This was until the concept was better explained to him by inmates and officers, while reading about the holy month helped him understand its significance.
“My first reaction was like: 'I am deprived of freedom and now will be deprived of food,'" he said.
“Now I believe Ramadan is not about stopping food. It's about stopping yourself from losing control. It's to tell you that you can but you think you can’t.”
Another story of faith and transformation is that of a 27-year-old Emirati inmate serving a 15-year sentence.
He finds solace in his prayers and Quran memorising sessions, while achieving purpose through participation in a prison farm project – launched a few months ago as part of a rehabilitation drive by Dubai Police.
“I wake up for suhoor at 3am then sleep for a short while until it's time for Al Fajr prayer,” he said.
He spends his time at the farm caring for his crops until it's Dhuhr (midday) prayer time.
“I’m growing tomatoes and cucumbers,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Indian inmate and farmworker, 48, finds spiritual sustenance in the routine of suhoor, prayer and reading the Quran.
“There is so much peace and fulfilment derived from these practices,” he said.
The acts of generosity observed during Ramadan, he says, represent another aspect that offers spiritual nourishment.
“One example is an inmate who provides ordered-in iftar meals for all 60 inmates in our ward," he said.
“This reflects the spirit of giving and solidarity that defines Ramadan for me.”
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
Tomorrow 2021
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
School uniforms report
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
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Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
Tomorrow 2021
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
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Director: Siddharth Anand
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Rating: Two out of five stars
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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Dhadak 2
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About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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AL%20BOOM
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
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AT%20A%20GLANCE
War on waste
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Transgender report
World Mental Health Day
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• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
On Women's Day
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
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2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
